<body><![CDATA[After arriving with East Is East in 1999, the director Damien OΓÇÖDonnell followed up three years later with Heartlands, which some found to be rather too sugary. His latest film promises to be harder-edged, but still warm-spirited. The first of OΓÇÖDonnellΓÇÖs movies to be set in his native Ireland, it concerns a young man, Michael (Steven Robertson), who has cerebral palsy and lives an isolated existence in a nursing home. Only with the arrival of the rebellious Rory (James McAvoy), who has muscular dystrophy, does Michael gain a friend with whom to fight for independence. Judging by the clips here, the performances of Robertson (a newcomer) and McAvoy (a familiar television face) are as strong as they will need to be if the film is to be an artistic success.]]></body>
