Director: Stephen Bradley
Starring: Deidre O’Kane, Brendan Coyle, Liam Cunningham, Ruth Negga, Sarah Greene, Gloria Cramer Curtis, Nhu Quyhn Nguyen
Running Time: 1 hour 40 mins
Release Date: 12th February, 2016
In a world full of Superhero movies, brilliant big blockbuster hits and thrillers galore; sometimes it’s refreshing to sit back, open our minds and delve into the world of independent cinema; a world where the promise of something special can be found in the most unlikely of places. Such specialty can be found in the form of Stephen Bradley‘s drama NOBLE, an emotional, true-story journey between Ireland and Vietnam.
Christina Noble seemed to always know she was meant for more than what was given to her. Having suffered at the hands of fate with the death of her mother and an unfit father, Christina begins a difficult journey of self discovery; seeming to know that something would bring her to Vietnam. Bradley tells her story throughout two timelines, Christina’s childhood and adolescence in Ireland and her precious work in Vietnam, beginning in 1989. It is in Vietnam that Christina sets to save and improve the lives of the dear homeless children that litter the streets of Saigon.
The film is exceptionally touching and emotional, and there really are some difficult moments when watching becomes just that little bit harder. Such heartbreak seeps from so much of the film, over flowing and eventually spilling from ones own brimming, watery eyes. With the lives of underprivileged children at the very core of the film’s narrative, there are moments when their well-being, or lack of, are painfully honest and it can be difficult for mainstream audiences to process.
The themes of child abuse, malnutrition, extreme poverty and homelessness are all very honest attributes that make the film so very effective. It is always joyous when a film can communicate to its audience in such a raw fashion and it truly proves that communicating emotionally goes so far beyond just mere dialogue.
The imagery in both timelines are difficult, but visually compelling. They’re juxtaposing in extremities yet they’re so similar in theme; “an Irish gutter is the same as a Vietnamese gutter“. The stark, cold and lonely streets of Ireland represent much of the poverty subjected to working class Irish families at that time. The cold greys and steely blues of the industrial aesthetic of the Irish streets juxtaposes with the hustle and bustle of Vietnam’s overcrowding of homeless families, all those homeless children.
In Vietnam the poverty is overwhelmingly visible, with the devastatingly rubbled streets; the children begging and foraging. These timelines are so different yet essentially the same. At first, the jumping from one time frame to another can feel a little jarring and abrupt; not knowing exactly the narratives intentions. However, we soon realise and settle into a sentimental to-and-fro of emotional storytelling.
The wonderful score from Giles Martin allows you to easily settle into both timelines, feeling appropriately Irish when required, humming along to that fine tune on the traditional fiddle; yet you’re easily transported to the busy streets of Vietnam with the quick change in tune and tone.
What can be so emotional and enjoyable about films like NOBLE is that it gives us the humbling opportunity to learn about a woman so strong and selfless, a woman that many of us would otherwise have never of had the privilege of learning about; proving again just how important independent cinema is.
There are some truly wonderful performances throughout the narrative, particularly the children as you become painfully attached to their sweet and pure innocence. All three Christina’s, Deidre O’Kane, Sarah Greene and Gloria Cramer Curtis, give very natural and organic performances; with Greene in particularly standing out, giving us a glimpse of a younger Christina; feisty, strong and impossibly driven towards her dream.
The film as a whole is by no means perfect, there are a few clumsy time-lapses and misjudged directing that can teeter on the edge of amateur, but the film’s tone, dedication and narrative drive overshadows these minor flaws. Bradley does an otherwise wonderful job of telling such a huge and inspiring story and there is no doubt that this film screams passion project; mirroring the fiery drive behind Christina’s own intentions. With a deliriously happy ending, Noble is the ideal independent hit that has you absolutely itching to learn more about Christina and her work.
Verdict
