A Man of No Importance

REVIEW
Finney shines in this slender but engrossing drama as Alfie Byrne, a seemingly happy-go-lucky bus conductor who undergoes a late midlife crisis and reawakening. Set in Dublin in the early 1960s, the story follows bachelor and deeply closeted gay man Alfie, who quietly lives with his sister (Fricker), keeps his passengers amused with poetry readings, and harbors a crush for Bobby (Sewell), a handsome coworker. Alfie's life takes a turn when he organizes a community theatre presentation of Oscar Wilde's "Salome," which ultimately inspires him to confront his true sexual desires. A character study of limited insight which celebrates life and individuality, A Man of No Importance manages to succeed in spite of its dramatic shortcomings by the sheer force of Finney's acting prowess.