For years, the Irish have shown the world that they give birth to some of the greatest filmmakers around. From Neil Jordan’s “The Crying Game” to Jim Sherridan’s “In the Name of the Father,” Irish films have gotten critical acclaim both domestically and abroad.

“Nora” is one of the newest Irish films to hit the United States. It tells the true story of Nora Barnacle and her long relationship with Irish writer, James Joyce.

We learn early that Nora (Susan Lynch) has had a rough life up to this point, 1904 Dublin. Pat Murphy, the film’s director, shoots through bars as we see Nora beaten as a young child. This technique highlights Nora’s life-long suppression.

Almost immediately we witness the meeting of Nora and James Joyce, played skillfully by Ewan McGregor.

Nora turns James down for a date because she can’t leave work, and she fears she will never hear from him again. However, James starts sending Nora love letters, leading them to eventually meet again.

At the second meeting, the chemistry between the two makes it obvious that the two lovers belong together. An early romp with James on the Dublin streets shows us Nora’s no stranger to sexual expression.

James seems to be just what Nora needs to be happy. However, James’ jealous tendencies and battles with alcohol lead him to emotionally punish Nora. After their first sexual escapade on the Dublin streets, James tells Nora her passion for lovemaking is sacred to him. Later, he uses her sexuality against her when he goes on one of his jealous tirades.

Fans of James Joyce will enjoy this film since it shows a side of the man that many may have never seen. Ewan McGregor portrays Joyce with disturbing realism. Although he wants to seem like a tough guy, inside we see a man crying out for help.

Susan Lynch is the reason to go out and see this film. Nobody else could bring Nora’s sexiness and humor to life other than Nora Barnacle herself.

Director Pat Murphy has an expert ability at drawing emotion out of her actors as well as using filmmaking techniques to match their emotions. She has Nora constantly weaving in and out of shadows to show her constant struggle with suppression. Characters in the film often sit alone on long benches. Murphy does this to symbolize the large voids in their lives that need to be filled.

“Nora” is more than a tale about a woman and her love affair with a legend; it has a lot to say about Ireland in the early 1900s. As James says to Nora in the film, Ireland is a country where “people are paralyzed by fear, where nothing is free and open because people are frightened by the church.”

Overall, this film shows the world that Ireland is not the prehistoric war-torn country that it once was. The film is well executed, acted and photographed. “Nora” proves that once again, the Irish have something to be proud of.