Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Fantastic!

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

ADAM & PAUL is one of those zero budget films that turns out to be a lot, lot better than bigger-budgeted fare. It's a quirky Irish indie, doing what ONCE did for musicals for the drug genre if you look at it that way; the sparse narrative follows a couple of low life characters as they go through the course of a day shoplifting, mugging, and indulging in petty crime to get the money for their next fix.There's something fresh and naturalistic about films like this and ADAM & PAUL is indeed a wonderful little production. The simple, episodic nature of the storyline brings this into comparison with the classic 'journey' narratives of old and the characters are delightfully scuzzy, which make the viewing experience all the more fun. In fact, I was surprised at how funny this is for such an unrelentingly grim tale; it's true to life, made with plenty of that Irish charm, so there's little to dislike here. Tom Murphy gives the best performance as the put-upon Paul - there wouldn't be much of a film without him - and knowing the actor died of cancer some three years after this film's release only adds to the bittersweet nature of the production.

It really is very difficult to know what to say about Adam & Paul. 'I enjoyed it'? Is there really much enjoyment to be had from seeing a day in the life of two loser junkies who have absolutely nothing, are at rock bottom and then things get even worse? No, not really. 'It's well made'? Yes, it is extremely well made, from the acting, to the cinematography, to the direction, to the dialogue, and it is a 'better made' film than any number of huge budget movies coming from the big studios. But it is far more than simply 'well made'. 'It was funny'? Yes, there were moments of extremely dark comedy in it, but in the sense but the existence of Adam & Paul is anything but funny. Quite honestly, the film is not about 'two junkies' looking for a fix: just as pertinent are the hopeless lives of their friends and family members which are also portrayed and the pertinent fact is that this is not 'fiction' but merely a true reflection of the lives of far too many people from here in the Western world with its 'welfare state' to any number of other countries. For this viewer Adam & Paul is film-making at its finest. It is not a 'big' film, or an 'important' film or anything of that kind. I don't know what it is, but — for this viewer at least — it and a good many films like it stand head and shoulders and then some above your Avators or Hancocks or Independence Days. Looking up the credits, I noticed that Tom Murphy also acted in Small Engine Repair, another Irish film which stands head and shoulders about your usual Hollywood 'product'. As I said, it is difficult to know quite what to say about Adam & Paul, but what I can say is that it is very good that actors, directors, producers and writers can still be bothered to make films of this calibre, and may they continue to do so until at least my death.

One of the best films at the Berlinale Film Festival. Gritty, disturbing with doses of black humour thrown in. The characters are likable and the film never dives into emotional manipulation. It's social realism at it's finest, creatively shot and brilliantly acted. Poignant and unforgettable.The dynamics between the two characters are fascinating. Childhood friends, thrown together since age fourteen, living on the streets, without hope, full of despair, Adam constantly berates and yells at Paul but there is above all, a deep, lasting bond between them. They are despicable characters in so many ways, but there is such tragedy in their eyes and so much despair in their bones, and you end up feeling for them, and a certain innate understanding and empathy. They're outcasts with zero future. They're the "pathetic" people we walk past and ignore every day, and, in the film, they mesmerize.Somebody said to me it's like Trainspotting without the humour. I'd say it's like Trainspotting, but without the over the top camera tricks, visualizations and the like. There is more social reality and despair, ala Mike Leigh. There is humour, but on a more subtle level.It sticks with you.

One of the first comments in the movie becomes the corner post of the irony of urban life. Paul states "I feel sorry for those Bulgarians.." while living in conditions that are as bad as anywhere. The actors did a great job, and you feel hungry and cold and angst with them. If the director's intention was to get viewers to feel empathy for the main characters, it works well.The setting, the boy's hometown neighborhood, provides links to the boys' past and some later conversation gives an indication how their state of affairs came to be. The pace is a bit slow, but dramatic rather than boring. Making movies about junkies, it's easy to be dramatic and provide impact, this one does well. Not as graphic as it could have been, but definitely satisfying. Entertaining and quite sobering, probably a good watch for any 14yr old urban male as an education of consequences.