Purportedly one of Walt Disney's most personal pet projects, Darby O'Gill shows the effort and care put into it. Even now the special effects hold up shockingly well. Darby O'Gill is an estate caretaker, but in his advanced years he's more fond of telling tall tales in the local pub about the wee folk than keeping the grounds. A new man (a very youthful Sean Connery) is sent in to take his place, and O'Gill doesn't know what will become of himself and his daughter. He snags three spectacular opportunities, however, when he catches the king of the leprechauns. This film is whimsical without being silly, supernatural without being outlandish, and all and all a treat for the whole family.

I Went Down
Gleason at his funniest…

Take one ex-con who owes a mobster a favour. Add one tough thug. Give them a mission... well give them half a mission and let them figure out the rest. That's the basic premise of I Went Down, Ireland's latest offering about crime, life and learning how to survive.

Peter McDonald plays Git Hynes, who is recently out of prison when he falls into trouble with mobster, Mr. French (played by Tony Doyle). To make things right, Git is teamed up with Bunny Kelly (played by Brendan Gleeson of Braveheart, Michael Collins, The Snapper and others) to go and retrieve French's old friend, Frank Grogan. When this pair finally gets to Grogan, the film really takes off. Git discovers he is expected to kidnap Grogan. He didn't know from the start? No, and that's part of I Went Down's charm. Deeds that Git would never have done are thrust upon him at the last moment. Grogan is a talkative hostage who works his way into the hearts of his kidnappers, making this more than just a simple job for them.

I Went Down has much the same feel as other UK films in recent years (The Commitments, The Full Monty and Trainspotting come to mind). As the hoods lurch from one misadventure to another, the film takes unpredictable turns, keeping us abreast of the plot as it happens in a fresh and entertaining way. The film starts in a very different place from where it ends, and you really can't tell where it's going to go, until you're pretty much right there. Credit should go to Conor McPherson for a screenplay that instils us with empathy and concern, without taking the rough edges off of the movie's characters. Equally important are the strong performances that pull off this great script.

In the Name of the Father
This movie will touch you deep…

In the Name of the Father is about innocent people convicted of crimes and sentenced heavily; even when their innocence is known to the police (the real guilty person confesses), there is a cover-up until it is exposed by a dedicated lawyer.

The story is based on real-life happening, and in and of itself it's not that spectacular. But it does serve as a reminder of how the so-called "system of justice" can be twisted, perverted, and made into a travesty to suit certain people's needs.

It is, in particular, a story of the British system of justice (or lack thereof) as the lawyer (I believe) says: "This brings into question our entire system of justice". And that it does. We have heard countless numbers of incidents involving police brutality and injustice, but yet we turn a blind eye for the most part because we rationalise by thinking the system does more good than bad. But that's not an excuse for continuing with an imperfect system. In fact, at the end of the movie, it says that none of the police involved in this case were disciplined! That is completely ridiculous---law-makers and law-enforcers are in no way beyond the law. But again, we know of several instances (I have seen several instances personally) where law makers do constantly break the law. I am quite sure a lot of people, at some point in their lives, have been through experiences that made them think about the legal system. I suppose it does depend on your lifestyle, but the point is that it shouldn't! As long as you're innocent, you're innocent. You cannot be bullied into submission (which happens during the movie).

But why should this not be? Is it not human nature to want to be right all the time? Most people who accomplish something usually are of the type that they form an opinion about something and it takes a lot to shake that opinion. We see this happen constantly, even in the scientific world where researchers push their pet theories. Some people even pervert the facts (sometimes incidentally, and sometimes intentionally) in order to achieve their goals. It is these sorts of people that we have in the legal systems around the world. Some systems are worse than others, but the basic problem is the same. So given this type of people in our judicial and governmental, we are always going to have cases of innocent people being persecuted. The system will be proportionally twisted to the degree of corruption in a society.

Personal philosophy aside, we need cases such as these to be more open. I don't believe a cop's word should have more weight than the testimony of 3-4 witnesses. Clearly the jury system is flawed because in today's age it's hard to believe that any jury would not be informed of the crime and form their own opinions. Of course, the media doesn't help things much either. We have recently seen at least one case (and perhaps another) where the person was judged "guilty" by certain organisations even before it was proven in court. People who serve on the Jury should be more rigorously chosen, based on their background and beliefs. In particular, people who take courses in logic might help. Seriously, in the movie, as people were being accused of certain crimes, it was shown how ridiculous it was. Yet, the Jury, in the heat of the moment, was easily swayed. A larger jury might help. This can be mediated by computers, which I think should be used to store information about cases and such and this information should be available for all.

Finally, one of the main reasons that these people were kept in prison even though they were found innocent is because of a cover-up of the people in power. Such cover-ups should be punished just as a common criminal would be (yes, we saw this happen during the Iran-Contra affair). Such cover-ups should not be allowed. The public should have access to this information and it should be done in a complete manner. That is, there should not be a superficial layer of information just for the "public", but rather any and all information should be made free. What problems can this cause? Of course, the first issue that's raised is the issue of national security. But I think this really has little effect on most cases. I don't it mattered at all in this particular case, and in general doesn't (pointing to the numerous innocent persecutions simply due to age, appearances, etc.). Some might object that this is an invasion of the convicted person's privacy. When you take away a person's freedom for a crime---I don't see why privacy should be protected.

But all the latter solutions dance around the issue. It hides what happens before cases come to court. There is always injustice as what determines a person's actions at a particular time is influenced by various unrelated factors such as personal arguments and problems. In fact, I've heard it said many times that the world would be a better place if "men" weren't in charge simply because it seems like they allow their hormones rule over their better judgement. I've also heard remarks that people in power are sexually frustrated and thus they end up acting the way they do. Perhaps this has some truth to it, but it doesn't matter. People in power are prone to commit injustice, but it passes by unnoticed for the most part since they do it under a thin veil.

The way such injustice can be eradicated is by demolishing the current foundations of our existing systems that give power over other subjective individuals and thus naturally creating a system where everyone is judged equally and fairly (albeit from a subjective perspective).

State is the name of the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly it tells lies too; and this lie crawls out of its mouth: ``I, the state, am the people.'' That is a lie! It was creators who created peoples and hung a faith and a love over them: thus they served life. --Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Into The West
The wee fella singing on Grafton street….classic movie moment.

Into the West is the touching story of two young boys in search of an easier and simpler life.

John Rielly, who's wife, Mary, dies while delivering their second child, has been forced to bring up the two boys, Tito and Ozzie, by himself. This has become an increasingly difficult task as John has turned to the bottle to help drown his sorrows. The young boys basically fend for themselves, spending a lot of time with their grandfather, a "Traveller". Their whole family has stemmed from Travellers, who are similar to Gypsies, but when Mary died, John decided to settle down with the boys.

One day the grandfather returns to camp with a beautiful white stallion following him and his wagon. No one is able to come close to the animal except for Ozzie, the youngest boy. Around the campfire that evening the story of Teninok is told. Teninok is an old myth about a land of eternal youth, with the hero having a beautiful white stallion. Ozzie believes this story and names the white horse Teninok. That evening the boys bring the horse home to their apartment. It isn't long before the authorities come and take the horse away from the boys, as horses are not allowed in the building. When John goes to the courthouse to get his boys' horse back, he is denied the horse and is threatened by one of the policemen. We soon find out that the policeman that threatened John has actually taken the horse and sold it to a wealthy horseman. Ozzie and Tito are crushed when they realize that their horse is gone and are determined to get him back.

One day as the boys are in the local store, they see their Teninok on television being groomed for a prestigious upcoming event. The boys take off to the stables where their horse is being held and proceed to steal him back. Unfortunately, they have been video taped in this act and now the whole town is turned up-side-down in search of the boys and the prized horse.

Animal action is throughout this period piece as the story revolves around the horse, who is ridden much of the time. In the beautiful opening and closing scenes Teninok is seen galloping up and down the waters edge on the beach at dusk. In one scene several riders are trying to get their horses to jump over a bonfire in the campsite. All of the horses approach the fire but refuse to jump. Teninok, who has been standing at a distance, suddenly bolts towards the fire with Ozzie on his back. He gallops across the campsite, jumping and clearing the bonfire.

When the boys take Teninok to the apartment, they ride the horse into the elevator and transport him to the second floor, where he exits the elevator and enters the apartment. One of the neighbours calls the authorities on the Reillys' and reports them for having a horse in the apartment. When the authorities arrive, they storm in and try to take the horse. They also try to administer a tranquilizer to the animal. Teninok goes wild. He runs around the small room in circles, whinnying, rearing, jumping up on the furnishings and breaking them, and finally kicking out one of the walls with his back feet. Ozzie is finally able to control the animal, who is lead out of the apartment building to the waiting police transport vehicle. Teninok gets half way up the ramp, then turns around and runs in the opposite direction, jumping over a police car that is in his path. Again, Ozzie sooths the horse and he is taken away in the police vehicle.

In one scene the boys are riding through the countryside on Teninok when they see several fox hunters on horseback with their dogs on the horizon. The boys take off, believing that the men and dogs are after them. They run in and out of the trees, jumping and leaping, finally stopping to hide in the branches of one of the trees. The dogs approach the tree and begin barking excitedly. The camera pans to the left where we see that the dogs are actually barking at a fox in the very same tree. The fox crawls out on a branch and darts off, escaping immediate danger from the hounds and allowing the boys and Teninok to escape also.

As the boys continue on their journey, they stop in a small town for some rest and nourishment. They aren't old enough to rent a room so they come up with a plan to sneak into the movie house after it has closed and sleep there. Ozzie goes into the movies, leaving Tito and Teninok outside until everyone has gone. While Ozzie watches the movie, a storm moves into town forcing Tito and Teninok to weather the elements as they wait for their relief. Ozzie is finally able to let the waiting pair into the theater. Once they are inside they proceed to raid the snack bar. The three of them eat popcorn and watch movies until they fall asleep. When morning comes, a woman opens the theater. This awakens Teninok, who is lying on the floor asleep. He whinnies and nudges the woman who screams, awakening the boys. Tito and Ozzie jump on Teninok's back and they flee the movie house. As they run down the streets of the town, they jump over a baby carriage being pushed by a woman.

They make it out of town safely, only to find that they are being pursued by men with tracking dogs and men on horseback. A chase ensues and the boys and Teninok find a hiding place under a waterfall at the top of an incline. The boys stay there until the men retreat.

They sneak out of the waterfall only to realize that they are being searched for via helicopter. The helicopter circles the wooded area where they are hiding and finally catches a glimpse of them. Teninok bolts out of the woods and up a steep ridge. They are surrounded by a steep drop. The helicopter moves away and Teninok heads for the ocean. The chase is now on. Police cars, helicopters and men with dogs are all after them. Teninok, with Ozzie on his back, heads straight into the water. He swims out until he can no longer be seen. You see a woman's hand in the water saving Ozzie and you realize the spirit of the boys' mother had been in the horse. In one closing scene Teninok is seen through the flames of a burning wagon like a vision. Other animals are seen briefly throughout the film.

Michael Collins
Collins in Ireland's most controversial, but interesting historical figures. Watch this movie

Irish hero Michael Collins invented urban guerrilla warfare. Today we'd call it terrorism.

It's a dark legacy and an irony not lost on Collins' admirers, although they insist he never endorsed killing innocents. One admirer is Neil Jordan, writer-director of this film about a savage but charismatic icon of Irish history.

The failed Easter Uprising of 1916 landed Collins in prison along with his best friend Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn) and Eamon De Valera (Alan Rickman).

As the British escalated efforts to crush the rebellion, Collins created a fierce strike force to assassinate British agents and enforce internal discipline. He also fell in love with Boland's girl, Kitty Kiernan (Julia Roberts).

His tactics forced the British to the negotiating table, but he could not win true independence. His failure touched off a civil war that set him against Boland and De Valera. The film suggests that, when the 31-year-old Collins was assassinated in 1922, he was secretly trying to end the civil war.

Mr. Jordan has said he never imagined anyone in the lead role but Liam Neeson. His faith was well-placed. Physically, Mr. Neeson is sturdy and energetic as a street brawler, with a face both boyish and haunted. Emotionally, he fills the screen with restrained passion, a man who seems at once on fire and in tears.

Mr. Neeson's performance is matched by the finely detailed look and feel of Mr. Jordan's direction, and the melancholy Dublin he has re-created.

My Left Foot
A true story, but not exactly easy viewing….

My Left Foot (1989) is a multi-award-winning film tells the story of cerebral palsy victim Christy Brown (played by best actor Oscar-winner Daniel Day-Lewis), who foiled his devastating disease to the point where he taught himself to write and paint with his left foot. Brenda Fricker and Fiona Shaw play the strong women in his life.

Ryan's Daughter is David Lean's most underrated yet best work, far superior to Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. New prints 35mm in Australia have shown it's beauty and tenderness which the other two lack and provides audiences a change to see this masterpiece as it should be seen, in the cinema. Ryan's Daughter should and must be produced on DVD as it would be the only way to view in your home.

Robert Mitchum gave his best performance and is often overlooked in favour of the masterful and excellent British cast. Sarah Miles also reached her peak with her turn as Rosy, women just don't get parts like this anymore. If you love movie making and a superb love story with a reality edge, give it another look or check it out for the first time, you won't be sorry.

I put Ryan's Daughter in my TOP 10!!

Director Alan Parker sure can film a modern musical, with such classics as Fame, The Wall and Evita among his credits. We can now add one more movie to that elite list- The Commitments.

Based on a rollicking novel by Irish author Roddy Doyle, The Commitments crackles with energetic performances by a young and virtually unknown cast of Irish actors and musicians. Parker spent months auditioning local talent, eventually putting together a believable mix of musicians who could act and actors who could play instruments. With few exceptions, the music produced for the movie was rendered by the movie cast themselves, which is quite a rareity in many modern musicals.

The movie centers around a young slacker from North Dublin named Jimmy Rabbite, played by singer/actor Robert Arkin. Jimmy has aspirations of entering the management side of the music business, but for now can only supplement his unemployment check with under-the-table sales of cassettes and t-shirts. The Rabbite family, whose adventures are chronicled in other Roddy Doyle novels, are tolerant of Jimmy's ambitious nature, but quietly wish he would 'find himself' sooner rather than later.

After agreeing to manage two wedding band performers, Jimmy senses an opportunity to create a real band consisting of the talent surrounding him. After auditioning what seems like an entire village of would-be rock stars, the nucleus of what would soon become a band is formed. By a curious stroke of luck, a former session trumpeter who has alledgedly played with all the great Soul musicians learns of the band, and offers his services. Although a bit skeptical of the man's musical history, Jimmy readily agrees to include him in the fold.

The movie then follows the band from its first frightfully bad rehearsal through its final, triumphant showcasing at the local club. Led by an astounding lead vocalist named Deco Cuffe (16 year old Andrew Strong in a breakout performance), the band slowly develops a very tight sound, with many covers of songs by Otis Redding, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. The musical numbers alone make this film worth watching over and over again, although some of the numbers are cut for dramatic purposes.

The only movie that compares to The Commitments in terms of sheer energy and rambunctious humor would be the John Landis film The Blues Brothers. Both movies feature great Soul and R&B covers, with first-class musicians playing their hearts out. But where the Blues Brothers became a car chase movie with music thrown in, Parker keeps the Commitments low-keyed and introspective. Parker gives us unflinching glimpses into the gritty, black collar lives of the band members, which add a palpable atmosphere of desperation to their performances. The dialogue is course and brutal at times, tinged with both savage humor and complete honesty. These characters can see the handwriting on the wall, but still maintain their own dignity right until the final curtain.

The Commitments will thrill you with breathtaking performances by both Andrew Strong and the trio of female singers known as the Commitmentettes. If you've ever wondered what really happened to that local band you once enjoyed hearing, The Commitments is your movie. A love of music held these young people together long enough to create magic but, as one character points out to a dejected Jimmy Rabbite, success of the band was truly irrelevant. Their expectations of life were lifted, and that is the true legacy of the Commitments as a band. Truer words were never spoken…

The central character of this Irish tragedy set in the 1930's is Bull McCabe. As his name implies, he's the strong and stubborn patriarch of a family that has leased a grassy field where their cattle have grazed for many years. Passionate about the land, McCabe regards this field as his birthright and his son has harassed the widow-owner into relinquishing it. When the widow puts the land up for auction, McCabe is confident it will be his at last, until an American businessman seeking his Irish roots challenges McCabe for the field. The two become locked in mortal combat and unleash a series of tragedies.

The Field opens and closes with graphic animal scenes. In the opening a dead donkey is dropped from a cart over the edge of a cliff into the ocean. An underwater close-up shows the donkey falling through the water. The donkey was not real, but constructed of fiberglass. During the film's climax, cattle and sheep are run over a steep cliff falling to their deaths on the shoreline below. This scene was shot in cuts. A camera was set in a shallow two foot ditch and the animals were filmed jumping over the ditch. In another shot, a few animals were filmed in slow motion falling through the air. Another scene shows several dead animals lying on the water's edge below the cliff. According to the producer, these animals were sedated by veterinarians and recovered fully.

The Snapper
You'll laugh. And laugh…

The Snapper refers to the baby of a young girl, who gets pregnant during a drunken episode. The girl, who is a daughter in an Irish family, has to bear the responsibility for the baby alone, as the father is not around. The story is empathic and takes you through, although in a somewhat unrealistic way, the family's and society's reaction to an unwed pregnant female. The family is, in general, supportive. Her friends and neighbours aren't that supportive, particularly when they find out who she was made pregnant by. It's a funny movie with some good acting, and it was a refreshing chance of pace from the action movies I have been seeing this summer. Colm Meaney, who's Chief O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation, plays one of the lead roles. I highly recommend seeing this one.

"You were drunk! How do you know he was Spanish Sailor? He could've been a Pakistani Postman!" ---Dessie Curley, in The Snapper

The Van

"The Van" is the last installment of the Irish Barrytown chronicles that started with "The Commitments" and continued with "The Snapper". It's the weakest of the three, but that's like saying the Krups diamond is smaller than the Hope diamond. Once again, cherub-faced Colm Meany is along as Larry, in this funny, bittersweet story about mixing friendship and business.

We pick up the story with Larry finding his best friend, Bimbo weeping at the local pub. Bimbo's just been made redundant, Brit-speak for laid-off. This leaves him with a lump-sum settlement but no chance at future employment. He turns into an emotional rag doll, so Larry takes him under his wing, showing him the ropes of being unemployed, things like golfing, rain or shine, and how to make an informed decision when choosing which game show to watch. Although Larry's long ago settled into his househusband role, Bimbo chafes at it. He hits on the idea of a fish and chips van with Larry as his partner. From distinctly unpromising beginnings, both families pitch in, and before you can say haddock, Larry and Bimbo are living if not the good, at least the better life, feeding the masses and outrunning the health inspector.

Armed with a ferocious good nature, Larry gets away with occasionally acting as though he were sole proprietor. It takes Bimbo's wife to stir things up. And this is the where the film goes wrong. Credit screenwriter Roddy Doyle with knowing that the story needed a conflict to keep going, but he dropped the ball with this setup. When Bimbo's wife announces that she doesn't like Larry and Larry doesn't like her, it's a bombshell from left field. Maybe it worked better in his novel. Still, Doyle and director Stephen Frears, of "The Grifters" fame, have an unfailing knack for capturing the quirky rhythms of Larry's adventures.

And watching Meany go from complacent drone to overbearing oaf is a treat. Whether receiving commeupance for thinking potato chips are a proper dinner for his granddaughter, or delving into the mysteries of a deep-fried cod, his malleable face is a three-volume novel of bemusement. Despite its weak points, "The Van," did more than make me crave french fries, it made me hope for another installment of Meany in Barrytown.

© 1997 o Andrea Chase o Air Date: 6/18/97

Waking Ned Devine
Warning! Gratuitous nudity….

Someone in the tiny town of Tulaigh Mohr, population 52, has won Ireland's seven-million-pound national lottery but the question is who?

Such is the premise for "Waking Ned Devine", a hilarious film that lightly explores the prospects of sudden wealth. Filmed on the breathtakingly beautiful Isle of Man, this charming film is blessed with a swift pace, a strong story, gifted actors and a strict focus. (Are you listening, Hollywood?)

Jackie, played by the robust Ian Bennen, salivates at the idea of lining up the numbers just so. He and his wife, Annie, played by the becoming Finnola Flanagan, dream of the day when the jackpot is theirs and life changes forever.

The first half of the film is a process of elimination as Jackie, Annie and their best pal, Michael, played by the very game, David Kelley, go about deducing who the lucky winner might be. Just to be sure that their position is clear, they become the most generous and loving pals to every town member suspected of being a closet millionaire. After spotting a few pints and throwing dinner parties, they bring suspicion upon themselves.

In the cinematic realm, there exist rare scenes that are instant classics - you know upon first sight that a creaky Hall-of-Fame door will open somewhere just to welcome this sudden gem. In "Waking Ned Devine" there is such a scene and it includes an old motorcycle and one very flustered and very naked elderly gentleman. The audience was literally screaming with hysterical laughter, myself included. Bravo, David Kelley, for really giving us your . . . everything.

There are two charming sub-plots in the film that play nicely with one another. In one, two men vie for the hand of a beautiful single mother, Maggie. The first is a shallow ladies man and the other is an honest pig farmer. She loves the farmer but can't quite get past the smell despite his efforts with fruity soaps.

Then there is the nine-year-old boy, Maggie's son, who strikes up a philosophical friendship with the young priest filling in for the village's vacationing clergyman. In a beautiful and subtle twist, the boy emerges as the wise guide to the holy man's naÔve sufferings. In the final scene, we learn more about the boy's background and then it all makes complete divine sense.

The best thing about "Waking Ned Devine" is that one can't decide what the best thing is. Clever and unpredictable, funny and endearing, level and unpreachy, "Waking Ned Devine" is a joy.