Starring Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, and Maria Doyle
Directed by Alan Parker
Music and Lyrics by various
We salute the day of all things Irish with one of the most Irish movies in existence. This adaptation of the book of the same title was a huge hit when it came out, especially in its native Ireland and the UK. Its soundtrack of R&B and soul covers was even bigger, going platinum all over the world. I remember having the cassette when I was a teenager and loving the passionate music. Does the film reach the heights of its score, or should it be left in the Dublin tenements? Let's begin with a young man searching for a different sound on the streets of Dublin, Ireland and find out...
The Story: Irish soul music-lover Jimmy Rabbitte (Arkins) wants to create his own soul band to rival the great groups of the 60's. He holds auditions, but ends up hiring his buddies, people he met on the street, and the attractive Natalie Murphy (Doyle) and her friends as backup singers. They're taken under the wing of trumpet player Joey "The Lips" Fagan (Johnny Murphy), who claims he went on tour with half the singers who ever lived.
Getting the band together isn't easy. There's tons of fights, mainly between huge, egotistical lead singer Deco Cuffe (Andrew Strong) and the others. Things become even more heated as the band grows more popular. Deco gets angry with drummer Billy Mooney (Dick Massey), Joey seduces all of the female members of the band, and their bouncer Mickah (Dave Finnegan) takes over the drums when Billy quits. Joey says he get them a show with a major soul star from America...but will that be enough to keep these unruly Dublin scrappers from self-destructing?
The Song and Dance: You can't get much more modern Ireland than this. The gritty cinematography was filmed at actual homes and locations throughout the northern end of the city. The performances are raw and real, especially from Arkins as music-obsessed Jimmy and Strong as the singer whose huge ego is a match for his massive bulk and equally enormous talent.
The music is incredible. Whether they're playing at a church or a Dublin night club, the songs are expertly filmed and sung with all the passion of the soul performers Jimmy adores. There's a reason the soundtrack went double platinum in the US and Canada and five times platinum in Australia. It's presented with all the sweaty, nervous energy of a rowdy nightclub concert with a band on the verge of success, and makes you feel like you're really in the crowd, watching these people pour their hearts into the songs.
Favorite Number: The songs at that first church performance give us a taste of what's to come for the rest of the movie. We get "Mustang Sally" with Strong and the ladies, a dynamic "In the Midnight Hour," and Doyle's "I Never Loved a Man." Jimmy joins the girls for "Treat Her Right," as he wishes Joey would do just that. Singer Niamah Kavanaugh joins the ladies for "Destination Anywhere" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man." Ball's big solo is the Tina Turner number "I Can't Stand the Rain." Doyle gets "Bye Bye Baby" at the concert that's interrupted by Billy accidentally knocking his cymbals into Deco. The movie ends at the nightclub with one of its hit singles, the searing "Try a Little Tenderness."
Trivia: Glen Hansard, who played guitarist Outspan Foster, went on to write and star in another gritty Irish working-class movie musical, Once.
A stage version debuted at London's Palace Theater in 2013 and ran for two years. There's been two tours since then, including one that concluded last year.
What I Don't Like: Heed that R rating. This has many of the same problems as the later Once, including thick accents that can occasionally be hard to decipher and a metric ton of swearing. There's a lot of violence, too, including two major fist fights, and at least one couple is seen naked (though it doesn't get into anything sexual). The ladies aren't always treated the best, either. This goes along with the working class Dublin setting and characters, but it may be pretty rough for anyone who prefers their musicals more uplifting or family-friendly.
The Big Finale: Highly recommended for something different on St. Patrick's Day or adult fans of soul and R&B.
Home Media: Easy to find in all major formats.
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