Yearning is a funny thing; you can't control it or turn it on or off at will. It happens magically, dreams coming true in the perfect circumstances. Trojan Eddie explores this fascinating phenomenon.

Stephen Rea is Trojan Eddie, a top-notch salesman in the employ of John Power (Richard Harris), a domineering racketeer in a small rural Irish town. Although he can peddle goods to the locals — even things they don't want — his private life is in shambles. He barely makes ends meet with two children, a patient mistress (Brid Brennan), and a wayward wife (Angeline Ball) who enjoys humiliating him. Trojan Eddie dreams of starting his own business but seems unable to seize the right moment. When his assistant Dermot (Stuart Townsend) runs off with Power's young bride (Aislin McGuckin) and a suitcase full of money, he tries to make the most of it.

Written by Billy Roche and directed by Gillies Mackinnon (The Playboys) this highly atmospheric film vividly brings to life the tensions and animosities of the traveller culture in rural Ireland. At one point, Power says to Trojan Eddie, "Every time I look at you, I feel like crying 'man overboard'!" When the time is ripe, Trojan Eddie finds his own life jacket of self-esteem and takes a leap into the dark. This fine film provides a fresh anatomy of yearning.