A romantic thriller following the trials and tribulations of a seemingly unconnected group of twentysomethings in Belfast on New Year's Eve, Kieron J. Walsh's Jump centers around the unseen disappearance of Eddie Kelly at the hands of crime boss Frank Feeney (Lalor Roddy). Eddie's brother Pearse (Martin McCann) is relentless about getting answers, while the crime boss's own daughter, Greta (Nichola Burley), is in a state of severe depression and just as relentless about ending her own life. Johnny (Richard Dormer) is a small-time crook who works for Feeney and Marie (Charlene McKenna) is a shop assistant - they both just want a fresh start.

The paths start to cross when Greta finds herself at a bridge ready to jump while Pearse finds himself dangling from the same bridge dangling after trying to confront Feeney's henchmen. Before long, the sparks fly between Greta and Pearse as fate and circumstance begin to take over their lives.

An 80-minute flick that picked up three nominations at the Irish Television & Film Awards and the Bridging the Borders Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Jump is a stylish and involving thriller with terrific performances from its ensemble cast and top notch cinematography from D.P. David Rom. While the whole intertwining storylines approach can come off as gimmicky these days, Walsh pulls it all off quite nicely by alternating timelines a wee bit and having some fun with the characters themselves.

The cast is largely comprised of Northern Ireland actors with the exception of England's Nichola Burley in the key role of the suicidal Greta. Martin McCann, whom some folks may recall for his performance as Bono in the film Killing Bono, gives a nicely spirited and emotionally resonant performance as Pearse.

While Jump isn't a flawless film, particularly its tonal shifts aren't always quite as smooth as needed, it is still an intriguing and entertaining film with a fast-pace and compelling story to tell. The film has been picked up for a home video release by Breaking Glass Pictures and will hit the street on 12/10/13 right in time for the holidays.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic