Sensation

Sensation is a low beat indie film from Ireland. Written and directed by Tom Hall it stars Domhnall Gleeson who play’s Donal, a sexually frustrated and socially inept farmers son who finds his dad dead on the stair lift in the farmhouse where they live. With death come inheritance and the promise of more money from an impending sale of the farm. Unable to form any meaningful relationships with woman, especially the girl of his dreams who works in the local shop Domhnall turns to the internet. On there he finds Kim, a New Zealand call girl. Awkward but exciting for Donal the first ‘date’ leads to another. However, when Kim has an encounter with a couple of dangerous punters she and Domhnall form an unlikely relationship and end up getting into bed with each other in another way and set up a brothel together.

Sensation is a dark comedy and so are some of the topics it touches on. Loneliness, shyness but also power and corruption of moral codes. Domhnall Gleeson is excellent as Donal but it is hard to find any sympathy for a character that drowns kittens at the beginning of the movie and then once he gets a bit of success completely screws over the woman that made all of his dreams possible. He does redeem himself in the end but you’re a bit past caring by then. Luanne Gordon who plays Kim matches Gleeson in the acting stakes. She walks a fine line between glamorous escort and vulnerable good girl just trying to make her way in the world. The comedy is provided by Domhnall’s layabout best friend Karl, played by Patrick Ryan who delivers his lines with straight faced excellence.

The film states that it’s not pretty woman and that it’s not but it’s not that far away from Risky Business. It’s more like Napoleon Dynamite meets Risky Business. Set in rural Ireland. This film is worth a watch but it’s exactly the Sensation you may be hoping for.