Declan Recks’ second film in the director’s chair is a gentle study of a marriage dissolving, and an examination of the lengths people will go to in their efforts to avoid the truth. This is a simple story, simply told; but Recks’ assured direction and intense clarity of vision definitely raise the bar as does Eugene O’Brien’s screenplay, an expert translation for the big screen of his own award-winning two-hander play. The action takes place over the course of only one week, yet the complex characters are as tangibly realised as those in any epic tale, the excellent performances buoyed and anchored by a skilful, poignant script.

Eileen Walsh (The Magdalene Sisters) and Aidan Kelly are perfectly cast as the couple who are gradually forced to admit that their marriage is in trouble. Their pitch-perfect performances, underpinned by a strong supporting cast, connect to provide genuine insight into their troubled characters. Billy is in the midst of an early mid-life crisis: drinking heavily with his friends at the expense of his family, bragging of past glories and inwardly fantasising about sex with younger women. Obsessed with her weight and feeling ignored, Breda rebels in her own small way by rekindling her youth through her relationship with her best friend, and beginning to explore her own sexual fantasies. As their tenth wedding anniversary approaches, they become ever more distant, and the point of no return appears on the horizon. Billy views the day as the inevitable end of their relationship, whilst Breda has convinced herself that it will, in fact, mark a whole new beginning. While resolution is just within reach, chaos is also looming; as they approach the pivotal moment where everything is questioned, only honesty can dictate their destiny.