Clearing away the clutter of our lives is a major task for many of us. It comes as an absolute shock to realize how many things we have accumulated over the years. But the prospect of sorting through boxes of memorabilia and having to decide what to keep and what to toss is enough to cause us to postpone the clean-up. But perhaps we can help others by giving them a makeover in the place where they live.
That is the case in Life's A Breeze, a dramedy set in Dublin where Nan (Fionnula Flanagan) lives in a cluttered flat with her unemployed son Colm (Pat Shortt). The place is filled with books, piles of newspapers, knick knacks, and junk left by her three children. Colm convinces them to join him in totally cleaning-up Nan's place for her birthday and providing her with new appliances to replace all the old ones that don't work.
While Colm's niece Emma (Kelly Thornton) takes her grandmother away, the clan accomplishes the makeover in record time. But then Nan admits to having hidden nearly a million Euros in her mattress which has been taken away. In addition, she is upset that her children have been so insensitive as not to see how de-cluttering her house is an act of bullying and theft.
Life Is A Breeze is directed by Lance Daly who has drawn out terrific performances from Fionnula Flanagan as a feisty 80 year old who still has plenty of energy; Kelly Thornton as her niece who spends some quality time with her grandmother that is helpful to her; and Pat Shortt who mines the many comic moments out of the situation that he set in motion. We cannot spell out what happens next since that would short-circuit the surprises which come in the end.
