Caught a preview of the Ceili Band flick 'Boys of County Clare' last night.
I'll write up a proper review and post the link here if I, er, manage to catch more than a few hours sleep sometime this week, but here are a few thoughts in the meantime:
- it follows the average britcom trend that the Full Monty pretty much started and lesser but still charming enough films like Brassed Off, The Match, Up and Under etc continued. What these stories have in common is that The Coat of particular interest groups is hung on The Peg of a classic structure that's uncomplicated and predictable, but at the same time proven, sturdy, and inoffensive. In other words, if you're looking for a work of groundbreaking storytelling, you're wasting your time. But if you're after a fun character-driven yarn then maybe ye'll be alright.
It's the 60s. Two brothers - one's the engineer from Picard's Star Trek and the other's the king from Lord of the Rings who Gandalf unfuddles in time for Baldur's Gate action. Chief O'Brien ran off to England 20 years ago and is returning to enter the Ceili competition somewhere in Ireland (I was drinking a lot of free wine during the film and details are fuzzy). Thing is, King Theoden's Ceili group are the defending champs. Meanwhile, O'Brien's abandoned sproglet has grown up to be Andrea Corr. There follow battles, bottles, carousing, misunderstandings, showdowns, vomathons, hippies, mispronounced bodhrans, plenty of trad scene in-jokes (which I won't spoil here) and... ah... reconciliation of sorts. And there's a lovely little surprise in the third act which had me rolling around in the aisles of the preview theatre in laughter - quite literally, as I'd had rather a lot to drink by this stage, and while I can't give anything away without spoiling it entirely, I'll just say that those of yez who know a bit about my circumstances will spot it, clear as daylight. Oh, how I laughed and laughed and laughed.
Oh yeah, the music. Erm, well, the film was full of it, but the actual ceili showdowns weren't that marvelous truth be told. The subplot romantic lead, a flute playin' lad, convinced me that it just isn't possible get a fluter's pouting embouchure to look sexy in close-up. Ms Corr, who wasn't too shabby in the acting department, didn't seem to be really playing her fiddle at all, which was very disappointing (don't know much about them Corrs, admittedly, but ain't she the one that fiddles?). But it was nice enough to hear and see the music up on the screen, and to listen to a man who got shouted at by Gandalf himself discuss his reasons for not playing polkas with his button-pusher.
So yeah, fun little film. Wish I could talk about it some more, but I haven't got a good enough frame of reference to orient myself in relation to it - never been to Ireland or a Ceili competition or even drunk Guinness that wasn't from a can. So, ya know, someone else can do that who has, and who's had more than 4 hours sleep in the past 72 hours.
hahaha......... talk about stream of conciousnes!!
Q i always love your posts. you burst and pop with energy, and bedamned what the hell you're actually talking about.....it's a ride on your enthusiasm alone.....
btw are you talkin about my left foot, or the Peach or making ned devine or the elephsnt msn or..or or..
i think there may be as many movies out there as there are tunes
Boys of County Clare
Boys of County Clare
Caught a preview of the Ceili Band flick 'Boys of County Clare' last night.
I'll write up a proper review and post the link here if I, er, manage to catch more than a few hours sleep sometime this week, but here are a few thoughts in the meantime:
- it follows the average britcom trend that the Full Monty pretty much started and lesser but still charming enough films like Brassed Off, The Match, Up and Under etc continued. What these stories have in common is that The Coat of particular interest groups is hung on The Peg of a classic structure that's uncomplicated and predictable, but at the same time proven, sturdy, and inoffensive. In other words, if you're looking for a work of groundbreaking storytelling, you're wasting your time. But if you're after a fun character-driven yarn then maybe ye'll be alright.
It's the 60s. Two brothers - one's the engineer from Picard's Star Trek and the other's the king from Lord of the Rings who Gandalf unfuddles in time for Baldur's Gate action. Chief O'Brien ran off to England 20 years ago and is returning to enter the Ceili competition somewhere in Ireland (I was drinking a lot of free wine during the film and details are fuzzy). Thing is, King Theoden's Ceili group are the defending champs. Meanwhile, O'Brien's abandoned sproglet has grown up to be Andrea Corr. There follow battles, bottles, carousing, misunderstandings, showdowns, vomathons, hippies, mispronounced bodhrans, plenty of trad scene in-jokes (which I won't spoil here) and... ah... reconciliation of sorts. And there's a lovely little surprise in the third act which had me rolling around in the aisles of the preview theatre in laughter - quite literally, as I'd had rather a lot to drink by this stage, and while I can't give anything away without spoiling it entirely, I'll just say that those of yez who know a bit about my circumstances will spot it, clear as daylight. Oh, how I laughed and laughed and laughed.
Oh yeah, the music. Erm, well, the film was full of it, but the actual ceili showdowns weren't that marvelous truth be told. The subplot romantic lead, a flute playin' lad, convinced me that it just isn't possible get a fluter's pouting embouchure to look sexy in close-up. Ms Corr, who wasn't too shabby in the acting department, didn't seem to be really playing her fiddle at all, which was very disappointing (don't know much about them Corrs, admittedly, but ain't she the one that fiddles?). But it was nice enough to hear and see the music up on the screen, and to listen to a man who got shouted at by Gandalf himself discuss his reasons for not playing polkas with his button-pusher.
So yeah, fun little film. Wish I could talk about it some more, but I haven't got a good enough frame of reference to orient myself in relation to it - never been to Ireland or a Ceili competition or even drunk Guinness that wasn't from a can. So, ya know, someone else can do that who has, and who's had more than 4 hours sleep in the past 72 hours.
Cheers,
Matt
# Posted on August 3rd 2004 by Q
Re: Boys of County Clare
Looking forward to your review!!!!
# Posted on August 4th 2004 by Paulam
Re: Boys of County Clare
Q, I can't wait to see it! I loved your description of the movie so far....
# Posted on August 4th 2004 by Andee
Re: Boys of County Clare
hahaha......... talk about stream of conciousnes!!
Q i always love your posts. you burst and pop with energy, and bedamned what the hell you're actually talking about.....it's a ride on your enthusiasm alone.....
btw are you talkin about my left foot, or the Peach or making ned devine or the elephsnt msn or..or or..
i think there may be as many movies out there as there are tunes
# Posted on August 5th 2004 by vboyd100