The Secret Scripture (12A) – Movie Review

Here is a new Irish film taking us back to WW2 and also to the early 1990s.
Rose is an elderly woman who has resided for almost fifty years in a mental hospital.  She is shown in the opening scenes as rejecting moves being made to move her to a new facility, due to her old home closing down.
Dr. William Grene takes an interest in her case and finds himself, and a young nurse, played by Susan Lynch, drawn to Rose in a protective way.  When Rose becomes the last patient left in the old hospital, the doctor finds himself in a race against time to find out what happened to Rose in her youth, with the help of her fragile thoughts, and her writings in a bible, ie the Secret Scripture., before she is moved to the new facility.
The story takes us back to Rose’s youth in rural Co. Sligo in 1942, when she is sent to live and work with her Aunt in her village shop.  She is beautiful and becomes a figure of adulation from the young men of the village, writes David Flynn.  Those who come close to her include Michael McNulty, played by Jack Reynor, and a young priest, Fr. Stephen, played by Theo James. 
Michael joins the RAF, drawing the loneliness of Rose, and the wrath of the local IRA men, played well-known Irish television actors, Tom Vaughn-Lawlor (Love/Hate) and Aidan Quinn (Poldark).
There is a great cast in ‘The Secret Scripture’.  Rose is played in old age by Vanessa Redgrave, and younger years by Rooney Mara – both doing an excellent job.  Eric Bana, who one time played the Incredible Hulk, plays the doctor drawn to Rose.  Susan Lynch plays his nursing friend.  Rose’s Aunt is played by stage actress, Aisling O’Sullivan (currently starring in ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ at the Gaeity). 
A bizarre casting puts Pauline McGlynn back into the job of priest’s housekeeper, but this time not as Mrs. Doyle.   (I wonder was it deliberate)
The movie is based on the original novel by Sebastian Barry, and the director is the legendary Jim Sheridan (The Field).
The set design is marvellous, and the Sligo village of 1942, is shown in great colour.  Rose’s cottage too is well designed.
Other than that, the director makes use of hospital buildings and beach scenes, and the movie was shot very well.