Nora
(1999)
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James Joyce created some of the most acclaimed, beautiful novels of all time while living in Dublin and while involved with his lover Nora Barnacle. This period drama stars Ewan McGregor as Joyce and Susan Lynch (WAKING NED DEVINE) as the object of his passions. The film follows the volatile couple through Dublin to the coast of Italy and through Joyce's incredible works, including ULYSSES which grew from this relationship between the artist and his muse. |
Director Pat Murphy's exploration of James Joyce's relationship with his wife, Nora Barnacle, boasts a tour de force performance from Susan Lynch in the title role. The Irish actress excels as a passionate woman rebelling against a repressive existence while struggling to understand her selfish, obsessive, literary genius of a husband. Telling Joyce's story from Nora's point of view is a clever stroke, but the movie is let down by Ewan McGregor's risible portrait of the artist as a young man. Slow and unbalanced, the end result falls well short of the mark.