I saw On the Edge at the Hamburg Film Festival on September 27 and 28. After the screenings we had the opportunity of meeting Arthur Lappin, one of the producers of On the Edge and Jim Sheridan’s partner in their production company Hell's Kitchen (which produced such movies as In the Name of the Father and The Boxer, both with Jonathan's favorite actor Daniel Day-Lewis). He told us how this whole new project started and even answered the audience's questions. Director John Carney couldn't make it to Hamburg because he was shooting his new (still unnamed) movie in Dublin right now.

The first time they (Arthur Lappin and Jim Sheridan) heard about this project was 4 years ago at the Berlinale (The Berlin Film Festival, where Jim Sheridan received the Golden Bear for In the Name of the Father) when United International Pictures approached them with a script by British writer Daniel James. He had written about suicidal teens in Bristol – Bristol because there is the infamous Suspension Bridge where people actually travel to to jump off to commit suicide. A sign at that bridge asks people to call the Samaritans if they have any problems… but there is no phone! Anyway, the movie is now set in Dublin and mainly shot in Dublin, Howth (the cliffs) and other places in Ireland. The story Daniel James wrote is semi-autobiographical – however, he has never been institutionalized.  

A director for On the Edge was found in newcomer John Carney, a young Irish director in his early 30s, who had only done two movies shot in digital video so far. Interestingly enough, On the Edge was first shot in DV for about $25.000 US as a script developing process – they even used most of the cast already (no, Jonathan wasn't involved in that, as well as Tricia Vessey and Stephen Rea – all three of them too expensive [travel costs,…] *lol*) – they had done this kind of process in earlier productions and it proved to be very efficient.

Even though there was a major studio behind the production (Universal / Universal Focus) they had free reign to shoot this movie. They could cast the people they wanted and ended up having the perfect actors for the roles. They had casting calls in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States. I still wonder about one thing though: Jonathan was cast as a Northern Irish teen but Tricia Vessey's character wasn't American in the first place…guess that further shows Jonathan's talent? Btw, his accent was very good!!! Only if you were paying extra attention, you would have been able to hear his American accent through – there were like two or three times that I thought so… But the audience couldn't believe that Jonathan wasn't Irish ;-) – and my personal view: he sounds different with the accent and he also had the attitude of an Irish/British teen (as far as I can tell from watching a few British movies over the year…) – so I was even more impressed with his acting ability! On a side note, as you can see in various pictures of Jonathan he wears glasses (very cute!!!) – my guess is to differentiate him from Cillian Murphy who also has very bright blue eyes which were used very prominently and I think that they didn't want people to have difficulties separating them both (the glasses make Jon's eyes less bright).  

The other thing that remained in John Carney's hands was the movie itself. The final cut you see in the cinemas is completely his own cut! However, his favorite title is still The Smiling Suicide Club, but the studio somehow didn't like it…so they changed it to Catch the Sun and then to On the Edge. Btw, the budget of the final movie was $7m. John Carney had written the final script from Daniel James's screenplay and he also wrote the score and at least one song – "The End of Nowhere" during the end credits, one of my favorites. Music seemed very important, the soundtrack varies from classic like Ravel's La Valse to modern day rock like Smashing Pumpkins's "1979" to pop like David Gray's "Please forgive me" – what strikes me the most is that absolutely every single song perfectly fits each scene it appears in. My favorite song definitely is Doves's "Catch the Sun" especially in regards to the scene it's in – it's so perfect! For more songs and their respective scenes click Song List. Various questions asked by the audience concerned the soundtrack and when it would be possible to buy it.

Anyway. Now to my review of the movie. It contains spoilers so if you don't want to know too much of the movie don't read it. However, I'll try to black out the most obvious spoilers – if you do want to read the whole story just mark the black spots with your cursor and read along. I'm sorry, but I'm not a professional movie critic – I don't know how to write good reviews without telling too much.  

It starts with Cillian Murphy's character Jonathan coming to the church where his late father is laid out for the funeral. Everyone is waiting for Jonathan but as he comes in late he just rushes to the coffin, knocks on it and when no one answers, he says "still dead." Begin end credits and "1979" – Jonathan rides on his bike through Dublin. He's loosing it. He asks bouncers for cocaine, asks out a girl and drives away with her in a  stolen car. What a start! You are sucked into the movie right from the beginning!

When the girl questions his story of the dead father he throws her out of the car – in the middle of nowhere. Ravel's "La Valse" beautifully underscores his ride to and then over the cliffs. It's nice to see that there are still filmmakers out there that have new ideas to underscore such a tragic moment. This is also the moment where the audience first gets a feel of the movie – for Jonathan's actions are also commentated with his own voice-over which is cynical, sarcastic and mostly just downright funny. Even with this serious subject you find yourself often laughing out loud! But that makes the movie so wonderful and real – the subject is serious but you see that suicidal teens are not depressed (or depressing) all the time, they can also have fun or be funny.  

His actions – driving off a cliff with a stolen car under the influence – leaves him two choices: either go to prison or to a psychiatric clinic. He chooses the latter but makes it clear from the start that he doesn't believe in therapy. He talks off his therapist Dr. Figure (Stephen Rea), flirts with patient Rachel (Tricia Vessey) and slowly befriends Toby (Jonathan Jackson). My favorite patient (other than JJ ;-)) is Nick (played by Irish actor Tomas O'Suilleabhain): he doesn't trust people easily and is annoyed with Jonathan's behavior…and whenever he's annoyed or when he just wants to block out, he puts on his earphones and listens to his very loud music. However, he understands everything anyone says – the running gag of the movie *lol* - I love it!!!  

Btw, Toby is very often reason for laughing out loud – with what he says and does. From his first scene in the group therapy session when Dr. Figure asks his patients to fill out a questionnaire with whatever comes to their minds first – he asks what he should do if a question scares him which in that moment is just so out of place that it's funny. Toby is also the driving force behind a new routine – he takes Jonathan out on nightly breakouts from the mental institution to have a beer (funny side note: Toby is the only character who drinks Budweiser and not Guinness ;-) – little insider that he's actually American?) and have fun. But he's also a troublemaker – he's easy to provoke. Be it in the pub where he almost gets beaten up by local youth or at the bowling club where all the patients go once a week "to behave like normal people for a day" but he's always saved by Jonathan.

My most favorite quote comes from the bowling scene – and it's actually the one scene that gets scene applause!!! Toby is very bad at bowling (little inside joke again if you know what I mean) he even slips once *lol* and this other guy makes fun of him and insults him. Toby is on the verge of just attacking him but can restrain himself and just makes some remarks "Chill out, honey" (If you ever have a chance to meet Jonathan live, ask him to say "honey" with an Irish accent ;-) – it's like the sexiest word ever from now on!!!). Anyway, his revenge is not violent but just cool – remember he can't bowl – he takes a ball and you think that he's gonna hit the guy with it but he throws it on the other guy's alley and hits all nine (10?) cones!!! It's just so totally the HAH! (Gotcha!)-feeling that makes the audience cheer for him!  

We also learn that he's a joyrider, he claims to be able to hot-wire a car within 10 seconds. On one of their tours they end up on a cliff that overviews Dublin. There they talk about their feelings – Toby tells Jonathan about how his brother died (in a car accident that he is/feels responsible for) and that all he wanted in the hospital was to tell his brother that he loved him but was unable to do so. It's the most powerful performance by JJ including his trademark one-tear-rolling-down-his-cheek.  

As mentioned before Jonathan flirts with Rachel and finally even falls in love with her. But Rachel has a dark secret. She needs blood to emotionally (and sexually) satisfy her, so she cuts herself. She became suicidal after she had to watch her mother fall down the cliffs at their home. She had been raised by her mother in America and now lives with her father in Ireland. He was the one who had brought her into the clinic. Jonathan slowly manages to get some real reaction from Rachel. But it's a long way for both of them because she's still in her shell. She can't believe that there is a person out there who can really love her for her. So she plays with Jonathan's feelings, constantly testing him. Only in the end do they realize what they can have together, after losing their friend they're able to leave their shells.  

Dr. Figure's way of dealing with his young patients is that he gives them a kind of goal to live for. It's a pledge – he asks them to not kill or hurt themselves until New Year's Eve, in return they will get certain privileges, like getting more free time in the garden or going out bowling. Jonathan doesn't believe in therapy because he thinks that no one can help him since he's the only one who truly knows what's going on. He says something to Dr. Figure that really moved me: "I know more about suicide in my little finger than you will ever know." And I like that Dr. Figure acknowledges that. Jonathan also compares him with Robin Williams (in Good Will Hunting) though he would love more 'action' by him. Dr. Figure warns him about Rachel – relationships between suicidal patients are twice as dangerous because when the inevitable breakup comes you'll never know what the left partner might do.  

Jonathan's problem is that he doesn't really have a problem. He just doesn't care about life. He once says to Rachel that he doesn't want to die but he also doesn't want that life he has. Dr. Figure and later on Toby both accuse him of just doing what people expect of him and he should stop that. He needs to take his life in his own hands. Toby also says that Jonathan is not the type who would be able to commit suicide, Toby however is capable of doing it.  

As you probably already guessed two guys and a girl is one guy too much. Toby is very shy and he's also kind in love with Rachel. With Jonathan as his friend who helps him overcome his shyness he is finally able to tell Rachel what he really feels. However, he won't just plainly say it, but he has written a poem – about her. It's called "The Demons" and it's absolutely beautiful. And JJ is fantastic when he recites it (his accent is more apparent in that scene as it is in others). I could only scribble down 1 ½ lines – he was too fast for me unfortunately: "Deep within the walls, lies a demon…" and it goes on about a light that shines and makes the demons disappear. It was so wonderful to hear him read a poem because we all can imagine him reading aloud his lyrics – they're like poems.  

As Toby realizes that Rachel has chosen Jonathan over him his little world shatters and he drives off that aforementioned cliff. Jonathan's voice-over again says the truth that no one ever knows why people kill themselves, what exactly drove them to do so in that very moment. Even if they survive they will never tell you their exact reasons, if they succeed you can only feel guilty. This is the moment in the movie when Jonathan realizes that he should start living again for himself and with Rachel. He saves her when he tells her that he wants to live longer than her just to be able to see her live. And she chooses him.

All in all I love this movie – it's funny, it's real and the performances are superb!

PS: There is one thing I still have to mention…sorry Mr. Lappin ;-)

After the first screening we approached Mr. Lappin and I told him that I came all the way (about 800km) to just see this movie because of Jonathan. He was delighted to hear that because he liked Jonathan and his family very much. He mentioned how Jeanine and his brother had visited him in Ireland and so on. At the second screening then he mentioned to the audience (after the inevitable question if the actors were newbies or not – are those movie goers blind??? *lol* We all know Jonathan, but Tricia had also been in Town&Country with Warren Beatty and Josh Hartnett…) that he knows some die hard fans of Jonathan are among the audience ;-) (thanks for mentioning us!!!) and that people knew Jonathan of his work in Dawson’s Creek. Ahem???

Again, after the screening we approached him and he knew right away who we were and he greeted us (HOW NICE!!!). Unfortunately I just had to tell him that Jonathan had never been on Dawson’s Creek. He was quite stunned only to totally astonish me with his next comment: “Oh, yeah! That was his brother right?” And I was like no, it wasn’t his brother either. The actor on DC is Joshua Jackson. But now came the oddest part of our conversation. He said: “Yeah, Joshua. But that’s his brother. I know that. I met him in LA for script readings and later in Ireland. It’s Joshua!” I was so confused that I had to regain my senses and then told him kindly that his brother’s name was Richard. (I mean we all know that, don’t we???) Anyway, he was so convinced that his name was Joshua that only after 10 minutes did he kind of give in and acknowledged that I might be right but he would definitely email Jonathan about it (Jonathan, did you get a strange email from your film’s producer asking you your brother’s name? That’s how it came about *lol*) – Richard, do you always confuse producers like that? ;-)

However, Mr. Lappin had not forgotten about the initial question – where do we know Jonathan from? He knew it was a television series. When I told him what it was I guess he thought, ok, such a devoted fan might be right about things like that…  

Never ever will I forget that conversation again!

I would also like to thank Ms. Schmitt from UIP Germany for her kindness to send me a poster of On the Edge! Thank you!