Brendan & Trudy

I thought that this film from start to finish was just great fun. It was a simple romance with many far from simple situations. It had a great unique brand of humor that many Irish films possess. Its take off on many classic movies were great, my favorite was A Bout De Souffle , then breaking into Irish and the John Wayne thought the doorway scene. I don't think that Roddy Doyle tried too hard, he just seems to let it flow. Its fun, try it.

With all of the other forgettable romantic comedies being marketed in America right now, it's about time a little Irish indie film comes along and shows Hollywood how it should be done. It's about a schoolteacher named Brendan (Peter McDonald from `The Opportunists') who falls for a mysterious Montessori teacher named (can you guess…?) Trudy (the virtually unknown Flora Montgomery), who turns his normal life of hymns and film upside down in an `opposites attract' themed film. The difference between this and the similar `Sweet November' is that the characters are interesting and likeable, and bounce off of each other unlike Charlize Theron and that block-of-wood-of-an-actor Keanu Reeves. The script, written by Roddy Doyle (`The Commitments'), is beautifully sprinkled by re-enactments of scenes from classic films like `Sunset Boulevard', that give the Brendan's passion for cinema a little believability. Also, his singing throughout (don't worry…it's not a musical!) fleshes out his passion for the hymns he sings in his choir. They meet at a pub and while Brendan tries to introduce her to film and family, Trudy leads him into her world of wild parties and crime, which has a serious effect of his teaching ability. Apparently, director Kieron J. Walsh had to fight to secure McDonald and Montgomery in the lead roles, as they lack star power, but it looks as though it turned out to be a good move. While it will never surpass the popularity of, say, `When Harry Met Sally', it will be remembered by true movie lovers a little better than it saccharine-coated competitors.

Quiet, self-absorbed teacher Brendan (Peter McDonald) meets outgoing thief Trudy (Flora Montgommery) and, following the old maxim 'opposites atract', they fall madly in love. She introduces him to the intricacies of breaking and entering, while he introduces her to the beauty of sung hymnal music.

The film is a veritable reel of visual and oral quotes, which you must be (like screenwriter Roddy Doyle) a real film fan in order to get them all. However, the constant quotation does not get in the way of the story, which is by turns funny and tragic.

Good story, lovely accents, fantastic external shots around Ireland and some nice views around Dublin make this film a genial and pleasent way to spend an evening. 7/10.

Shy secondary school teacher Brendan is very much a mother's boy who sings in a choir. Out in the pub one night Brendan gets talking to Trudy, a lively young woman and he is amazed when she agrees to go to the cinema with him. When he gets stood up he goes after her and the two go out to the cinema then back to her place. As their relationship grows Brendan begins to suspect that Trudy's late night walks are not what they seem and he gets involved in her nocturnal world.

In two minds over whether to bother with it or not, I decided to give this a go on the strength that many Irish comedies have surprised me by how different they have been from what I expected. I was happy to see that this continued that trend by mixing a weird romance with Father Ted style humour. This humour is best seen in the little things on the side such as the news on TV reporting `an American official said today that Ireland is great' and things like that. On top of this, because Brendan is a big movie fan we also have lots of movie references (none subtle mind you).

Where the film gets a little heavier is the second half where the movie leans into the relationship side rather than the offbeat comedy side. The film lurches a little more as it become serious and it takes a lot of the energy out of it, spoiling the mix. Generally though it is different enough to carry it through the weak spots where the plot suddenly starts to do something of consequence. It really is only in the second half where the plot tries to do something and really falls apart – major plot lines are simply lost (the Nigerian?) until a tidy final credits summary and much of it doesn't make much sense.

McDonald is good as Brendan, shy when he has to be but still shy underneath when he is trying to come out of his shell. Montgomery is lively but her character is not so strong as she is only really noise and energy. The support cast are all pretty good and are rewarded with having the side-jokes to make away from the responsibility of carrying the main plot – Mclynn of Father Ted fame is probably the most recognisable face.

Overall this works when it comes to the Father Ted style side jokes but is weaker when it comes done to the business of the actual plot. Forced to have something of consequence happen the film goes off a little bit and loses it's sense of humour a bit. Having said that this is still funny enough to justify a watch despite some plotting weaknesses.

For his first original screenplay Roddy Doyle subverts the romantic comedy genre and still manages to write a film that appeals to both subversives and rom com fans.

Roddy Doyle was a teacher who loved music and film, just like Brendan, but it would be a mistake - and libellous - to read this as autobiography. In a typical opposites attract tale Brendan is an innocent devoted to singing hymns and cinema, while Trudy is a not-so-innocent with a mysterious night life.

This film is as much of a love story with cinema as it is a love story between Brendan and Trudy. The opening echoes Sunset Boulevard's opening and other films also feature - although budgetary constraints meant that Doyle's wish list of films to license couldn't be granted. The quoting of films both visually and verbally has the potential to get on your nerves but here it is wonderfully and wittily done and always relevant to the story. Although, to be honest, the A Bout De Souffle sequence does push it just a bit too far. Watch out also for fake film posters and titles in the background which give a sly hilarious comment about film.

The eponymous leads are wonderfully played by Peter McDonald and Flora Montgomery and according to the director he had to argue to the financiers to allow Montgomery to have the role as she wasn't famous enough. If a brilliant screenplay by one of the world's most popular writers needs stars to get it made then the world has indeed gone mad.

When Brendan Met Trudy is very funny and has a good compelling story that will surprise. It is highly recommended.