A Date for Mad Mary

The start of adulthood might also mean the end of childhood friendships. Impulsive Mary comes back home after spending six months in prison for her involvement in a vicious school fight. Her best friend Charlene is getting married in three weeks and Mary needs to find a date for the wedding. But she can't find a suitable partner and, what's more, it seems that Charlene doesn't want to spend as much time with Mary as she used to. So Mary seeks refuge in the company of singer Jess, but she's just getting more confused. Is Jess the person Mary's been looking for all this time? And her strong connection to Charlene – was it really just a childhood bond? The character of Mary is a mix of impetuousness and vulnerability, which might describe anyone on the threshold of adulthood, in fact. Seána Kerslake's Mary is a unique individual and her performance helps the film to transcend the typical genre definitions of conventional romance and coming-of-age story from the suburbs. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)