Having scored a bounding success with his screenplay for last year’s Man About Dog, Pearse ‘not a cat person’ Elliot makes his directorial debut with another film that might rightly be described as all dog.
Though less shaggy and exuberant than its predecessor, The Mighty Celt retains a slobbering charm and once again transforms an unwanted greyhound whelp into a track superstar.
With echoes of such inter-species bonding classics as Kes and Black Stallion, the film sees young hero Donal (the impressive Tyrone McKenna) enter a wager with his hard-man, animal abusing boss (the fearsome Ken Scott – pass the choke-chain). If he can train the titular beast and win three races, then he’s Donal’s to keep. If not, he’s off to join Old Shep.
This trying, coming-of-age ritual is further complicated by Donal’s Loachian home life. When a former IRA volunteer (Carlyle) returns home to woo the lad’s single mother (Gillian Anderson with near impeccable Belfast accent) all manner of ancient personal and political rivalries surface.
If it’s nothing we haven’t seen before, Mr. Elliott’s gritty Dickensian fable finds its own unique tone between post-ceasefire document, kitchen-sink melodrama and Lassie Come Home. All in all, it’s a pretty good day at the track.