The Brylcreem Boys

Broadway productions such as The Irish and How They Got That Way by Frank McCourt, movies such as Waking Ned Devine, books suchas Angela's Ashes by McCourt, music by the 3 Irish Tenors and the magnificent serial from Ireland, Ballykissangel, are all testimony to the "endearing charms" of Ireland and things Irish. All have drama, sense of humor and sadness - the Irish personality. This movie has a new twist, a philosophical expression of anti-war morality. Gabriel Byrne and all of the actors portraying the Allies, the Germans and the Irish in WWII, give us entertainment plus a lot to think about. This is a thoroughly enjoyable movie and the Irish dancers are great

ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION CANNOCK CHASE BRANCH U.K.(573) Members of the Cannock Chase Branch of the R.A.F. - Royal Air Force - attended the premier of the excellent film "The Brylcreem Boys" held on April 23, 1999 in Wolverhampton. All of us were ex-serving members of the R.A.F., and some of our group were elderly veterans who had flown in the 'Battle of Britain' in 1941. We all wish to express our thanks to the director Terence Ryan and all the cast and crew who's efforts made this film possible. Without a doubt we all feel that this film has captured the essence of the situation that prevailed during the period in which the film was set. The comradeship and humour that made up life in the R.A.F. is a thing that can never be adequately described but we all feel that the film The Brylcreem Boys has gone a long way in portraying this. We congratulate everyone involved in the making of this film for what can only be described as an excellent piece of work. Sincerely Malcolm Blackman. R.A.F.

This film somehow manages to take a fascinating premise and totally destroy it with bad writing and some of the worst ensemble acting in a film that I have ever seen. Even the usually reliable Gabriel Byrne gives a one-dimensional performance. And he deserves a portion of the blame for making this fiasco, being one of the producers. All-in-all a waste of time and money that doesn't even qualify as good trash.

This is a great little film, with all the ingredients of a good evenings entertainment. It has action and romance blended with humour and Irish music. A wonderful cocktail of true life events set against a fantastic background of Irish scenery. I really enjoyed watching this film and highly recommend it to those who appreciate seeing a good film. The most incredible thing about this film is that it is based on actual events that happened in Ireland. During the second world war, Ireland was neutral and had a Prisoner of War (POW) camp exactly like the one depicted in The Brylcreem Boys. This POW camp was situated 30 miles outside Dublin near a town called Naas, and it housed both Allied and German prisoners of war. This film does a great job in showing how life in the POW camp really was and how the British, American and German prisoners all had to get along together. A fantastic story and really worth seeing portrayed in the film. All the crew and cast involved in the researching, writing and the making of this film deserve a cheer! Well done! All the best from: Monty-46

The story of the internees in Ireland during the Second World War is a fascinating one that I was familiar with, and after hearing of this film, I thought I would give it a watch. It's a very pleasant way to spend an hour and three-quarters, though it probably will not go down in history as a world-changing piece of art. You couldn't fault the period detail and the acting throughout is of a high standard. The script, directing, and all the rest is good. I suppose part of the problem with the film is that the absurdity of the story probably doesn't translate terribly well to a film. As a result the film has to work quite hard to make the story dramatic. It perhaps goes over the top a little with the "WE ARE IN IRELAND!" details (perhaps because it is filmed on the Isle of Man?) I enjoyed the subtle visual hints (the bored horse standing next to a green phone box) and the plot details (each one of the fourteen hundred camp guards being either 'Seamus' or 'Sean'). Anyway, it's an independent movie, and for all that is very professionally done and well put together. If you see it coming on the telly one wet Sunday afternoon, don't turn it off - I'm sure you'll find much to like in it.