IRISH FILM GENRES PART 1: CHICK FLICK

Most of these titles could also be considered 'road movies'. P.S. I love you was crap, too serious, depressing, and had too much 'acting'. Another was Leap year which was a bit better. At least the lead actress was pretty. Then there was Tara Road. Never seems to be in the Irish section in the DVD shops for some reason? It was about a house swap. Then there was The honeymooners. This was a Dogma 95-type movie but without the originality, nudity, intellectual statements, and energy. One of the move unpopular genres critically but usually a box-office hit. The Irish chick flick!

Between the canals

Back in the '90s the rap movie came of age. Gangstas shooting each other, selling drugs, trying to 'get out', and family problems. A decent white version from that era was Laws of gravity. Now, over fifteen years later we get a Dublin movie very similar. Lots of shaky camerawork, violence, sub-plots, older and wiser men giving advice, famous locations, pubs, poolhalls, drugs, defeated women, police, and a younger more violent generation waiting in the wings. Fair play to the filmmakers for producing this. It should do well in Boston if it's ever released there. However, the movie is full of clichés and you can see a mile off what's going to happen next. Also, you don't feel bothered when the characters get killed as they are so unlikeable. Still, it's good to see an Irish movie have a bit of energy and anything that moves aways from the middle-class muck that gets produced here is a refreshing change.

SAVAGE OUT ON DVD!

Good to see this acclaimed Irish movie getting a DVD release. Strange that it's low-key compared to its theatrical promotion? Must buy a copy soon.

IFCO IS BIASED!

Anyone else think that the Irish Film Censor's Office is biased towards Irish-related movies? For example today's Irish Mail on Sunday has an article on how a Saoirse Ronan film was give a 12A rating when it should have got a more severe one? The article mentions upset young girls sitting through The Lovely Bones when they should not have been allowed into the cinema! Seems the IFCO 'goes easy' on films with an Irish actor/director/subject?

WHERE IS SAINT STEPHEN'S GREEN PARK?

Yes I know where it is! Top of Grafton Street in Dublin 2. However, the question still stands. Why don't Irish films use the park as a location? A few do (Adam and Paul, Leap Year) but most do not. Look at most New York movies. They have no problem using Central Park as a location. From Death Wish to the latest rom-com there is always a scene set in their park. So why don't Irish films use our famous park? Is filming illegal there? Why won't the Film Board include the park in their promotional trailers? Surely it's easier to access than the Cliffs of Moher? Shame that a great film location on our doorstep is being underused?

How to cheat in the Leaving Certificate

Infamous low-budget Irish movie from the '90s. One of the few films that everyone has heard of but few seen? It's about the break in to the Athlone building that holds the exam papers. Then the guy who got 7 A1s admits he cheated and the reaction is told in flashback. The acting is terrible (I didn't realise we had so many posh actors!) and the story is trite (everyone knows that the same questions keep coming up in the Leaving Cert exam anyway so why cheat?) but the film is still impressive because: It's in black and white; there are some famous cameos (Chris De Burgh as a garage attendant?); the pacing and editing are really well done; and some of the songs on the soundtrack are good. Strange that the director never followed up with another feature. Surely he didn't get blacklisted after this?

ANOTHER WOODY ALLEN POST!

Seems he would love to make a movie in Ireland as long as our Film Board provide the funds*. What a great idea! Let's get one of the word's most overrated directors to come here, give him tax payers' money to produce his 44th or 45th feature, and then claim it's an Irish movie. Heck, we could even give him an IFTA award before it even gets released. I can see it now: Who do the Film Board support? A new Irish director who wants to make his first feature or Woody Allen? Hmmmmm....
*Today's Irish examiner

Bloody Sunday

Not to be confused with the similar movie Sunday or the boring '70s film Sunday, Bloody Sunday (which gets a mention in this movie). This picture is about the killing of thirteen civilians in Derry which made headlines around the world. It's the kind of film that wins awards due to the stylish filmmaking and low-key, observant approach to the story. Washed out colours, shakey camera work (lots of off-focus scenes), little music on the soundtrack, and extras playing themselves. Then there's the behind-the-scenes of the British soldiers and the different reasons why they opened fire. Like a lot of Irish films this is overrated and got made too late to make much of an impact.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

To all visitors and followers of this blog. It's a great day for the Irish!

CHEERS SINGAPORE!

Yet another far-away country has read this blog over the last few days. Cheers Singapore!

WHAT'S WITH ALL THESE IRISH WOMEN DIRECTORS?

Time Shoot the cabbage did a post on all these women directors! Ireland has a larger proportion of female directors than most countries. Is this a good thing? Well the recent IFTA Best Film winner was directed by a woman. However, it was not an Irish-themed film. One of the first feature films made at Ardmore Studios was directed by a woman called Muriel Box. However most recent Irish films directed by women are terrible! There was the football film Best, the horror film Daisy chain, the mess that was Disco pigs, the embarrassing Eamon, the disastrous Chaos,the rubbish Goldfish memory, the flat emigration film Gold in the streets, and the voiceless Situations vacant. The only impressive recent film directed here by a woman was Foxes but that was directed by a foreigner so got ignored. The Irish Film industry seems to be pushng women directors thinking one will break through internationally? In fact if there was a new feature film scheme for three new movies one would certainly go to a woman. The idea that there's a 'quota' in place is of course nonsense but there is the impression that the Irish Film industry is trying to support 'marginal voices' particularly female ones. The only problem is that there are no truly great international female directors outside of the French language. This idea that the Irish Film industry should support women directors because they are a 'minority' is just silly. In fact men are actually the minority in Ireland! Funding and pushing Irish films just because the director is female is a waste of time. No matter how many get made most of these titles will be terrible, particularly the genre ones. Some people will no doubt find this post offensive but tough.