Movies about guys trying to pull off ill-planned heists to escape their dreary lives are so played out they should just start writing footnotes instead of dialog. That way you could refer to previous entries in the genre instead of listening to "new" lines about bank robberies and kidnappings. Intermission, however, manages to feel fresh for much of its running time thanks to some fine dialog and an excellent batch of performances from a talented ensemble, only dipping below the thresh hold of what's intriguing when the inevitable heist plot kicks in.

Set in a grey Dublin, Intermission makes it clear that all people share some form of loneliness without really hammering the point too obviously. Cillian Murphy plays grocery store stock boy John, a sad-sack guy reeling from losing his girlfriend Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald) to middle-aged bank manager Sam (Michael McElhatton). John is extra bitter because it was his attempt to take a short break from his relationship that caused Dierdre to go out looking for a new man in the first place. Meanwhile, Sam's wife Noeleen (Deirdre O'Kane) isn't taking his leaving too well. She tries to find new hobbies to occupy her mind but ultimately ends up in a singles bar where she meets John and his friend Oscar (David Wilmot).

This circular relationship is typical for the film, which paints Dublin as a small-big town where everyone ends up knowing each other without realizing it. The film twists and turns in on itself in an interesting way that makes you constantly wonder which peripheral character is about to turn the corner and re-enter the story from a new angle.

Other storylines involve Colm Meaney as rogue police officer Jerry Lynch, Shirley Henderson as Dierdre's sister Sally and Brian F. O'Byrne as Mick, a bus driver with a streak of bad luck. About the only uninteresting character and performance, strangely, is Lehiff, a low-level thug played by the most famous actor in the film: Colin Farrell. Lehiff, unlike the other characters, has no depth and doesn't feel like a real person. Farrell mimics Brad Pitt and adds nothing to the film but cliched posturing. By contrast, Murphy is the epitome of low-key leading man. His James is wounded and ineffectual, but he's sort of charming and compelling. Macdonald is saucy and fiery, O'Kane is sympathetic but also a bit unpredictable, and Meaney combines a powerful, angry man with an undercurrent of insecurity.

For much of the film the intertwining lives of these characters weave a fascinating whole. But when the story turns to a lame kidnapping plot (and falls on a couple of too-cute details) it reminds you of its drab, vague title. Boring insights into how an "intermission" is a point in life when everything stops before you can move on to the next phase don't add to the film. It's at its best when it settles into its cast of strong characters and lets them do their thing. Not groundbreaking, but on the whole, better than expected.

VIDEO:
The anamorphic widescreen video looks good. The cinematography has a bleached, rainy look to it but it still looks mostly crisp and lively. Some scenes veer towards dullness (perhaps a function of the lighting) and take on the look of an older film, but most of the time Intermission looks fine.

AUDIO:
A Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is the only one available and it sounds fine. There are a number of musical montages and the soundtrack has energy and depth. The dialog is clear, even when accents get thick. There are English subtitles in case the accents get to be too much, as well as Spanish subs. A fine soundtrack.

EXTRAS:
Only trailers for other MGM releases.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Although it doesn't break any new ground philosophically or in terms of storytelling, Intermission does contain an excellent set of performances and some very convincing dialog. Fans of acting and of Irish films should check it out, but beware of conventional plot twists that strike when the film hits its third act.