Accelerator

It's a British mainland stereotype that everyone in Belfast has a criminal record , wears a balaclava and carries a gun . So how does film from the Republic Of Ireland begin ? With a character driving a car being chased by a couple of hooded men carrying baseball bats . Never mind the Good Friday Agreement if ACCELERATOR doesn't unite everyone in Britain and Ireland in to Belfast stereotypes nothing will

I didn't understand the opening scene . It's obvious the men after the protagonist Johnny are paramilitaries , probably loyalists ones judging by the colours the railings are painted as Johnny runs to his home but feels the need to burn the car he has stolen . Hmmmm if you're getting pursued by a kneecapping squad of the UFF why bother to burn the car . I mean it's not like the UFF are going to send out a forensic team to take fingerprints is it ? I guess the RUC might but wouldn't an experienced car thief like Johnny be wearing gloves ? I suppose the logic of this scene is that the film wants to get off with a bang literally

After setting up this scene the film meanders around . Characters come and go and say " What about ya ? " and " what about ya ? " and " what about ya ? " which is the only comprehensible dialogue in most of the film . Since it's produced in Dublin I often thought the characters were talking in Irish Gaelic

The rest of the film is a rather uneasy mix of GONE IN 60 SECOMDS and TRAINSPOTTING but lacks the star charisma of a Robert Carlyle . That said it does portray lower working class alcohol obsessed Celtic culture relatively well , but of course being set in Ireland someone has to pull out a gun some point . What about ya ?

Saw "Gone in Sixty Seconds" this week, one week after watching "Accelerator". Both films about stealing cars and driving very fast. But whereas this is only the beginning in Accelerator, GiSS never proceeds beyond that given. If you like Trainspotting, Bernie, Lock, Stock, go watch this film.

When after the first half you get the feeling this is Cannonball run without Burt Reynolds, the second half will seriously surprise you. This film is about pain, about lack of opportunity, about lack of control and about despair more than anything else, with some pretty great action sequences mixed in. The pace is stunning, and even in the more tranquil moments there is an underlying tension that holds you in its grip. Great film, best one sofar this year.

Bunch of dublin scangers and their belfast scanger pals have a race from belfast to dublin , whoever gets to the pope's cross in the phoenix park first wins all the money (i think it's 1200 quid). We meet some interesting characters-wacker, who is the tough guy of the dublin gang and is an illiterate psychopath; crunchie, whose diet consists of nothing but crunchie bars (talk about product placement); anto who is a mellow myopic geek and is the most lovable of the characters; And Johnny T from belfast who is in a spot of trouble with the provos and wants to move to Barcelona. There isn't too much 'racing' in the film, it's more concerned with what happens to each car separately. Backed up by pounding factory beat type music and a spot of easy listening for anto of course. On the whole-deadly!Rapidd!! Leave your brain at your gaff and enjoy the ride 7/10

"Accelerator" is an enjoyable and competently directed movie. The plot has been touched on by other reviewers but what disappointed me was the director's insistence on character development rather than concentrating fully on the race and having a winner. I suppose that would have been too predictable.

As for the characters the statuesque Sharon and myopic Anto are probably the most likeable. Sharon (Mary Murray) has the most sensual screen presence I have seen in the last ten years.

Negatives - the smug, patronising, irritating and condescending Ripley and Spock played by the extremely overrated and arrogant pair that is Mary Ellen McCartan and Philip Richey.

Overall I'd say 5/10

When I saw this film, I was blown away - the young actors catch the realism of the characters perfectly, and the setting/location and influence of the environment on the characters is exactly what the harsher areas of Dublin and Belfast are like. A chase/race movie on a budget that puts Hollywood to shame - it's out on DVD rental in Ireland, but not available to buy (someday please!!) Top marks, a great film.