Inside I'm Dancing

Michael lives in a care home in Dublin; cerebral palsy makes his speech hard to follow and he has been there for years. Rory O'Shea arrives at the institution: a young man with muscular dystrophy who can move two fingers, swears constantly and obeys no rules. Rory understands Michael from the first day and becomes his interpreter. Then the two decide to leave the home and live in a flat of their own. The film is interested not in disability but in the price of independence. The fight for state support, the relationship with Siobhan, the carer they hire, and both friends being drawn to the same woman are at the centre. Rory's rudeness is not a character trait but his only weapon. Damien O'Donnell directed. Steven Robertson plays Michael, James McAvoy plays Rory and Romola Garai plays Siobhan. The casting is also the most argued-over thing about it: both leads are played by non-disabled actors, a choice that has been criticised over the years. Who it is for: anyone who likes Irish cinema and drama built on friendship. Who it is not for: anyone expecting optimism. The film hardens in its last section, its criticism of the care system stays on the surface, and the humour is sometimes used to lighten the characters' situation.