Irish Films - Well Known or Not So Part1

I'll get these two out of the way as they are on earlier lists:

Once - see 10 Bitter/sweet Love Story Films to Make You Sigh
Into the West - see Good movies you probably missed

Now add these:

The Matchmaker (R) Its described as "a romantic comedy for the unromantic" one place and "a comedy for the incurably romantic" in another. I assume they couldn't make up their mind. The plot: An American assistant to a senator who is having re-election problems is sent to Ireland to trace his ancestors to help with getting Irish votes. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, she arrives in the ancestral Irish village during the annual Matchmaking Festival and becomes fair game. Lots of cliches, but delightful. Nice music, too. The R rating is for some language, nothing serious.

The Boys and Girls from County Clare (R) Its the late 60's in County Clare. How dare an Irish band from -gasp- Liverpool invade the All Irish Music Championship. Well it does. With star-crossed lovers, feuding brothers, narrow-minded parents, rebellious children and Irish music, its another Irish charmer.

Falling for a Dancer (Unrated) This was a BBC drama. I saw all but one episode on a U.K. holiday and had to wait for the DVD to see how it ended. Set in Ireland in 1937, a young woman has a brief affair which has an unhappy consequence (remember its 1937 Ireland) causing her family to marry her off into a loveless, unhappy marriage. Adapted from her novel it is written by Deirdre Purcell -- a well known Irish author. The cover calls it "a fine romance, with plenty of stirring action and grand scenery." But does it have a happy ending? You'll have to watch it and see. Its a 2 discs, 200 minutes DVD.

Evelyn (PG) Based on a true story, a father (played by Pierce Brosnan) tries to hold his family together after his wife deserts him, and his daughter and two sons are sent to an orphanage by the Irish government. Loyal friends, played by Stephen Rea, Aidan Quinn and Julianna Margulies, take his case to Ireland's Supreme Court with the intention and hopes of toppling an ironclad law. All he wants is his children back. It got very good reviews and I'll bet you can figure out who wins.

Ryan's Daughter (R) This 1970 classic has been pretty much forgotten, I suspect. I had to buy a copy after a trip to Ireland where I saw some of the filming locations. You just didn't have affairs in Ireland without getting into big, really, really big trouble. But Rosy does it anyway. How can her mostly dull schoolmaster husband compete with the dashing, handsome British officer? (Maybe it was the uniform.) If you haven't seen this one, do. Its been restored and remastered with lots of special features.

Intermission (R) One of the reviews calls this "dark, edgy, very funny study of love, lust, and petty crime. I'll have to take their word for it because, I have the DVD in my hand, I've watched it, and can't remember a thing about it. (But I watch so many films I have to be forgiven for forgetting sometimes.) Its from the Irish Film Board and set in Dublin with a huge cast of characters and interacting plots. Lots of familiar actors' names -- including Colin Farrell, but then he seems to be in just about every other Irish film about the time this was made.

Farrell is in Falling for a Dancer and in some more that will be in Part 2 to come.

Last, but not least

The Commitments (R) You want music, you get music. But not your traditional Irish. How about a Dublin ghetto "soul band." (Look carefully, and you'll see Glen Hansard of Once fame in the band.) This is real music, not just actors pretending to make it. Turn the sound up or down, whichever is your preference (its loud), but your toe will be tapping with the music in this one. Plus its a funny, watch-it-more-than-once film. It had many nominations and won many awards. Surprising for a film with so many unknown actors/musicians.

Colin Farrell isn't in it!

More to come - watch for Part 2.

JUST DISCOVERED-Chick Flick? Football Film?

This one is hard to describe. How did I miss this it? Yesterday, I was casually browsing the spine-out titles on the pre-viewed DVD display at Osco's. For some reason, the title "Bella" caught my eye and when I pulled it out for a closer look, I knew it was going to be mine.

Bella (PG13) I won't tell you who Bella is. A soccer player is on the road to success having been offered a $2 million plus contract, when he runs into a roadblock which abruptly ends his career. Some years later, working as a chef at his brother's restaurant, a co-worker waitress has a problem too and he seems to be her only friend. Resolving problems is the theme of the film and I loved it. Its one of those low budget films that proves you don't have to spend multi-multi millions to make a good one. It won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival in 2007 and the Best Picture and Best Actor at the 2008 Movie Guide Awards. Just in case, you might want to have some tissues handy. Don't watch it for the football. Its only a minor part of the plot.