Tão Longe, Tão Perto

I saw "The Closer You Get" at a school screening recently and I must say that it didn't surprise or challenge me. I wasn't expecting "Citizen Cane" in Ireland but I was hoping for some genuine moments of humanity and of course some silly banter. But the comic moments seemed perfunctory and forced and the dramatic moments didn't quite have the gravity that they needed. The story takes place in a small sea side town in Ireland where the male inhabitants decide to invite beautiful women from America over to their town so they can get some foreign variety in their lives. The women get a hold of this news and cleverly play off the men's futile effort.

Sadly "The Closer You Get" only a few minutes to introduce the plot then we have to sit through over an hour and a half for the bland execution. I really wanted to get to know these colorful characters better in the first act so that I could follow them through this silly plot.

It's official now. We have this Irish small town comedy genre on our hands and there's no end in sight. It was fresh at first but come on people we need some variety in plot structure by now. I guess these Irish films are more sincere and have their hearts in all the right places, which is more than I can say for those pesky teen flicks. But when you've watched "The Commitments," "The Matchmaker," "The Full Monty," and "Waking Ned Divine," there innocuous charm quickly becomes annoying. I give "The Closer You Get" a six out of ten.

A beautiful and worthy film, set in a small and fairly isolated village in Ireland, yet, like the village and its inhabitants, the film is also, sadly, rather forgettable. The people living in this tiny community, whilst optimistic, charismatic and full of life, also realize the dead-end nature of their situation. The men long to travel and meet beautiful women in exotic places. They put an ad in an American publication hoping to attract women to join them for a local dance, but the women fare rather better by attracting the local Spanish fishermen.

The movie could easily have degenerated into Hollywood-style unbelievability but it resists the temptation. The characters, their lives, and how they develop are convincing and moving. The title refers to missing what is important (in love and life) when it is under your nose.

A lovely feelgood movie.

It's an interesting premise but the execution is poor. This is a well-made bad film, which is quite frustrating.

If I had to single out anything it's the story. Sometimes a very poor predictable plot will be successful (witness the Full Monty from the same producer) but this time it is devoid of charm and flops badly.

I don't need formulaic traditional three-act structures but the characters need to be solid and true. The three main relationships at the centre of the film offer conflict but no drama because the characters are under-developed and so their actions are unconvincing.

Ideally the accents would be more accessible for an international audience while still being authentic. I say accents but it's really only one actor I had a problem with.

There were a couple of laugh out loud moments in the film and it generated a few smiles but I was surprised to see it described as a comedy on IMDB. I honestly don't think it was written as one.

I'm afraid I can't think of a single reason to see this film and I've really tried to, honestly.

This is a quaint and charming little comedy about life and love in rural northwestern Ireland. The question remains, how many rural Irish comedies can we watch before the material starts to get stale. The story begins with the single men of this little town complaining that the women are substandard and there are no marriage prospects. After downing far too many pints, they decide to place an advertisement in the Miami Herald to see if they can induce some American women to come to Ireland to the big town dance. When the townswomen get wind of the scheme, they invite some Spanish fishermen to the same dance. The result is a succession of comical situations where everyone makes fools of themselves in anticipation of the big day. The net result of all this is the lesson Dorothy learned when she left Kansas; that when you are looking for your heart's desire, you don't have to look any further than your own backyard.

Aileen Ritchie's directorial debut was marked by some nice photography of well-selected locations and an alluring portrayal of the local color and appeal. The characters all seemed very genuine and unaffected; the way country folks generally are regardless of national origin. The scenes leading up to the dance work well, but the film bogs down after the dance as the tone changes from mirthful to dramatic.

The acting was generally good with a couple of standouts. Ian Hart stole the show as Kieran the headstrong town butcher. He was simultaneously affable and obnoxious. His character's complete obliviousness to how ridiculous he was gave Hart ample opportunity to become a laugh magnet. Niahm Cusack was also enchanting as Kate, mixing mischievousness with romantic appeal to create a delightful character.

I rated this film a 7/10. It is very light fare, silly enough that it will get a chuckle or two out of almost everyone.

Gentle Celtic productions are very much in vogue at the moment. What with Waking Ned, Ballykissangel and the late Hamish Macbeth. The Closer You Get is a gentle tragi-comedy with a heart-warming if unsurprising ending. All the performances are very strong, particularly from the ever-magnificent Ian Hart and Niamh Cusack, but you can't help feeling that you've seen it all before. If you're feeling in need of a pick-me-up on a Saturday afternoon, then go see, but otherwise wait for the next series of Ballykissangel!