Saints and Sinners

The first half of Leslie Arliss' comedy/drama shows the sins of various folks in a small Irish village: greed, theft, seduction, and other temptations and pleasures of the flesh. Then, when the locals are convinced that fiery angels are coming to destroy the world at noon on Tuesday their sudden confessions to the Canon, and his reactions to the entire affair are very funny and may also get us to think just a wee bit about our own situation. There's just enough humor and Irish charm to keep it from descending too far into standard melodrama.

But the real saving graces of the film are the superb performances by all, particularly by Michael Dolan as the Canon, and Philip Green's lovely score. It is a treat to find a neglected film like this one that is so well made and so memorable.

This is actually quite a fun film once it eventually starts to get going. It all centres around a small Irish village, the home of lots of quirkily interesting characters unafraid of a little naughtiness as their lives go by. Thing is, some of them get it into their heads that the world is about to come to a fiery end and so they confess their, frequently quite amusing, stories to their sagely local canon (Michael Dolan). The screenplay certainly has something of the Blarney about it, and though nothing much really happens it proves an enjoyable enough ramble with the dashing Kieron Moore and engaging Christine Norden taking central roles ably assisted by Noel Purcell - whose face always did remind me of a leprechaun - with Maire O'Neill and a little Liam Redmond too. Not really a film you will recall watching next day, but a simple story that raises smile and shows us some lovely scenery from County Louth.

Ironically bookended by the London Films logo and the claim at the end that the film was made at Isleworth, despite being shot by veteran location specialist Osmond Borradaile; whose stirring footage of Ireland is in marked contrast to the garrulous studio exteriors most of the cast are actually in.

After an hour of blarney the phoniness of the special effects at the climax actually heightens their impact.

It is a bit slow to get started, but it soon drew me in and it turns out to be quite witty. It's not as simple minded as some people might think it is. Once you pick up on the humour, the hidden depths will be revealed. The way the priest chastises certain members of the congregation amused me. I won't talk about the ending, so as not to give it away, but I wonder how many people will work it out before the end. I found it a charming film with some good performances by the cast of players and I wasn't sure whether to give it a 7 or an 8. It is a film I could watch again and I'm sure I would enjoy it again.

Films of this era set in Ireland are either about the IRA or are whimsical tales.This is the later and makes out the Irish to be rather simple minded.Just after an hour of tedium there is a ridiculous plot device.A dying woman says that the world is about to end so everyone has to confess their sins.A total waste of time.