Hear My Song

I saw this film at the Toronto International Film Festival and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I screeched with laughter, and cried real tears. The audience reception was rapturous, one of the most responsive I've ever witnessed at the festival. Director Peter Chelsom was reduced to tears, and when Ned Beatty made a surprise appearance in his Joseph Locke fedora and cloak the crowd went crazy. Since then, I make a point of watching this wonderful film in the dark days of February, the dreariest part of a Toronto winter. It never fails to restore my spirit.

As a final note, I think Chelsom is a very talented director. Who can ever forget the image of those Irish lady owners crammed onto one couch? The film is filled with glorious visuals like this one. I've liked every movie Chelsom has made since, but he seems to get a bum rap from the press. Nonetheless, he will always be remembered for giving us this treasure.

I have been watching Waking the Dead, and thought I would explore other works done by it's stars. I'm starting with Eve (Tara Fitzgerald).

This is a great one for Ms. Fitzgerald, as we see all she has to offer as she jumps out of bed with Adrian Dunbar, after he fails to say he loves her. Unfortunately, her role is little more than that, as Dunbar is the star.

When you mention Irish tenors, people immediately think of Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns, and Ronan Tynan. But long before, there was Joseph McLaughlin, better known as Josef Locke. This film is loosely based upon his life.

It really gets funny as Micky O'Neill (Dunbar) goes broke trying to fake everyone out with Franc Cinatra, and then with a Mister X, who pretends to be Locke, and goes chasing around Ireland to find the real Josef Locke and bring him back to England. Locke is played by Ned Beatty.

He manages to come to the realization that he really loves Nancy (Fitzgerald), and gets Locke to return.

What an ending!

Unlike Larcher-2 who also has a comment on this film, l did see Josef Locke, l can remember my mother took me to see him when l was a young boy and was drawn to his type of sining.

It is well known that Mr Locke was a ladies man, but that did not detract from his voice, and Ned Beatty does a remarkable job of playing Josef Locke, dubbed in Mr Lockes own voice.

This is a great film, Adrian Dunbar plays his role as a seedy agent well and David McCallum as the policeman always trying to get Mr Locke is a gem...

The "tooth" scene is a great laugh....Please watch this film, if you know nothing of Mr Locke try to find out about him first then you will enjoy it better, and understand the title...

I give this film 8 out of 10...

I was charmed by more than the fact that I couldn't take my eyes off Tara Fitzgerald. A lovely whimsical plot, painting a picture of Irish fantasy, fairies and all, over the true life background of a great singer. And a beautiful soundtrack featuring original Locke recordings reminds us of just how moving a pure tenor voice can be. Who on earth needs techno and rap?

None of the other correspondents has yet picked up on the fact that Josef Locke (born Joseph McLaughlin 1917, died 1999) was alongside John McCormack as one of the two great Irish tenors (one correspondent has even written that he was a baritone -were you actually listening??) of the 20th century, and that he retired to rural life in Co Kildare in 1958 after the British Inland Revenue began to pursue him for large but disputed amounts of tax. That much is established fact, but this story of his comeback performance and the events surrounding it is indeed fantasy, with a happy feelgood ending. But what's so wrong with that? I like to be entertained, and unlike your more dismal correspondents I don't need to be intellectually challenged to thoroughly enjoy a movie. Nine out of ten, and I thought seriously about giving it ten as a gesture of eternal devotion to the stunningly beautiful Tara.

This is a stunning delightful story of one man's quest to do right by his girlfriend and his community. The Irish humour is great. The writing is tight. The performances are both touching and funny. One to watch more than once.