Love in Kilnerry

Directed by Daniel Keith and Snorri Sturluson, Love in Kilnerry follows the residents of a small town as they’re exposed to a chemical process that leaves them with vastly increased libidos – with the narrative detailing the sheriff’s (Keith’s Gary O’Reilly) efforts at maintaining order among the exceedingly randy denizens. It’s an audience-friendly premise that is, for the most part, employed to distressingly underwhelming effect by Keith and Sturluson, as the filmmakers, working from Keith’s screenplay, deliver a sluggish endeavor that generally remains hopelessly unable to capture the viewer’s interest and attention – with the arm’s length atmosphere compounded by an ongoing emphasis on desperately unfunny, eye-rollingly over-the-top instances of humor. (There is, for example, a recurring subplot involving a rivalry between the town’s mayor and priest that couldn’t be less amusing, with the tiresome bent of such interludes exacerbated by Tony Triano’s grating, woefully broad turn as the aforementioned mayor.) It’s clear, then, that Love in Kilnerry‘s relatively tolerable vibe is due to its smattering of heartfelt encounters and episodes, including the continuing exploits of a lonely, widowed postman (Roger Hendricks Simon’s Fergal), and there’s little doubt, as well, that the satisfying conclusion does, at least, ensure that the whole thing ends on a positive note – which ultimately cements the movie’s place as an earnest misfire that should have jettisoned its uniformly ill-advised attempts at comedy.

** out of ****