PRETTY much every Dubliner by now will have heard of Mattress Mick. The bedding businessman, who’s based in Coolock, has become a household name thanks to recent successful advertising campaigns. But it’s the man behind the duvet, Paul Kelly, who is the real hero of this new movie.
The documentary from filmmaker Colm Quinn deals with an unlikely subject and one that at first glance may, like a top of the range mattress, send you to sleep. But a quick look under the covers and it’s clear to see that there’s more going on here than just someone selling beds.
The main thrust of the plot is to document the making of Mick’s youtube music video, ‘Back with a Bang’, which proved such a viral success two years ago.
The video itself is amusing and the making of it is even more so, but the real story lies with Mick’s part time assistant, Kelly, who we soon discover is the brains behind the whole venture.
But Kelly is no marketing executive sitting pretty in a plush Dublin office. He’s just an ordinary guy striving to make ends meet, and trying to get off the dole.
Typical of so many people of his generation, Kelly has fallen on hard times, is struggling to keep his relationship together, and is desperately searching for the one break that will get him out of the poverty trap. It’s his brave fight that makes this story so heartwarming, and his honesty that makes it relatable.
Apart from the dramatic elements, there are plenty of laughs too, due in large part to a quirky sandwich board man who almost steals the show, and definitely steals some of the best lines. Quinn does an excellent job of directing, and clearly has a real sense of what story to follow, in a documentary that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. We score ‘Mattress Men’ a king size 4 out 5 stars.
Other Releases:
The Girl on the Train – 3 Stars
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – 3 Stars
Paul O’Rourke