Evelyn gave Brosnan opportunity to showcase acting ability

[FormerBondFan]

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The Movie Dude: ‘Evelyn’ gave Brosnan opportunity to showcase acting ability
By JOE ALTOMERE
Posted December 10, 2009 at 5 p.m.

When you hear the name Pierce Brosnan, the first thing you probably think of is a martini that is shaken, not stirred. Or maybe, if you are a TV fan, his dashingly cool detective in “Remington Steele.”

We won’t quibble over which more encapsulates Brosnan, because we can all agree that Remington Steele and James Bond are both heroes. Brosnan has made quite a career out of playing heroes, mostly daring, always charming and definitely debonair heroes.

In “Evelyn,” he plays a different kind of hero. A father.

It’s 1950s Ireland and it’s the day after Christmas, also known as St. Stephens Day. You’d expect most families to be happy and thankful to be together.

For Desmond Doyle (Brosnan), St. Stephen’s Day became the day that his wife ran off with another man, abandoning him and their three children.

Desmond has no steady job to support his family and when his mother-in-law tells the authorities that he’s raising the children alone, a member of the SPCC (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) approaches him and suggests he comes to them for help. He does so and they send in groups of nuns to help out around the house for a few weeks while Desmond looks for work.

He doesn’t find any. Déjà vu for a lot of people right about now.

At the time, Irish law prohibited children from being raised in a broken home, and as a result the children are taken from Desmond and split up. The two brothers are sent to a church-run boys orphanage while Evelyn is sent to a similar one for girls. The judge who decrees it, though, promises Desmond that if he finds steady work he’ll stand a good chance of getting them back.

As the children are taken to their various facilities the story becomes more focused on Evelyn’s struggle. She undergoes abuse, both physical and verbal, from one particular nun who works at the orphanage. She’s even forced to sleep on her back with her arms crossed a la Wednesday Addams, for to sleep any other way would be to “tempt the devil.”

It’s hard to watch someone so innocent be treated so despicably, but there’s a short, albeit great, scene where Desmond confronts the aforementioned nun. It’s one you should look forward to.

As time goes by, Desmond is able to secure a job and is thrilled at the thought of getting his kids back. But if the Irish government officials are to have their way it won’t happen. There are technicalities that would make it nearly impossible for him to ever get his children back.

Like any good father he’s not going to allow this to stand and decides to go the judicial route. He convinces a trio of lawyers (Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea and Alan Bates) to take his case. A small group of people against the government, but as Desmond says, “David beat Goliath in the book I read.”

In case you were wondering, “Evelyn” is based on the true story of the real life Desmond Doyle who fought the law in the 1950s to get his children back. This isn’t a fact-for-fact account, of course, but what film is?

It’s an inspirational look at how much we can be motivated once something we hold near and dear is taken away from us. In this case, it’s family.

Brosnan gives a wonderful performance as the grief-stricken father who’ll stop at nothing to make sure his family will be together. He runs a whole gamut of emotions that are far different from the ones you’d see in films like “The World Is Not Enough” or “The Thomas Crown Affair.” It casts him in a new light that shows you he’s not just an action hero but a good actor as well — the two things aren’t always mutually exclusive.

His supporting cast is equally enjoyable and together forms a group of people you’re immediately drawn to because of the camaraderie they share. They make you cheer for Desmond even more because you get so pumped up from everybody else around him that if the “Rocky” theme were to start playing you wouldn’t be surprised.

Overall, “Evelyn” is a great film that you can enjoy in solitary or with your whole family. It’ll make you feel good, maybe even a little hopeful and show you that some things are worth fighting for.

The Movie Dude, Joe Altomere of Fort Myers, grew up in his parents’ video store in Plantersville, Texas. He owns close to 2,000 DVDs and Blu-ray discs and considers that only the start of his collection. E-mail him at jaltomere@yahoo.com

[Omega]

Evelyn wasn't bad at all.