Pierce Brosnan stretches beyond James Bond

It's hard to ignore that Pierce Brosnan is normally James Bond even though he tries to come off drunk and pathetic in "Evelyn."\nHere, Brosnan plays Desmond Doyle in a true story of a father of three living in Ireland in 1953. He has no job and when his wife walks out on him, the Irish court decides he is not a suitable parent and sends his daughter and two sons to a church-run orphanage. Desmond realizes that he must fix his life in order to save his children, so he sobers up and begins to work steadily. Though his wife left and even her mother does not know where to find her, Desmond must have her signed approval to release the children from state custody. \nThe odds seemed stacked against Desmond, and he enlists the aid of a lawyer (played by Stephen Rea) who then recruits lawyers played by Aidan Quinn and Alan Bates, who both steal many of the scenes Desmond is in. This is no ordinary court case -- they are attempting to be the first people ever to change Irish Constitution by going up against the government and the Catholic Church.\n"Evelyn" goes beyond a typical court room drama. Set completely in Ireland, the movie feels so authentic you may crave a pint of Guinness while watching each character. What makes it different is, despite the magnitude of the court case, viewers won't feel anxious for the results to be favorable as much as they'll want to see Desmond and his children reunited. \nAnother scene stealer is Sophie Vavasseur who plays the title character Evelyn, Desmond's daughter. Although at first she seems a bit syrupy, by the end she comes off genuine and pure, something that many cute child actors can never seem to achieve. \nDespite a good supporting cast, Brosnan is the star of this movie. He gets on the audience's good side with his James Bond-charm. If anything, he's just too charming and never pulls off the pathetic pose as much as he does the man who has faith in the favorable outcome.