Recovered Classic: The Last of the High Kings


Anyone with an aversion to Thin Lizzy or the nightmare fashions of the 1970s might want to steer clear of director David Keating’s delightful rites-of-passage comedy, but they’d be missing out on something rather special, because his debut feature is the cinematic equivalent of buried treasure.

Based on Ferdia MacAnna’s semi-autobiographical novel, the movie received minimal advance publicity prior to its original release, arriving virtually unnoticed, but it proved to be a rare delight, its quirky qualities and wonderfully wacky sense of humour effortlessly singling it out as one of the most enjoyable films of 1996.

Set in Dublin in 1977, Jared Leto—starring in his breakout role—plays 17-year-old Frankie, eldest son of an oddball family who is wondering how he will struggle through the summer knowing that by the end of the holidays he will have received his dreaded exam results. Which explains the tagline: “When school ends and life begins.”

Concentrating on what he gets up to during those sun-filled weeks, we are introduced to his flamboyant dad (Gabriel Byrne)—an actor who is rarely at home—his domineering and fiery Irish nationalist mother (Catherine O’Hara), Jayne and Romy (two girls he’s got the hots for but hasn’t got the guts to ask out), local politician Colm Meaney and American cousin on vacation Christina Ricci.

All these characters play a part in Frankie’s journey of self-discovery as he battles with his Protestant-hating mum, plans a beach party with his Elvis-loving best friend, continues to convince himself that his world is going to end because he’s failed his exams and becomes increasingly obsessed with seducing either Jayne or Romy. Rather touchingly, however, throughout his disaster-prone search for independence, the only member of his larger-than-life family Frankie can really tolerate is his brain-damaged brother, Noely.

Caught between acne and adulthood, Frankie’s continuing misadventures allow Leto to display the sort of promise which would later lead to roles in the likes of Fight Club, Panic Room and Alexander. But while his portrayal is certainly impressive and it’s easy to spot the star potential, the fact that he has to compete with O’Hara for the acting honours doesn’t make life easy for him. Because her performance as a sort of Celtic Warrior Queen throwback who is convinced her family is descended from Irish kings (hence the film’s title) threatens to steal the show. She’s not alone, however, because Meaney’s lascivious MP and an overly talkative cabbie played by Stephen Rea (in a winning cameo) also come close to making the film their own.

Co-written by Byrne, the movie fortunately doesn’t suffer any ill effects from the underlying battle for acting supremacy. In fact, it probably benefits from this raising of the stakes as the cast pulls out all the stops to rise to the challenge of trying to compete with all the outrageous fashions which are inevitably on display. From a dramatic standpoint, aside from the stormy family exchanges, Keating’s movie is far from being action-packed, but the director has somehow weaved a hypnotic, magical quality into his film which simply keeps the viewer enthralled throughout. Coupled with deft comic touches and faultless comic performances from all concerned, it leads to Leto’s ongoing narrative at times resulting in all the crazy goings-on faintly resembling something akin to an Irish Gregory’s Girl.

Topped off by a pulsating soundtrack which is dominated by what amounts to Thin Lizzy’s greatest hits, this is slice-of-life cinema at its very best and a film which is well worth seeking out. And if anyone tells you different, as Phil Lynott often said, don’t believe a word.

David Lichtneker

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