The Tiger’s Tail

The life of millionaire building contractor Liam O'Leary (Brendan Gleeson) changes abruptly when he meets his eerie doppelganger in an evening traffic jam. He becomes obsessed with finding out who this “other” might be. O'Leary's private and professional existence increasingly comes apart at the seams when his doppelganger gains access to his bank account, his work premises, his opulent villa and finally the bed of his wife Jane (Kim Cattrall). Broke and homeless, he embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery to rebuild his shattered identity. Sincere anger at social ills inspired the director and lead actor in this portrait of Ireland, which was dubbed the “Celtic Tiger” in reference to the economic boom at the turn of the millennium. The prosperity of an increasingly selfish society had significantly widened the gap between rich and poor. The lost values: friendship, trust, compassion. (E.S.)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum