The Best Years

9.4.....on time of me watching this it sits at 9.4! This is obviously a very cheaply made film, it's OK. I have seen worse but not much worse. "I don't handle the money, I spend the money............. I don't handle the money, I spend the money"..... Yeah I head you the first time champ. I cannot comprehend how this film ever got past a 6.

It's interesting to see Irish reviewers' takes on movies like this. After seeing this movie I still listen to the beautiful soundtrack by Paddy Nash. I put it on this morning, which is why I thought to look up the movie here.

I remember being captivated by the drama of this young kid in over his head, with elements of recent troubles history in his Romeo and Juliet romance with Nadine. The scenes had a raw grittiness that felt very real to me when I saw it in the theater.

So it's surprising to me to hear the film described by at least one reviewer here as both unlikely and clichéd. And I can't argue with that, in terms of history or culture or politics, because I wasn't there. Anyone who lived in Derry at the time would surely have a more realistic view of the troubles and of Irish culture than I do.

But this morning, my young son looked up when that first song came on, and gave me a look, like, "What in the world is this?" After the song ended, he said, "Dad, it's so beautiful, it almost hurts." That's how I always felt about The Best Years. I'm a sucker for anything that's both beautiful and sad. That's how I remember the movie.

The film isn't bad for a low budget crime caper - the story cracks along, Martin Kemp plays Martin Kemp, and the other actors do a pretty good job of portraying various cheeky chappies and chapesses.

There's no denying that this film was made on a budget, but, there are some excellent characters here and it seems a shame that they were crammed into 90 minutes. The story would have made a great mini-series and given the characters room to breathe.

I'd like to spend a bit more time in the company of these people - maybe a bit bigger budget and a bit more screen time could flesh them out a little.

Worth a watch.

Only in Ireland! The backdrop of a small town in Ireland sets the stage for an interesting comedy about predjudices and the dead guy it belongs to. Its about the waking up of a small town that has destroying itself. 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 all, an original idea made into a good movie. An enjoyable story with wonderful and like-able characters.