Ohlucky men!
Writer RODDY DOYLE and director KIERON J. WALSH explain love’s mysteries to The List, as seen in their film W"
Brendan Met Trudy
Words: Mark Robertson
'l'he lirst thing that springs to mind watching ll’lien Brem/un .llet 'l'rmly is what the hell a l‘eisty‘ young l‘ox like Trudy would see in a dorky l‘ella like Brendan? Scriptwriter and Ireland's most popular noyelist Roddy Doyle is quick to del‘end: ‘Some night in a pub recently you probably saw some prat with a great looking woman on his arm. and wondered about that. It’s like Woody Allen in Annie Hall. where he stops and asks a couple why they are actually attracted to each other. It’s one of lil'e's mysteries.‘ Doyle‘s young director Kieron J. Walsh adds: 'She may just be in it for the challenge. She doesn‘t care. she gets a pint out ol it.‘ Doyle and Walsh are in lidinburgh. where they and the lilm were the star attraction of the
Lumiere‘s inaugural lrish liilm l'estiy'al earlier
in the year.
l-‘lora Montgomer‘y"s 'l‘rudy is a liery l‘oil for
Peter McDonald's deadpan schoolteacher.
Brendan. 'l‘heir intense. it slightly dysfunctional relationship is an excellent centrepiece to the surreal Dublin they inhabit. 'l'rudy and Brendan meet in a pub: he has nipped in alter choir practice and she talks him into buying her a drink. Brendan‘s passion is moy'ies the giy es his mother a Jean—l.uc (iodard biography for Christmas). but the imaginary moyie world he inhabits is gatecrashed by 'l‘rudy. l‘ilm nerds will haye a l‘ield day picking out the rel'erences.
‘When I read the script it was constantly surprisittgf says Walsh. '()ut of nowhere they were talking in French and then he‘s singing Iggy l’op‘s "l'lie Passenger” to his class. then he’s shitting on someone‘s carpet.’
Three of Doyle‘s books The ('mnmilments. 'I‘lie Snapper and T/It' \im have already been adapted tor the screen. but this is his lirst straight screenplay. ‘My last two books inyolyed a lot of research. so when I sat down to write this one l was keen to do no research and make a light piece ol‘ writingf he says. "l‘he only job I had eyer done was teaching and we‘re all aware of the comic possibilities ol‘ teaching. No matter how miserable someone‘s education was. they always remember those moments where the
teacher l'ell ol’l‘ the desk. lel’t his llies open or
rubbed his balls on the desk despite there being
Film
Roddy Doyle’s first original screenplay
37 kids looking at him:
l)oy|e has once again tapped into that rich \ein ol‘ Dublin lil‘c l'or inspiration. unearthing another clutch ot‘ comic characters. .\s Brendan and 'l'rudy set out on their ramshackle loye al‘lair. they attempt a dell computer then l'rom the school Brendan works in. Walsh admits getting a per\erse thrill out ol‘ l‘ilming at his own old school. ‘ln getting on the school l‘ool-l l‘ullilled a lantasy. legally. (ioing back to the old place was kind ol‘ like reyenge. I only wish I had been making It. .
That‘s the film in which .\laleolm .\lcl)owell machine guns his hezulmaster. isn't it'.’ .\Jaughty boy.
General release from Fri 25 May. See review, page 33.
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