A Fortuna de Ned

Only in Ireland! The backdrop of a small village in Ireland sets the stage for an interesting comedy about a winning lottery ticket and the dead guy it belongs to. Waking Ned Devine is about the waking up of a small village that has been fast asleep since the start. The side stories of love, friendship and greed do not fall short. They in fact add to the greatness of this comedy. A delight for the entire family, even the quick scenes of a 70 year old naked man on a motor cycle comes out to be nothing more than good clean fun. An original idea made into a terrific movie. An enjoyable story with wonderful and like-able characters. A hit!

This is one of my all-time favorite movies, complete with belly-laughs galore! I've always been a fan of off-beat, less-than-commercial stuff that doesn't rely upon the standard comedy formulas-- there's no run-of-the-mill, cheap stereotype stuff; they don't do repetitive physical humor that gets one laugh for every ten tries; and the shallow, vulgar humor to which so many of us Americans have become accustomed is nowhere to be found. Waking Ned Devine caught me from the get-go, with the opening scene with the lottery and apple tart being my all-time favorite in movie history. The wry, offbeat, and somewhat dark humor is good stuff in my book, though I guess (from the looks of a previous review) it's not quite for everyone. It's been a while since I last saw the movie, but I still remember the pigs, intestines, the mad dash on the moped, Ned's dentures, mexican crisps, and the sea-bound telephone booth like I watched it yesterday! Then there's the funeral service, the wake, and the beautiful closing scenes, all of which add some good, clean emotion to the humor. I think I'll watch it again very soon!

Fionnula Flanagan, Ian Bannen and David Kelly, are just a few of an excellent cast in this tale about an Irish Lotto-winner, who is unable to collect.

Never have I seen a lovelier yarn, and, I tell ye', I've seen a few! Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) figures out that one of the inhabitants in the local hamlet must have won the latest Lotto draw, and does he best to find out who, by every mean possible, and eventually finds out who.

I don't want to spoil it, but it sure is a lovely story! Very close to a masterpiece, and it gets better each time I see it!

Yours, Tord

My wife purchased this movie for me, but I let it sit on my DVD library shelf for over a year before I watched it. I felt very sad that I took so long to watch it because it is now on my favorite movie list. I own over 500 DVD's and this is one that is my all time top 25. The acting was well presented to the viewer and very realistic. I agree that this is a sleeper movie that you just do not hear off, but after you watch it you will highly recommend it to others. I believe that we have all felt the emotions that were displayed in "Waking Ned Divine". The director has set it up for the movie watcher to meld into the lead character, who hasn't always wanted to win the LOTTO and share it with our friends. I just love how his wife turns out to be his moral subconscious, she brings a smile to my face because it is so truthful. Others have already said it, but this is a feel good movie that brings our everyday dull and grinding lives back into the sunshine.

A quirky comedy that could just as easily have been a TV hit, and to some extent it has that kind of feel. Some fine performances from the cast especially the late Ian Bannen.

Jackie O'Shea lives in a quiet little village, which is beset by the kind of gossip normal in such communities. When he finds that the lottery has been won by someone in the village, Jackie is obsessed by finding who the winner is. After a lengthy process of elimination, Jackie concludes that his friend Ned must be the winner.

But noone has seen Ned for days, so Jackie pays him a visit only to find that Ned has died of shock in his armchair in front of the TV when the lottery results were announced.

Realising that with no heir, Ned's winnings won't be paid out, Jackie persuades his friend Michael to impersonate Ned in order to claim the winnings, but things soon start to get very complicated as they attempt to keep up the facade.....

Not a blockbuster nor a 'split your sides laughing' type comedy (though it has it's moments) but thoroughly enjoyable all the same.