Spin the Bottle

This movie is great entertainment from 2004. The movie was created off the back of a 6 piece mockumentary commissioned by RTE called 'Paths to Freedom'. It focuses mainly on the lead character 'Rats' played by Michael McElhatton and his release from prison. After the savings for his morbidly obese auntie's trip to Lourdes is stolen Rats tries to help out but cannot hold down a job. His elderly mother is forced to work delivering pizzas on a scooter in order to gain money but when things take a turn for the worst and she has a road accident Rats is struck with an epiphany: Get the old band back together and enter the talent competition on national T.V. to win the prize money that will help with his auntie's trip to Lourdes.

There are some cameo appearances though out the movie like the late Gerry Ryan, Samantha Mumba and Louis Walsh. The movie is just a bit of fun and if you like inner city Dublin humour you will find this hilarious. This movie really didn't get enough recognition and I think it would be great if the character Rats resurfaced again.

I am giving this movie 8/10 as it is great Irish comedy and full of side splitting one liners like "ya look like Braveheart with a nappy on his head' and I am also a little biased. Please watch!

I thought this movie was brilliant. If you were a fan of Paths to Freedom you'll love the comedy in this.

It was done on a low budget so obviously it's not as polished as most other productions, but with what they had it is definitely a cult Irish classic.

The lyrics of the songs featured in it are hilarious, but it definitely would not translate very well to a non-Irish audience. "You cultchie gaurds think you can come up here and act like narmal (sic) people!!"

And the cameo roles are great with Louis Walsh, Gerry Ryan and Miriam Callaghan really sending themselves up.

I always loved the Paths to Freedom mockumentary so I went to see this film as soon as it came out. The characters are as brilliant as I remembered them, Tommo being particularly hilarious. This film will probably only do Ok in Ireland, but I think it will become a real cult classic. Can't wait for the video.

"Spin the bottle" is hilarious! This comedic script is brilliantly acted as well as directed.From the satirical spin on boy bands to the insane journey of Rats and his employment capers, I was laughing throughout the film. "Spin the bottle" is brilliant!

'Rats' has just been released from prison - again - and he returns home to find he has been replaced in his mother's affections by his best friend Tommo. Not only that but the money they had painstakingly raised to send his cousin to Lourdes to get a miracle for her terminal obesity has been stolen! Rats decides that to get back in everyone's good books, he has to find a way to raise the cash, and to this end he reforms his pop group spermdotcom and gate-crashes the National Talent Show (like American Idol, or Pop Idol).

That's basically the plot but for me the humour that binds it together is what I loved about the film. As a Dublin 'cailin', i loved the dialogue and the irreverent depiction of a certain part of Dublin in the Noughties, and the low budget quality of this independent film suits it perfectly. I just wish I could find out where I can buy the DVD!