The death of Michael Dwyer
Matthew Kruk
Mon, Jan 04, 2010
COMPILED BY DONALD CLARKE
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS
I AM DEEPLY SADDENED by news of Michael's death. For the most part,
those whose work it is to make films and those whose job it is to judge
them occupy two separate landscapes, an almost uncrossable divide
between them.
Michael was a rare exception. And the reason for it, I think, was love.
Since first as a child the love of films blossomed in him and became his
life's work, until the day he died, he has remained faithful to that
love. Full of understanding for the demands of the work and the good
intentions of those that undertake it, he was a compassionate and
empathetic writer. His criticism was not cruel or self-serving, but
always honest, fair-minded, and guided by his essential love of the form
itself.
I shall miss him. We all shall. He was a gentle man, a gentleman.
NEIL JORDAN
I THINK [producer] Steve Woolley introduced us first around the time of
Angel, my first film. Here was this young red-haired guy from Tralee. I
encountered him so often afterwards, it's hard to remember if that was
the first time.
He was the most delightful man imaginable. He was almost too kind at
times. His support for emerging Irish film was such that he was
incredibly praiseworthy all the time. What really impressed me when I
met him at Cannes or wherever was that he had this incredibly efficient
way of covering the world. He very rapidly tapped into the whole global
network of filmmaking.
GABRIEL BYRNE
AS A CRITIC, Michael was perceptive and objective, magnanimous and
uncynical. He retained a passion and love of cinema from childhood which
was contagious. That love and wonder became his work and our gift. His
commitment as an activist for Irish film is hugely influential and will
continue to be and we have lost a champion.
On a personal level, I am deeply saddened and will miss his gentle,
modest soul. I remember at Cannes once asking him if hed seen an obscure
Scandinavian film. He'd seen it of course and interviewed the director.
Jokingly, I asked him who did the catering on the film. Michael was
someone who might have known the answer. I extend my deepest sympathies
to Brian his partner of 24 years and to his family.
JIM SHERIDAN
HE HAD an amazing love of movies and he was a sweet, kind guy. I would
have met him first in the Project [Arts Centre] in 1974 or 1975. We ran
a cinema for a while and I remember him bringing in all these movies by
Fassbinder, Herzog and Wim Wenders.
Then, later, he was the first to recognise My Left Foot . That coincided
with him arriving at The Irish Times and he was big up for it from the
start. But he was always a great promoter of Irish film, not least in
the Dublin Film Festival, which he started and then brought back after
it folded. I know Daniel Day-Lewis would put something in that festival
simply because he trusted Michael. He didn't have two sides to him.
CILLIAN MURPHY
MICHAEL DWYER was a genuine film enthusiast. Cinephile, movie buff, film
fanatic: whatever description you choose, the man had a passion for
cinema. He was wonderfully warm company and had that lovely knack of
turning every interview into a genuine chat, one that was so stimulating
and pleasant that you didnt want it to end.
I remember with great affection the encouragement he showed to me early
in my career. The film industry in this country will miss his energy and
his passion.
JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS
I WAS 18 when I first met Michael Dwyer. We were in a hotel in Leicester
Square before the screening of my first film, The Disappearance of
Finbar. He really put me at ease. Such a nice guy. Then, when it was
shown in Ireland, he gave me a great write-up. It really meant something
to get a write-up like that from somebody so respected.
He was personally supportive and he was supportive of Irish film. You
know, it's actually hard to be supportive when you have that power. You
can sell more newspapers by saying bad things about people .
BRENDAN GLEESON
IT IS TRULY awful to hear of the death of Michael Dwyer. He was one of
Irish film's great friends - insightful, lucid, always positive. He
loved his cinema, gloried in it. Michael embraced the possibilities and
triumphs of the silver screen with a full heart. He often playfully
poked fun at its foibles and failures, but never descended into
cynicism. He was parental in his nurturing of native talent, child-like
in his wonder at the beautiful. On top of that he was a lovely man. We
can ill-afford his loss.
Ar dheis D� go raibh a anam.
� 2010 The Irish Times