Spin the Bottle

'Rats' has just been released from prison - again - and he returns home to find he has been replaced in his mother's affections by his best friend Tommo. Not only that but the money they had painstakingly raised to send his cousin to Lourdes to get a miracle for her terminal obesity has been stolen! Rats decides that to get back in everyone's good books, he has to find a way to raise the cash, and to this end he reforms his pop group spermdotcom and gate-crashes the National Talent Show (like American Idol, or Pop Idol).

That's basically the plot but for me the humour that binds it together is what I loved about the film. As a Dublin 'cailin', i loved the dialogue and the irreverent depiction of a certain part of Dublin in the Noughties, and the low budget quality of this independent film suits it perfectly. I just wish I could find out where I can buy the DVD!

This movie is great entertainment from 2004. The movie was created off the back of a 6 piece mockumentary commissioned by RTE called 'Paths to Freedom'. It focuses mainly on the lead character 'Rats' played by Michael McElhatton and his release from prison. After the savings for his morbidly obese auntie's trip to Lourdes is stolen Rats tries to help out but cannot hold down a job. His elderly mother is forced to work delivering pizzas on a scooter in order to gain money but when things take a turn for the worst and she has a road accident Rats is struck with an epiphany: Get the old band back together and enter the talent competition on national T.V. to win the prize money that will help with his auntie's trip to Lourdes.

There are some cameo appearances though out the movie like the late Gerry Ryan, Samantha Mumba and Louis Walsh. The movie is just a bit of fun and if you like inner city Dublin humour you will find this hilarious. This movie really didn't get enough recognition and I think it would be great if the character Rats resurfaced again.

I am giving this movie 8/10 as it is great Irish comedy and full of side splitting one liners like "ya look like Braveheart with a nappy on his head' and I am also a little biased. Please watch!

Brilliant and underrated Irish television Mockumentary. 20 years old now, but really holds up. Great characters and story.

This movie is funny as anything! Now, non-Irish, I think will hate this. Nobody but us Irish will like. I think, mainly, Dublin people will like it the most because we can relate to it the most. I think culchies might like it also, but won't relate to us like us. Maybe culchies will hate it because they make fun of them. It also makes fun of people from Northern Ireland. It's all in good fun, however. I like to see and Irish movie for Dubliners, seeing as most of them are made for culchies and Dubliners hate them. This time the shoes on the other foot! Anyway, Dubliners, check it out. Anyone else, stay away! However, if you do think of watching it, you might learn some Dublin words!

I feel a lot of people have been way too harsh on this film. It's not an epic adventure or not the greatest film to hit the Irish scene in 2003 but it is very Irish. You can relate to some of the characters.. It's main attraction is humor and that it does well. This film is funny in a lot of parts but that is all it has for it.

The plot is a little thin but it doesn't have to be in-depth to get this film along. It follows Rats upon his release from Mountjoy Prison on his attempt to get his band together and make a break for it.

Spin the Bottle grows on you after a few times of watching it.. I think it's good for the Irish Film Industry to have films like this to be put out there. The more the merrier and I for one welcome Spin the Bottle. Good effort.