Parked

There's something about Colin Morgan
I watched this film because of Colin Morgan.

Parked is difficult to sum up in a sentence or a paragraph, because like every good film, it isn't about one thing or a few things. Threads run over and under each other, themes weave in and out. At the end, I find myself wondering what, really, it *was* about.

Fred Daly has recently returned to Ireland, having spent some years in England. Without a job, without a fixed address, his life is in his car. The day Cathal pulls into the same carpark, things in Fred's life begin to roll and shift. Cathal has a good heart, and the young man and the older man form an unlikely friendship that will change them both. And yet - it isn't unlikely at all. Both Cathal and Fred are at a point in their lives where they are lost and drifting; part of their effect on each other is that they give each other direction, a sense of anchorage and a place to moor at the end of the day. 'Parked' turns out to be a metaphor for both Fred and...

Parked is not "Hilariously Funny"
This film is not hilariously funny & I think it is a misnomer that the DVD cover describes like it. If you think homelessness & drug taking is funny then this is the film for you.

There are some funny scenes in the film don't get me wrong, but it should not be taken as a light-hearted comedy. The last half an hour or so is more hard hitting than the first hour & is very thought provoking, as Fred & Cathal's friendship starts to break down due to Cathal's drug taking. I agree that both Colm Meaney & Colin Morgan are both superbly cast, especially Colin Morgan as Cathal who is on a downward spiral to becoming a full blown junkie, which is obviously the total opposite to the loveable Merlin. This film shows that he is a very talented actor & can play various characters without being typecast.

To get the most enjoyment out of the film I suggest you put the subtitles on, because of the strong Irish accents.

Simple, elegant and heartbreaking *May contain spoilers*
Parked took me totally by surprise. I watched it for Colm Meaney but came away a new fan of Colin Morgan. The movie itself is elegant, simple and heartbreaking with an ending filled with hope and love. The cinematography was breathtaking, the music score haunting, the dialogue real and the story couldn't be more topical. But it was the acting by the two leads that set this movie head and shoulders above anything I've seen, literally, in years. I've never seen Colm Meaney give a better performance. As Fred Daley, homeless and parked in his car with nowhere else to live, he survives in a life of quiet desperation. He finds comfort in routine, but no real joy. Colm's craggy visage gives a stolid look to our hero and his face shows all his woes. It's not until Colin Morgan's Cathal parks his own car nearby and the two become neighbors that Fred's life takes a turn for the better. Cathal is a druggie with a heart of gold, able to help others but not himself. Cathal brings the...

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