Waking Ned Devine
(1998) Comic Irish fable about little old man enlisting entire town to hoodwink lottery official. Offers plenty to fans of gentle, character-driven comedy with low-key screwball humor, warmly appealing eccentric characters.
Stars: Ian Bannen, David Kelly. Director: Kirk Jones.
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I Went Down
(1997)Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Peter McDonald.Director: Chris Crone.
Funny albeit slightly black on-the-road comedy about small-time toughs in Ireland bungling through kidnapping. Those seeking less glossy comic portrayals of crime will find much to smile about.
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The Matchmaker
(1997) A light-hearted, low key comedy. An American politician sends his aid to Ireland to find his Irish roots to help him win a tight election. She instead finds romance. Starring Janeane Garofalo, Jay O. Sanders.
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The Commitments (1991)
Starring: Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne. Director: Alan Parker.
Enormously satisfying tale of an ambitious young Dubliner who takes on the challenge of assembling and managing a band made up of other working-class Dubliners who sing '60s-style soul music! Disarmingly engaging from the word go, with charismatic cast of unknowns; filled with irresistible music. A real treat.
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The Snapper (1993)
Starring: Colm Meaney, Tina Kellegher. Director: Stephen Frears.
Wonderful adaptation of Roddy Doyle's novel about a working-class Irish family, and the teenage daughter who finds herself pregnant--with the circumstances too embarrassing to discuss. Vivid, funny, and believable, sparked by good performances--especially Meaney as the bewildered (but basically good-hearted) father; he also appeared earlier in The Committments, the first of Doyle's Barrytown trilogy.
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