Movie review: Breaking Out is a remarkable account of Fergus O’Farrell’s singular talent
Breaking Out
Opening in God’s Country — or Schull, as the locals call it —
(12A) is a documentary by Michael McCormack exploring Fergus O’Farrell’s ‘quest for perfection’.
Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy aged 8 and told he wouldn’t live past 18, Fergus and his band Interference released their first album when he was 28. Breaking Out revolves around Fergus’s bid — now aged 48 — to complete his second album, which involves his old pal Glen Hansard and The Frames travelling to Schull to help him record.
The result is a remarkable account of a singular talent as McCormack blends old footage of O’Farrell’s earliest live performances with contemporary interviews and concert film celebrating the success of the film (which featured Fergus’s song ).
The most affecting moments, however, are those captured as Fergus records in his home studio, some of which are difficult to watch, and especially the scene in which Hansard literally blows breath into Fergus’s songs to allow him finish singing a song.
And yet, as those familiar with O’Farrell’s work might expect, the film is resolutely unsentimental: everyone involved (which includes a most unexpected cameo from Jeremy Irons) is simply committed to celebrating Fergus’s unique voice and his indomitable creative spirit.
(cinema release)
