Set in the beautiful countryside of Ireland, this deliberately paced drama, laced with humor, managed to keep me engaged throughout. It's quite well acted and ably directed by Steph Green, who co-wrote the script with Ailbhe Keogan.Maxine Peake, whose screen presence I found rather dazzling, portrays Vanetia Casey, a red-haired vibrant free spirit married to Conor and the mother of Lenny and Noni. Conor, also strongly portrayed by Edward MacLiam, is just returning to the family home after suffering a debilitating stroke. He had been in a coma for a month, followed by 4 months of rehab.Will Forte is also excellent in the role of Dr. Ted Fielding, a brilliant American researcher and neuropsychologist. Under a grant, he's doing a research case study on Conor's rare recovery from this type of stroke. He'll be monitoring Conor's progress 24/7 while living with the Casey family.They'll be two major concurrent themes at work here. One is the powerful chemistry and attraction between Vanetia and Ted, which will lead to all kinds of underlying tension in the home. Another will be the dramatic family dynamics that play out as they try to adjust to Conor's limited capacities, as he strives to improve in his recovery.All in all, despite some depressive moments, the filmmakers find a way to add some humor along the way and not get too maudlin in the process. Also, Peake's wonderful performance adds so much life to the film and is worth the price of admission.

While you're waiting for Netflix to stream the last two seasons of "Silk,"* you may want to take a look at this intriguing indie. Maxine Peake gives a fine, energetic performance as Vanetia Casey, a beleaguered housewife in County Kerry, a long way from the Inns of Court. The setup may seem a little contrived—Vanetia's husband, Conor, is a stroke survivor whose recovery's being monitored by an American brain researcher, Ted (Will Forte), who's camped out in their teenage son's bedroom—but the plot starts ticking over as Ted, played as a standoffish nerd at first, loosens up and starts to bond with mother and son. Edward MacLiam gives a convincing performance as Conor, a volatile wild child who's entranced by the animals in a petting zoo but taunts his son with homophobic slurs; Conor's parents turn up in a couple of scenes as reminders of the old, unforgiving Ireland that we're familiar with from films like "Philomena." (If the script has a fault, it's that these intergenerational conflicts seem a little cut and dried.) That's a lot to pack into 106 minutes, but Vanetia and Ted's grass-fed (wait for it!), flirtatious friendship is pretty delightful and saves the film from being just another grim indie study of family conflict. Great locations, great music, from the Magnetic Fields to a haunting Irish lament.* After more than two years, still only available on Blu-ray or as an expensive rental on Amazon… Gobshites! [01/07/17]

Just how fluid is our definition of "family"?Conor (Edward MacLiam) is an Irish carpenter who, at the age of 34, is unexpectedly felled by a stroke. Though he will never again be the man he was, Conor recovers sufficiently to allow him to return home to his wife, Vanetia (Maxine Peak), and two children. However, he is accompanied by Ted Fielding (a generally miscast Will Forte), an American brain specialist who moves in with the family so he can monitor and study Conor's condition on a 24/7 basis. While Ted, a single man without a wife or children of his own, is supposed to remain a neutral, emotionally detached observer of the situation, he finds himself more and more filling the void left by Conor, slipping into the role of father to the children and husband to the wife. Will Conor erupt in a jealous rage at this blatant disruption of his family unit, or will he have the grace to accept the fact that Ted can provide for his loved ones in a way that he himself no longer can?Written by Ailbhe Keogan and Steph Green and directed by Green, "Run & Jump" is an unassuming, slice-of-life drama that is less about a man's struggle to overcome the harsh hand that's been dealt him and more about the effect that hand is having on those around him. How, the movie asks, does one re-establish a familial norm when the dynamics have effectively shifted and everyone's role in that family has been essentially redefined? This relationship-shuffling manifests itself in some surprising ways. Conor's stroke, for instance, has clearly affected the part of his brain that censors what he says, a condition that proves most taxing to his gay teenage son who must suffer his dad's withering homophobic comments, keen in the knowledge that they reflect his own father's true, unfiltered feelings towards him. And there are many such examples. Despite a certain sketchiness in some of the storytelling, "Run & Jump" is, for the most part, a poignant case study in family dynamics, one that both avoids melodrama and refuses to cast judgments on its characters as it explores the complexities of human relationships.

run and jump 2013 starting Maxine Peake,Will Forte,Edward Macliam the cast impressed me with the acting i never expected.the plot:American doctor goes to Ireland to help out Casey's husband Conor after he suffers a stroke that changes him completely.the direction was good by Steph Green all the scenes looked beautiful a treat for the eyes.i wasn't expecting anything but the surprise was that i actually liked this movie.its got everything,emotions,good acting the script was strong with dialogs that will get you hooked on for a long time.overall its one of the film one must see make no mistake about it that its a sad movie no way guys its got messages and a happy ending.My Rating For Run & Jump 2013 is 5/10 a 5 star film this it.recommended.