Headstrong farmer Rosemary Muldoon has her heart set on winning her neighbor Anthony Reilly’s love. The problem is, Anthony seems to have inherited a family curse and remains oblivious to his beautiful admirer. Stung by his father’s plans to sell the family farm to his American nephew, Anthony is jolted into pursuing his dreams.
“Wild Mountain Thyme” employs an all-star cast including Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm, and Christopher Walken and while all the actors give good performances, the one who impressed me and surprised me the most, was Christopher Walken. Yes, he is an Academy Award-winning actor and has played a bevy of characters over the years but lately, much like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, he seems to be cruising on neutral. I can’t recall the last time he gave a performance that really stood out but I had no idea he was going to blow me away with his depiction of an old Irish man who is coming to the end of his days. Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan are perfectly cast alongside each other, both in looks and intellect but Walken brings a level of compassion and empathy to a role that could have been underplayed by a less capable actor.
Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) is a strong-minded, take-no-nonsense farmer who lives in County Mayo in the Irish Midlands, next door to her neighbor Anthony Reilly (Jamie Dornan), a soft-spoken but indecisive man who knows what he wants but never has the courage to go after it. The two have grown up together ever since they were kids and Rosemary wants Anthony, and Anthony wants Rosemary, but as headstrong as Rosemary is, she is determined to wait for Anthony to ask her out, and as much as Anthony wants to ask her out, he feels that he is unworthy for her affections and that she could do better.
Rosemary lives with her mother Aoife (Dearbhla Molloy), and Anthony lives with his father Tony (Christopher Walken). When Tony announces that he is going to sign the farm and the land over to his wealthy American nephew Adam (Jon Hamm), Anthony erupts. Demanding to know why he would not gain possession of the farm after having lived there his entire life, Tony tells him that because he has no wife, his surname and bloodline will end with him and that at least with Adam, there is a chance the family name will continue. Anthony tries to tell him that he’s working on that situation but Tony knows just how wishy-washy he is and stands resolute on his decision.
Shortly thereafter, Aoife passes away, and not long after, Tony follows in her footsteps, leaving Rosemary and Anthony alone. When Tony’s American nephew Adam visits the farm and takes an immediate interest in Rosemary, Anthony is quick to tell him that he won’t blend in but it doesn’t stop him from inviting Rosemary to New York where he gives her very first kiss and upon her return to Ireland, leaves her feeling conflicted. Does she move to America where Adam, who is financially secure, will take care of her, or does she continue to hold out hope that Anthony will take the initiative and finally ask her out? When she realizes that she wants the latter, she formulates a plan that will force Anthony to finally take action, once and for all, and let her know exactly where they stand in the grand scheme of things.
The accents are the first things I noticed in the film, or lack thereof, especially that of Christopher Walken. When the movie begins with his voice-over, it was hard for me to know if he was playing an Irish character, or if he was simply the narrator. Then I realized he was playing an Irish character and much like Tom Cruise’s often maligned “Oirish” accent in “Far and Away,” Walken’s Irish dialect never sounds convincing and is initially distracting but once you move past this aspect, the story and characters take over. Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan fare much better with their accents but just barely. Blunt and Dornan play well off each other and you know by the time the finale arrives, they are both going to end up in each other’s arms and live happily ever after.
Walken, his questionable accent aside, delivers a performance that brought me to tears. As much as he and Anthony often clash, they still love and respect each other. In one scene, Tony knows his end is near and asks Anthony for forgiveness for all the times he was never there for him, and for the times when he could have been a better father, and this was the most authentic and heartfelt scene in the entire film. You can feel Tony’s remorse as he asks for vindication and you can empathize with Anthony as he knows he will be left on his own for the first time in his life and the fear both men feel, knowing they will be going their separate ways, is poignant and genuinely affecting. Walken saves the movie with this scene alone and I just hope that he will get back in his groove, and start delivering worthwhile performances again.
Overall, “Wild Mountain Thyme” is your typical love story which just happens to take place in Ireland. The film is based on director John Patrick Shanley’s play, “Outside Mullingar,” and while the storyline offers nothing new to this particular genre, the performances and locations keep it fresh and funny. With the holiday season fast approaching, there will be an overabundance of movie titles to choose from on digital platforms and I would recommend “Wild Mountain Thyme” for the romantics out there. If you can get past the Hollywoodized Irish accents, you will be pleasantly surprised.
In Theaters and On-Demand Friday, December 11th
