VOD film review: Tarrac
Review Overview
Sports drama
8Bonding
8Performances
8Matthew Turner | On 29, Dec 2023
Director: Declan Recks
Cast: Kelly Gough, Lorcan Cranitch, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh, Kate Finegan, Rachael Feeney, Cillian O’Gairbhi
Certificate: 15
If you’re paying attention during crucial moments in this engaging Irish-language sports drama, you may well pick up that “Tarrac” is the Irish word for “Pull!”, an entirely appropriate title for a story about a ragtag, all-female rowing team. As such, it’s not entirely devoid of clichés, but it’s hard to complain when the end result is this enjoyable.
Kelly Gough plays Aoife, a Dublin workaholic who takes an extended break and returns home to her small village in Kerry after her father, Bear (Lorcan Cranitch), suffers a heart attack. A chance encounter in the local pub sees Aoife reunited with old friends and she’s soon persuaded to join their all-female rowing team, who are hoping to qualify for an upcoming tournament.
Aoife is clearly something of a no-nonsense type, so she quickly sacks the team’s weakest link and recruits troubled-but-gifted local teenager Naomi (Rachel Feeney) in her place, instigating a gruelling training program as the team prepare for their upcoming race. Meanwhile, Aoife tries to work through her borderline dysfunctional relationship with her father, which is further complicated by the fact that her mother (who died several year previously) was once a champion rower, coached by Bear.
There are no prizes for guessing where this all ends up, but the journey is extremely enjoyable. Crucially, Eugene O’Brien’s screenplay gets the balance exactly right, including just enough rowing action – training montages, races, that sort of thing – for the film to properly qualify as a sports drama, but keeping a strong emotional focus on the central relationships.
To that end, the performances are excellent. Kelly Gough, in particular, isn’t afraid to play Aoife as having a somewhat difficult side, which makes her seem much more layered and realistic than your standard lead. Similarly, Lorcan Cranitch is superb as the gruff, formerly strong figure, now suddenly vulnerable as a result of illness, who struggles to reconnect with his daughter.
There’s also strong support from Rachel Feeney and from Cillian O’Gairbhi as Naomi’s slightly eccentric cousin, Noellie, who’s taken her in because of her troubled upbringing. You can also sense some sensible streamlining decisions in the screenplay – Aoife’s best friend and teammate, Jude (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh), is introduced as an exhausted mother of three, but the script stops short of giving us scenes of her home life, which allows the story to move along faster, while still allowing for notes of emotion at the end.
As for the rowing scenes, director Declan Recks does a good job of making the race sequences exciting, aided by Gareth Young’s pacey editing. Similarly, Patrick Jordan’s cinematography makes great use of the authentic Kerry locations, giving the film a palpable sense of place, to the point where you can practically feel the cold wind blowing on your face.