Rollercoaster ride that expects too much

Very discomforting... it starts as a comedy, swings into major violence and tragedy, then we go into farce.

David Thewlis has a gawkiness to him that`s perfectly suited to his character in Divorcing Jack ... he`s a newspaper columnist (Dan Starkey) who has a big mouth and a drinking problem... which leads him to stray from his wife and get involved with Margaret (Laura Fraser). Her completely unexpected demise catapults Dan into a situation where he`s wanted by every political faction as well as the police. His quest for oblivion and, incidentally the truth, leads him into encounters with a variety of characters... Divorcing Jack has been adapted by Colin Bateman from his novel and directed by newcomer David McCaffrey. Thewlis gives a twitchy unnerving performance that completely matches the film that he`s in... Divorcing Jack is a very discomforting film... it starts as a comedy of marital infidelity, swings abruptly into major violence and tragedy actually, then we go into farce with Characters like Rachel Griffiths` stripping nun-o-gram, then a buddies movie, a thriller, back to major violence, undercut by significant politics, I mean you are reeling in this film and for me that`s its problem, it expects too much from its audience to go on this particular roller-coaster ride... despite all the talented ingredients, despite the exhilaration of some segments... David`s Comment:A playful comedy-thriller about politics in Northern Ireland? A Hitchcockian plot, an amiable performance from David Thewis, a wildly improbable script, and a delicious cameo from Rachel Griffiths all help make this a disarming entertainment.