Pat Murphy (5) (1951–)

The "Nora" of the film is the mistress and muse, and eventual wife, of James Joyce. This film follows their early years from 1904 to 1914 when Dubliners was published. Many critics believe Nora was the model for Molly Bloom in Ulysses--that even the stream-of-consciousness technique in that almost unpunctuated closing monologue was modeled on her letters to him. I'm no fan of James Joyce--in fact, having read Ulysses definitely made me feel the man was a misogynist--and details of his biography I'd heard before this didn't change that picture. If I were more of a fan, maybe I would have enjoyed it.

It was my aunt's purchase, made because of Ewan Ewan McGregor in the role of Joyce and because she loves period films. She hated this one, and I didn't like it either. I was particularly grossed out by one scene and stopped before the end. Mind you, Ulysses similarly grossed me out early and often--I finished to the end because it's considered one of the great novels (even if I disagree). There was hardly the same incentive to continue with this film. True Joyce fans may feel differently about the film.… (more)