The Commitments (15.)
Directed by Alan Parker. 1991
Starring Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle, Dave Finnegan, Bronagh Gallagher, Felim Gormley, Glen Hansard, Dick Massey, Johnny Murphy, Kenneth McCluskey, Andrew Strong and Colm Meaney. 117 mins.
The worst thing about the collaborative nature of filmmaking is that there are so many different parts and aspects to it and any one of them can derail the process. The best thing is that sometimes, just sometimes, everything comes together and creates something that transcends the abilities of the people involved. Now, many very talented people were involved in making this film – such as future Booker prize winner Roddy Doyle, scriptwriters Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement, director Alan Parker – and probably quite a few not especially talented ones too. But I'd bet almost all of them would look back at what they did here and think that it represented the very best of them. Maybe they’ve gone on to do things as good, but surely not better. So watching this you are literally dropping in on people having the time of their lives.
Roddy Doyle’s debut novel about a Dublin wide boy, (can you geezer in Irish?) Jimmy Rabbitt (Arkins), and his efforts to put together a soul band was brilliantly translated by Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais (Likely Lads, Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.) They were always masters at finding the magic in the mundane and they really do wonders here making the dole queues and dead end jobs of Dublin seem like the most marvellous places on earth. The combination of their script and the improvisation Parker encouraged from the cast meant that when it came out it was one of the foulest mouthed films ever made. It may be fanciful, and I don’t really have evidence to back it up but could this be the moment that earned Ireland the free pass for profanity? The Commitments was so loved around the world that it was accepted that their swearing was somehow clever, mellifluous and charming; unlike when you do it, which is unforgivably uncouth.
The story is framed as Rabbitt giving an interview to Terry Wogan, which is interesting because one of strongest recollections of The Commitments, is sometime before its release Gary Glitter appearing on Wogan and mentioning in passing what tremendous buzz the film had.
The flipside of this being the finest hour of everybody involved is that it was mostly downhill from then on. Of the cast only the three females went onto have proper acting careers, reaching the heights of appearing in Pulp Fiction or Father Ted. For Parker, The Commitments feels like a one-off, the moment when he eased up on his fussy, meticulous shooting style and really let the movie breathe. Clement and La Frenais went back to their LA poolside and made lots of money doing uncredited re-writes of action flicks. It's quite possible their quips in Bruckheimer action flicks are the main reason Nicolas Cage is a movie star.
Extras
Director's commentary from Alan Parker.
Four background/ making of/ catching up with the cast features.
Booklet.
Stills gallery
music videos
Directed by Alan Parker. 1991
Starring Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle, Dave Finnegan, Bronagh Gallagher, Felim Gormley, Glen Hansard, Dick Massey, Johnny Murphy, Kenneth McCluskey, Andrew Strong and Colm Meaney. 117 mins.
The worst thing about the collaborative nature of filmmaking is that there are so many different parts and aspects to it and any one of them can derail the process. The best thing is that sometimes, just sometimes, everything comes together and creates something that transcends the abilities of the people involved. Now, many very talented people were involved in making this film – such as future Booker prize winner Roddy Doyle, scriptwriters Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement, director Alan Parker – and probably quite a few not especially talented ones too. But I'd bet almost all of them would look back at what they did here and think that it represented the very best of them. Maybe they’ve gone on to do things as good, but surely not better. So watching this you are literally dropping in on people having the time of their lives.
Roddy Doyle’s debut novel about a Dublin wide boy, (can you geezer in Irish?) Jimmy Rabbitt (Arkins), and his efforts to put together a soul band was brilliantly translated by Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais (Likely Lads, Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.) They were always masters at finding the magic in the mundane and they really do wonders here making the dole queues and dead end jobs of Dublin seem like the most marvellous places on earth. The combination of their script and the improvisation Parker encouraged from the cast meant that when it came out it was one of the foulest mouthed films ever made. It may be fanciful, and I don’t really have evidence to back it up but could this be the moment that earned Ireland the free pass for profanity? The Commitments was so loved around the world that it was accepted that their swearing was somehow clever, mellifluous and charming; unlike when you do it, which is unforgivably uncouth.
The story is framed as Rabbitt giving an interview to Terry Wogan, which is interesting because one of strongest recollections of The Commitments, is sometime before its release Gary Glitter appearing on Wogan and mentioning in passing what tremendous buzz the film had.
The flipside of this being the finest hour of everybody involved is that it was mostly downhill from then on. Of the cast only the three females went onto have proper acting careers, reaching the heights of appearing in Pulp Fiction or Father Ted. For Parker, The Commitments feels like a one-off, the moment when he eased up on his fussy, meticulous shooting style and really let the movie breathe. Clement and La Frenais went back to their LA poolside and made lots of money doing uncredited re-writes of action flicks. It's quite possible their quips in Bruckheimer action flicks are the main reason Nicolas Cage is a movie star.
Extras
Director's commentary from Alan Parker.
Four background/ making of/ catching up with the cast features.
Booklet.
Stills gallery
music videos
