Domicile has a different meaning to the person inhabiting it. In Liam O Mochain’s work, five different protagonists are connected by their interpretation of home life. There’s a shopkeeper enchanted by a charming customer; a couple haunted by their irritating oven; a middle-aged lady fretting over an impending event; a very tempting holiday break; a husband and wife engaged in a heated argument. The fables take place across different parts of Ireland.

Like Love Actually (Richard Curtis, 2003) before it, Abode primarily takes place at the Christmas period, which spurs a change in the different characters. Peggy (Mary McEvoy) has become friskier, hoping for a romantic tryst. The director focuses on the people on the screen, shunning elaborate set-ups. Some of the close-ups boast a handheld, homemade and informal feel, adding a sense of intimacy between audience and personages.

Rose Henderson delivers the movie’s most fragile portrayal, as an older woman nervous about the assignment delivered to her. She is terrific as the stereotypical Irish mother, desperate to keep the family together, sacrificing her own happiness as a result. Peering at a cupboard full of dresses, the lady frets and panics over what dress she needs to wear, for fear she may look stupidly out of date in one. Director Liam O Mochain casts himself in another segment as a restaurant worker who takes pity on homeless people, welcoming them into his kitchen for nourishment. Marion O’Dwyer stars as a homeless lady prioritising food ahead of redemption. Brendan Conroy’s dapper, debonair character guarantees the movie laughs

Henderson and O’Dwyer deliver the meatier moments, particularly as the movie flits between genres. More happily, the ensemble feed off one another whether their segment is a romantic comedy or something veering closer to realism. Henderson’s character grounds the work with palpable authenticity. Stephen Jones is also formidable as Conor, eager to escape for a weekend in the hope of salvaging his rocky marriage. Much as the characters do in Love Actually, the narrators in Abode pass each other, centred on their own personal sense of truth. Cities are a vessel by which fables can be mined and explored, people walking around, burdened by their own arcs. There’s a truthfulness to Abode that is endearing to sit through.

O Mochain worked on this feature for three years. Signs detailing Covid pandemic guidelines pop up in key scenes. It is to the director’s great credit that Abode flows well in the art form chosen. The stories gel together neatly, and the thematic undertones converge into a fitting climax. This anthology film could also work as a series. This is a Christmas movie imbued with realism and a little edge.

Abode is in cinemas on Friday, March 20th.