The Mighty Celt

Gillian Anderson as a single mother from Northern Ireland. Never in my days of salivating over her in the X-Files (though not in a 'Tooms'-like fashion) did I think that I'd see her playing such a role in such a movie as this. It's basically a down to earth, straightforward story of a boy growing up in a nation that itself is only beginning to grow after 30 years of 'the Troubles' (a local war with Nationalist and Unionist terrorists along the lines of modern day Iraq but not half as brutal and deadly). The boy in question has an interest in and love for greyhounds which race for money, much as in horse racing. His relationships with the greyhound trainer that he's known for years and a new male influence in his life, who returns to Northern Ireland after being on the run for years, inevitably leads to conflict which ultimately leads to a simple resolution which is just a bit too clean and rushed in the final reels. There are no alarms and no surprises and everyone acts well enough. Despite the lack of deep thought, complicated plots, astounding cinematography, explosive special effects, etc. it's not bad though and neither is Anderson's accent. A time filler for an 84 minute gap in your life that you have little else to do with.

i grew upon the estate where some of the film was made it was good too see the old estate again the young lad is also a friend of one of my cousin's. i hope this is the start of many more good films by Pearse Elliot. as i think he has a good future ahead of him. the humour of Belfast was there. the acting was brilliant there is nothing more i can say expect too say too people please go and see this as this is the start of films that may put Northern Ireland on the map for making films as there are many good actors there who need jobs. my overall star rating is 50 because i love any thing that comes out of my own country.

saw the mighty celt at a local irish film festival and it was horrible. once again, scriptwriters use violence towards animals as a cheap tug at audience emotion, where their imagination falls short. the animal cruelty is superfluous. the advert and trailer are misleading. both reflect happy in the photo used to promote and the music in the trailer. as well, the trailer barely shows a hint of the violence and only in hindsight. shame on the filmmakers for making such a padded piece, on the marketers for misleading the public, and the festival for supporting such a film. BAD BAD BAD!!! it was a waste of time, i could have stayed home and adored my cat. it was a waste of money that i don't have, but like to support local festivals. if it wasn't for the company i was with i would have walked out the first scene.

The story line on this is fairly mainstream, but set in an Irish framework.

The accents here are noted as being "very realistic" by friends who appreciate Irish lore, history and culture, but are fairly difficult to discern by those of us who are "dialect-challenged". Other comments note the accuracy of the accents, but do consider turning the subtitles on with this one in order to catch the idiom and other nuances.

The character development is middle-of-the-road, and the cinematography is nicely done.

The story develops predictably, with only a few bumps in the road for younger viewers while more than adequately maintaining the interest of the adult viewing crowd.

Donal (Tyrone McKenna, outstanding) loves greyhound dogs and works for a questionable owner/trainer "Good" Joe (Ken Stott). Joe has some fast dogs for the track, no doubt, but he is horrible to the dogs which do not win. As Donal is the son of a single mother, Kate (Gillian Anderson), in their Northern Ireland home, he needs the work and truly tries to check Joe's dark impulses. Meanwhile, O (Robert Carlyle) , a former IRA member who is released from prison, comes back to the same town to stir up uneasiness for Kate. for they have a past. In truth, O seems a reformed man who gets a respectable job and turns his very damaged apartment into a nice abode. Soon, Donal falls for a dog he names the Mighty Celt, who loses his first race badly. Pleading with Joe not to "get rid of him", he says he will train Celt personally and asks that if MC wins his next three races, Joe will give the dog to Donal. Amazingly, Joe agrees and indeed the dog wins his next two races. But, Joe has a black heart and sees a money winner he will have a hard time letting go. What will happen? This film, first, has great stars in Anderson, Carlyle, Stott and especially young McKenna. What a joy to watch them. Also fabulous is the put-your-eyes out scenery in Northern Ireland, being beautiful beyond description. The direction is quite meticulous and as for the story, what a heart-squeezer! There is a time for tears, so be cautioned. But, as it ends happily, please don't skip the film! Beyond a doubt, the movie is a mighty miracle.