I just got done seeing this movie and it was a complete gem. It's a feel good sort of movie that's not overly sappy nor does it try too hard to drive its point home. I laughed out right off and on through out the movie, and the cinematography had me wanting to hop a plan and visit the isles.
Two thumbs up.
You've got to be kidding. The lead is a bloody bore, and all Irish look like dims. There's a couple of funnies -- usually some rural Irish guy -- but hey, at
the 1:06 mark I'm wondering what you found so grand about this one.
I'll right some more about this piddle when I can sit through it. Just not tonight.
I should as well mention, that this is the second time I've tried to get this done. Indeed, starting where I left off. The only reason I have to see the end of this bloody thing, is so I can write a bit to say . . . .
Sorry you haven't enjoyed it. I did. I found it light, subtle, affirming without being sappy, and self deprecatingly humorous.
Is your statement that "all Irish look like dims" a cultural insult? Is it as bigoted as it sounds? I'm really not sure. Being an American I can only guess as you've used a euphemism that isn't used here. I assume you mean "dim" as in "not bright/ intelligent" in much the same way I would say "dumb as a box of rocks" or "he's a rock with lips" or "as bright as a half watt light bulb." I don't usually base that sort of judgment on appearance, though. Is that common where you come from?
I'm looking forward to your review.
Nah man, I meant the film made Irish look like dims. I'm a Canadian of Irish descent, so no bigotry intended. Dim is exactly what you thought I meant by it, and while not "common" where I live, it is used as an insult: Dim-witted.
I should also ease-up a bit about it, as in fact I've still not managed to get through it. Cheers.
I thought it was a charming, amusing movie (okay, there's the recognition factor that Ed Bye/Tony Hawks bring to the project) and it kept me going during some of the slower bits. My mother got bored about 30 minutes in (she missed the fridge going surfing) but I turned it back on and really enjoyed the ending.
It's not a laugh-out-loud film but it does give you a sweet glow of humor and if you're in a mood where you're not too thrilled with the human race or just feeling blue, this will lift your spirits a bit. In a quiet, sweet way.
Kids won't enjoy this - not because it's adult in content but because they won't "get" the glow of a sweet movie. I did though, and now I'm off to order the book because as we know, the book is always better than the movie.
One other note - sadly, we only got a moment of the great Josie Lawrence's time, which was sad because she looks great and she's still as funny as ever.
Samantha
"We're here. We're dead. Get used to it."
I'm afraid I'm an American and a bit of a misanthrope. My cable subscription is only for internet - I don't watch TV (I abhor commercials and refuse to be exposed to any more than I have to) and my familiarity with pop culture in the U.S. is pretty dismal (dirty laundry doesn't interest me much and I tend to be embarrassed for humanity that there's a lucrative market for it). Pop culture in the U.K. is beyond me, so until this movie I had no clue who Tony Hawk was and I'd have to look up Josie Lawrence to know who she was in the film.
All that being said, I still enjoyed this film. I do think, however, that you've said it much more eloquently than I could have. It was a sweet movie, and touching in a rather subtle way. It was refreshing to see self deprecating humor instead of humor that was at someone else's expense, too.
I guess some folks don't care for subtle in their entertainment and that's ok. As for me, I'll probably read the book and see the film again in the future.
I read the book when I was about 12, and listened to the audiobook read by Tony Hawks and I really loved it, really funny, and in the audiobook delivered really humorously.
But the film adaptation was really disappointing. The entire setup and pace of the film seem so contrived in this version, and some of the lines really are very wooden. There's times when there's a really obvious joke that it seems ridiculous they didn't put in, and I lost count of how many times they just used a shot of Tony Hawks' face looking perplexed in lieu of an actual joke or line. It's totally lost the charm of the books.
The whole radio thing seems ridiculous, whereas it supposedly genuinely happened and works well enough in the book.
The whole love interest thing seems ridiculous, but even accepting it might be necessary for the film I don't think it's handled particularly well.
Not to say it's a terrible film, just disappointing adaptation of the book and knowing how funny Tony Hawks can be. There are some great lines (the doghouse one, transmission), but mostly it seems like it needed a bit of a rewrite.
I also do agree with what the previous user said about the portrayal of the Irish. They mainly just drink guiness and go "oh it's that feckin' fridge man, what a feckin eejit" while Tony sits there quietly judging them.
This was, by no means, a "gem of a movie." It was lighthearted and when you have nothing better to do, the movie is a good time-filler; however, the book is 100x better with much funnier jokes. Some major parts of his trip were ignored in the movie (which I was looking forward to seeing, especially his jaunt to Tory Island!) and they instead, added unnecessary bits. 5/10 in my opinion.
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I suppose this is what I sound like when I complain that Alan Ball has ruined the Southern Vampire series with his True Blood, which is tantamount to bad fanfic, to me.
Since I haven't read the book, the movie was satisfying for me.
This movie is utter tosh. I thought the book was ok but relied heavily on the idea that the Irish are all up for the craic- It's like saying every Scotsman is up for a drink- racist and highly offensive really.
I could not believe it when the producers then asked the author to star in the movie about his own book, the alarm bells started going off when the big headed plonker then said yes... Awful, crap, dim and fecking bollax (just like the Irish themselves really).