Whole Lotta Sole

Despite the low rating, I watched this because the storyline sounded interesting. Northern Ireland, crime, SAS...and a comedy. The plot is simple and you can work out most of what happens during the film. However, the script is entertaining, with a few laugh out loud lines. Colm Meaney plays his usual role, a dry, cynical detective. He has some of the better lines and generally carries the film. Brendan Fraser is fine but his role could have been developed further. Without giving things away, his background could have had more of an impact. He probably deserved to have more funny lines as well. Negatives - quite why the SAS are there I don't know. This could have been made into more of a story. Either make them contribute to the organised chaos, (making things worse or better, I don't mind), or omit them from the film entirely. This is probably more a British film than one for everybody. Perhaps the review which criticises the film is more the latter. I would give this about a 7/ 7.5 to be honest, watchable, enjoyable but not great.

This film is an attempt to make a British crime comedy for an American audience. It gets off to a promising start (if we disregard the wholly unnecessary exposition explaining why Brendan Fraser's character left the United States). The three main story lines are introduced and succeed in raising interest in the protagonists, but as more and more superfluous side characters are drawn into it, the plot starts to unravel. Yaya Dacosta turns into a cardboard cutout placed in the scenes to present stock reactions in the background. What little chemistry existed between her and Fraser evaporates in the silliness of what are supposed to be plot twists. Fraser and McCann had no spark to begin with. Really, this film is carried between Colm Meaney and Michael Legge.

In Belfast, the criminal Mad Dog Flynn (David O'Hara) cannot have a baby with his girlfriend. The gambler Jimbo (Martin McCann) has a baby and owes five thousand dollars to Mad Dog. The gangster proposes to exchange the debt for the baby and Jimbo decides to heist the Fish Market with his friend Sox (Conor MacNeil) using an automatic weapon from the IRA that belongs to Sox's grandfather. Meanwhile, the American Joe Maguire (Brendan Fraser) flees from his wife, whose father is a powerful mobster in Boston, and comes to Belfast to run his cousin's antique business. Joe dates his neighbor Sophie (Yaya DaCosta) and notes that Jimbo is frequently staring at him on the street. The clumsy Jimbo steals a suitcase from the Fish Market without knowing that it belongs to Mad Dog. However his escape plan fails and he runs to Joe's store. However he accidentally shots his gun and the police puts the place under siege. When Jimbo tells to Joe that he might be his son, the American sympathizes with the hoodlum and decides to help him negotiating with the police.

"Whole Lotta Sole" is a corny comedy lost in many unnecessary subplots. The story has a funny beginning and good gags but in a certain moment becomes boring and mawkish. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Negociador" ("The Negotiator")

It's as simple as that: take your classic heist movie, an Irish context, lots of unexpected situation and a real Murphy's law rampage.

The movie is fine, entertaining, with a handful of punchlines that made me laugh.

Acting is more than good, with veterans alongside young, very young and child actors all doing a great job.

This is not a masterpiece nor will never become a cult, it's just a nicely made funny wee movie you won't regret watching.

Have a pint, sit back and enjoy it.

About ten minutes into this film l, like others before me l am sure found myself making an association with Guy Ritchie's seminal Brit crim films. That is no bad thing. However instead of looking for more parallels, l was instead transported into other areas by the film, which for all its comic elements, manages to hit a number of other bases as well. Director Terry George, while giving a nod to Lock, Stock etc, in passing decided to move into other, unexplored territory. So while there is some comedy, there is also drama and even suspense in places. The plot in places may seem too far fetched for some, but it is all tied together fairly neatly. There are also some references to 'the troubles' and even a family that is divided between Protestant and Catholic. Some critics will point out that the film is making light of a serious subject but anyone who has seen Four Lions will know that a little laughter in such situations can go a long way to relieving the tension. Brendon Fraser gives a solid performance as an American hiding out from a domestic disaster that has mob implications. The characters he finds himself among are a diverse group, which shows how cosmopolitan many European cities have become over the last twenty years. Lurking in the background is of course a menacing gangster with sinister intentions, a hapless victim or two and a crusty copper played with great aplomb by Colm Meaney, who steals most scenes. There are a couple of cases of mistaken identity that help add a layer or two of confusion, some cardboard cutout characters, plenty of incompetence and lots of differing family values. After about ten minutes l stopped trying to make associations with other films and simply settled back to enjoy this engaging little caper.