The Last Bus Home (1997) - Video On Demand

The Last Bus Home - Movie Review

Born in defiance on the day the Pope comes to Dublin. Punk band The Dead Patriots rise to, big band in a small town, status only to self-destruct as society takes its revenge and love gets dangerous. Ten years on, the protagonists meet to learn the full truth of their undoing.  Set against the background of a conservative and religious society, this an energetic and convincing drama that tells its story through the shifting dynamics of its central characters relationships and most importantly the music of an era.

Dublin 1979, While the whole neighbourhood embarks to the Pope's mass, punkette Reena ducks out with the aid of her Granmother - a rebel from an older generation. In the deserted streets of her suburb, she meets up with Jessop and by the time her parents return, renewed from the pope, Reena and Jessop have sealed  their alliance in Jessop's  bed.

Three Years later, managed by Renna and with Jessop as iconclastic lead singer their post-punk  combo with Petie and Joe have risen to 'big band in a small town status'.  Petty tensions within the band are rising after yet another name change and eviction from yet another dodge venue. Disaster is averted by the appearance of the colourful worldly-wise Billy Byrne, back from a failed musical venture in London, the securing of a new home in the form of a back street bingo hall, a very successful performance and the offer of an record deal from a smooth talking A&R man from London trawing the city for new talent.  But just as they are about to find real success, love interests,  jealousy, insecurity, dodgy deals and sudden death conspire against the band.

Ten years later Reena returns from New York for the funeral of her Grandmother and later in the company of Jessop they retarace the steps of their youth through the city and confront the spirits and demons of their shared past.

Along with the likes of How to Cheat in the Leaving Certificate, November Afternoon, and even I Went Down, The Last Bus Home contributed greatly to a climate of edgier, riskier pictures of Irish culture in the late twentieth century.

Eighty sets, a cast of hundreds (including the pope), three seasons in different time frames, live music recordings (ald all on the budget of an average oil commercial) made the production of The Last Bus Home a logistical brain buster.

The film was shot for five weeks all over Dublin with a wholly Dublin based crew. The story came to life behind the camera with some notable newcomers to the feature length film joining up with some of the more experienced personages of the Irish film industry. For lighting cameraman James Mather the film marked an auspicious graduation from short films and commercials to a first feature while production designer Frank Conway  ("The Last Of The High Kings" and "Trojan Eddie") brought a wealth of experience as did make-up designer Rosie Balckmore and Production Manager Margaret Jennings.

The strength in depth was no less apparent in front of the camera with a strong young cast in the central roles backed by better known Irish actors in the supporting roles, in particular Gemma Craven and Niall O'Brien.

The film took on some difficult technical tasks, an extensive recording session prior to production for which seven original songs were scored, the shooting and recording of live music scenes in a riot situation, recreating in studio with innovative lighting techniques the sense of a Dublin bus careering through a wet night, shooting period street scenes in a city that has been under major reconstruction for nearly a decade. Through careful choice of location and application of a low budget theory of subtraction (traffic etc.) rather than replacement the period was established. The result gives the film's exteriors a sparseness while creating a distinctive feel of the city and the time.

Finally, The Last Bus Home applied some of the most advanced techniques in Sound Design through the use of the most up to date techniques in Digital Sound in addition to a strong soundtrack of original and prerecorded tracks by Sinead O'Connor, the Undertones, Cathal Coughlan, the Radiators and Linton Kwesi Johnson.

 

The Last Bus Home - Cast & Crew

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