On the Nose

This movie is hilarious. It's a warm hearted story about a compulsive gambler with an Australian Aboriginal head in a jar that picks winning racehorses. If you can't laugh at a head in a jar, you just don't have a sense of humor! The script treats the characters with respect -- the characters are true to themselves and never betray their humanity to advance the story. Robbie Coltrane and Dan Akroyd head up a cast that's absolutely terrific. Some of the humor in the movie is very Irish, but there's so much to laugh at that everyone can enjoy it.

This is one of the best movies I've seen this year. It's very frustrating that this movie hasn't yet made it into distribution outside of the film festival circuit. I've been telling friends about it, but there's no place anyone can go see it or even rent it. Robbie Coltrane did a movie a few years back called, "The Pope Must Die," which was widely distributed in the United States. "On the Nose," is a much funnier movie than "The Pope Must Die," and I think it appeals to a wider audience. Hopefully this movie will burst out all over America very soon. When it does, I'll drag everyone I know into the theater to see it.

In Ireland, the gambler Brendan Delaney (Robbie Coltrane) is man addicted in horse races, who works in the storage room of a university. He lost all the possessions of his family betting on horse races, and now that his daughter was accepted by the Trinity College, he can not afford the costs of her education. However, Brendan finds the head of an aborigine, called by him of Bob, which is able to select the horses that will win the races. He joins a team, composed by the director of the university, Dr. Barry Davis (Dan Aykroyd), an old porter and his grandson, a silly worker of the university, and he wins successive small bets. The group intends to win a great horse race and make their financial independence. Their luck change when a representative of the Australian university arrives in Ireland to recover Bob. Meanwhile, some gangster press Brendan trying to discover his secret. Further, his wife Mrs. Delaney (Brendan Blethyn) presses him to give up betting in horse races. "On the Nose" was a great surprise for me: it is a very funny movie. I did not believe it could be such a hilarious story. I have just had the change to buy this VHS in a very low price and I laughed a lot while watching it. The story is quite silly, but the performance of the cast is great and the screenplay has many plot points and charming situations. "On the Nose" is very recommended for those days, when you have a problem on your job or in your family, or something is bothering you, offering 104 minutes of pure entertainment and laughs. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sortudos" ("Lucky Ones")

I saw the first of two sold out screenings of "On The Nose" at the Vancouver International Film Festival (2001). Before the film began, the director, David Caffery, said a few words about this Irish/Canadian production. He was funny and charming so audience opinion may have been swayed just a little bit. Not that it mattered.

"On The Nose" is an, as the British say, "Brilliant!" film. Coltrane is at his best playing a college porter addicted to gambling who finds a very unique way of picking winning race horses. The film is filled with amusing characters and conflicts. At times the audience laughed so hard I missed lines. I guess I'll just have to see the film again. :-)

If you're a Coltrane fan you shouldn't miss this one. If you're a fan of "little" Irish films this one will please you. If you're a fan of comedy and want to enjoy a good laugh and a cheer, by all means see "On The Nose."

Worth watching but i wouldn't give it more than that. Coltrane was very good and Brenda Blythen wasn't given enough material to show her talents.

It was a bit slow in places and you couldn't stop yourself thinking that they could've made this movie a lot funnier....

Similar to let it ride with Richard Dreyfuss but not quite as amusing.

Oh and to the last poster.... Aykroyds mistress is FAR from gorgeous!!! ....you want gorgeous tap in Marissa Tomei ! The woman out of My Cousin Vinney and many more...

Now go watch let it ride...

A far better movie withing the same genre.

First there was "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia", then "8 Heads in a Duffel Bag", and now "On the Nose". The big difference is the head in this movie lives in a jar, and can predict the outcome of horse races. Talk about a unique idea, and this farce is marginally successful, thanks to a pretty fine class of actors, including Dan Akroyd, Robbie Coltrane, and Brenda Blethyn. This is a small film, and if you go in with realistic expectations for a slight comedy, you will not be disappointed. Some of the antics could have been trimmed, as 104 minutes seems overlong for such slight material, but I did enjoy "On the Nose". - MERK