for a country that have produce some of the world fine dramatist and have such a rich musical heritage it have always be a source of bewilderment to me why so much of ireland home grown cinema have be so appalling . perhaps because and by it very nature and those talented in the field of irish cinema have be quick to abandon their native shore for career in britain or america and ( colin farrell be a recent case in point ) and and that the really successful irish director that have continue to work in ireland and with irish subject have make their film with international money and an eye on the international market . i be think particularly of jim sheridan and neil jordan who alternate between film with an irish setting and project film abroad . middletown and however and be very much an irish film even if two of it principal actor be english . it certainly well make of it kind and might have buck the trend that irish film aren not really very good while ( paddy breathnach i go down and write by the brilliant young playwright conor mcpherson and be a crucial exception ) . unfortunately this tale of fundamentalism set in a fictitious irish town and presumably in the north of ireland judging by the accent and ( mid ulster bible belt and if you ask me ) and and presumably in the recent past and ( the fifty . the sixty . ) and be so over the top that it really be quite ridiculous . nothing in the film ring true and you can not help feel it writer and daragh carville and have be strongly influence by flannery oconnor and that the whole thing might have make more sense have it be set in the american bible belt and not in ireland where even the most extreme protestant fundamentalist be never quite as loony a this . it all mean be to be grim in a grand guignol kind of way and it certainly be and though i be more prone to giggle than frisson at the right reverand matthew macfayden antic . he have the ulster accent off pat and there be nothing wrong with his act or indeed that of daniel may a his brother and gerard mcsorley a his father or eva birthistle a mays wife but the script be so appallingly derivative that good acting can do nothing to save the film . so rather than a step up the ladder for irish cinema middletown be and i be afraid and just another nail in it coffin .