Man About Dog

The Irish director Paddy Breathnach has a keen visual sense and seems to me a born story-teller, (though he doesn't write his own material he shapes it in real cinematic terms). While "Man About Dog" isn't in the same class as his earlier "I went down", (that was written by the great young Irish playwright Conor McPherson), it is a highly engaging comedy road movie nevertheless. Allen Leech, Tom Murphy and Ciaran Nolan play three Belfast wide-boys on the make who inherit, lose and then re-inherit an extraordinary money-making greyhound called Ceberus. The plot is flimsy and one or two of the performances are shaky but the film has flash and a sense of energy. It is not strikingly original, (Breathnach borrows a bit too much from his better known American counterparts), but there is so much going on here and the lines have the poetry and raw humour of the vernacular, you are prepared to overlook the film's shortcomings. Give in and this is a comedy as robust as they come.

A decent comedy following the misadventures of three young Belfast men who happen into the world of hare coursing.

Stylistically, this has the feel of a lot of British and Irish films of the past decade. It's aimed at the same market that made Trainspotting, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch such big hits. On a number of occasions I thought this was overdone; it seemed to be trying too hard to be Belfast's answer to those films. This would be forgivable from a new director but it's less understandable from Paddy Breathnach.

The acting is excellent. Allen Leech does a good northern accent, although it's not quite West Belfast. The storyline is entirely unbelievable, but I wasn't expecting realism!

6 out of 10 because it's funny in spots, but not THAT funny. I also think that to really appreciate it you have to have some interest in gambling in general, and gambling on dogs in particular. If, like me, you have neither, you'll probably find it a bit difficult to get into.

Mo Chara's father got him into betting on dogs and for better or worse (mostly worse) it has become his passion. His friends Paulsy and Scud Murphy go along with his judgement most of the time. When Mo lets bookie JP McCallion win a race in return for a dog from his stable, the boys get screwed and left with a fuzzy creature called Boots. They dump Boots and agree to scupper another of McCallion's races in return for another dog from a wealthy owner seeking revenge. They get the dog but McCallion wants what he should have won from them – fifty thousand Euros. With their options limited, the boys take their dog, their broken down van and head south into the Republic.

I watched this because it was made (partly) in Northern Ireland and I felt that I should support the small film industry there with my time if nothing else; other than that though I didn't know anything about it. The opening five minutes changed all that because the style, energy and tone of the film immediately told me that this was going to be one of many films that tries to utilise the style that Guy Ritchie made his name with in Lock Stock. Often I find this very off-putting and I haven't always got much from the films that jump on this new British gangster genre without a great deal to offer of its own. To a greater or lesser extent this film more or less falls into the same trap because the style and excess in the story is very much in the mould of Lock Stock.

It works best when the film uses it sparingly because the film does just about have enough of its own about it to make it worth watching. The typically Norn Iron dark humour is infused into the laddish gangster action pretty well and, as a Belfast boy myself, I could relate to aspects of the characters in there. However too often it does rely on Lock Stock tricks and style without really producing enough to hold up the style. It has a few "good" moments but mostly it is just amusing. The cast are pretty good but, like the script, they cannot totally make the film their own. Leech doesn't totally convince with his accent or his leading man ability but he does OK nonetheless. Nolan is more natural and recognisable as the type of person I would expect in his situation but he is not able to raise the material that much – nor Murphy (sadly recently deceased). McGinley is the only one I'd describe as a real "face" within the film.

Looking at it coldly this is a rip-off of Lock Stock but set in Ireland but it does just about have enough local content to provide enough to justify watching it, but too often it gives in to aping the style of Lock Stock. Funnily enough the day I saw this film I also heard Mark Kermode comment on Shrooms (the next film from Breathnach) that it lacked its own style and was trying to sell to other markets. The same can be said of Man About Dog. As a result it is a so-so comedy but it cannot find its own voice due to the amount of time and energy spent on aping Guy Ritchie.

Well good harmless fun if you do not mind a lot of swearing (it is set in Ireland after all). This pleasant little film about three chancers acquiring a greyhound that they end up entering in Irelands biggest hare coursing festival is a well made piece of escapism from the humdrum of Belfast life. The film is well made running to a tight time scale with little to no wasted scenes, featuring good performances from a cast most of whom I was unfamiliar. Without ruining it for anyone this is the sort of film where you can see the end coming a mile off, but because of this fact it makes it harder for the director to entertain you which they manage with aplomb. Some viewers may have problems with the thick Irish accents but it is well worth persevering with.

If you are easily offended by swearing then you might be advised to avoid this movie, but if you do, you will miss the funniest film to ever come out of Ireland.

'Man About Dog' is about three Belfast pals who acquire a greyhound, fall foul of a local bookie/gangster and head south to Clonmel for Ireland's biggest greyhound meeting. Along the way they have various hilarious adventures, including a bust up with a gang of Travellers and an encounter with a 'Viagra' type substance.

If you like dogs, watch it, if you enjoy a good laugh don't miss it. One of the funniest moments is where Gerry Adams replaces Queen Elizabeth on.............. Well, you'll just have to watch the movie to find the answer to that one.