Embarrassed to admit that until recently, I had never heard about this movie — And of all the films that I watched during the lockdown, My Name is Emily was one of the most enjoyable movie-watching experiences.
There are so many small independent films out there just waiting to be seen — and I am always on the lookout for under-seen films like this one. Not all independent movies are good — there are plenty of hits and misses out there. However, My Name is Emily is definitely not one of those misses. Interestingly enough, this film was made possible through a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Sadly, the director, Simon Fitzmaurice, passed away shortly after the film was released. He directed this film from a wheelchair in a quadriplegic state, paralyzed by motor-neuron disease. He knew he was dying when he made it, which added a unique sensitivity to it when I watched it.
My Name is Emily is essentially a coming of age story. Emily (Evanna Lynch) is a loner and viewed as an outcast in school. She lives with foster parents after her father, Robert (Michael Smiley), was committed to a mental facility and has given away his parental rights to Emily’s custody. She mourns her dead mother deeply and flirts with the idea of suicide. The flashback scenes with Emily’s mother (Deidre Mullins) are very touching.
Emily recruits her schoolmate Arden (George Webster) to run away with her and head out on the road to breakout Emily’s father from a mental facility. The road trip through the gorgeous Irish landscape is visually stunning. The dialogue and the characters are well written.
Evanna Lynch has come a long way since her Harry Potter days. She has a strong presence on screen and projects a unique and natural sensibility by entirely owning this character.
Death and grieving is a huge part of this movie. I have a profound appreciation for films that attempt to deal with real human emotions like grief. My Name is Emily is a lovely and heartwarming Irish Indie film that deals with some heavy emotional content and manages to reach some high marks. It was a delight to watch.
Three out of Five Popcorn Bags 🍿🍿🍿
MY NAME IS EMILY (2015)
Rod Rioja 