Intermission

to be honest, the first scene sums this movie up, it's a punch in the face. you have to have a very dry sense of humor to like this movie, i don't think it was made for the usual "american" market. our culture is geared toward in your face comedy, like old school or dodge ball, where subtle darker humor about everyday life gets lost. husbands leave wives, people get fired from terrible jobs, and in general have crappy lives. but it is up to us to enjoy what we have, and finding the strength to keep on going no matter what, and this movie is like that. it has an all star cast, from Colin Farrell to Colm Meany, Shirley Henderson to Cillian Murphy they all shine like the stars they are.

I'm quite surprised that this film hasn't got a higher rating. This really is a gem of movie. Well-written, well-acted, witty and brutally black dialog makes this a modern Irish classic. The acting is excellent. Colin Farrell is well cast as the stereotypical Dublin scumbag which he seems to have great fun portraying. Cillian Murphy is great as the lovelorn rogue John while David Wilmot steals the show from his more famous co-stars as unlucky in love Oscar. Kelly MacDonald, Shirley Henderson, Deirde O' Kane and Colm Meany add more weight to a highly talented cast.

The film follows the lives of several different characters in contemporary Dublin and how their lives intersect. The violence and coarse language is matched by the tender and honest scenes. The fast pace of the movie holds the viewers attention fantastically well as we follow the lives of these highly likable characters(well maybe not Farrell but he is still compelling and hilarious to watch) while they search for love, happiness and the answers to life's complicated dilemmas. A true original. Even though its not much of an achievement, by far the best Irish movie ever made. Perfect stories. Perfect writing. Perfect characters. Perfect acting. Perfect film.

I really enjoyed "Intermission" which is set in Dublin. It has a great cast who play lovable losers who take themselves too seriously. Their antics make for a funny and entertaining film. There are a number of different plot lines but the characters are all connected somehow. In some ways it's like a comic version of Babel. Dubliners seem to have a limited vocabulary and every adjective seems to begin with F, so it's not a family film. But it's fast paced and should make you laugh.

The film starts when John (Cillian Murphy) decides he needs a break or intermission from Deirdre, (Kelly Macdonald) his girlfriend. She then makes John jealous by going off with Sam (Michael McElhatton), a married bank manager. Sam's wife of 14 years (Deirdre O'Kane) having been dumped embarks on a program of revenge, including sex with John's best friend, Oscar (David Wilmot). Jerry (Colm Meaney) is a police detective who likes beating people up and listening to Celtic music. He convinces a TV producer to make a documentary about his life. John and Oscar both work in a supermarket where their boss Mr. Henderson (Owen Roe) is a pompous twit. Deirdre's sister Sally (Shirley Henderson) was recently humiliated by a former boyfriend and sports a impressive mustache. Lehiff (Colin Farrell) is a thug who wants to rob Sam's bank. He is a friend of John and together they plan a bank robbery. Finally, there's Mick (Brian F. O'Byrne), a bus driver who is fired from his job and joins the gang. It's all good fun.

Intermission is one of those modern multiple storyline films in which a group of characters lives intertwine. And, as per usual involves a car crash. These factors tie it to the likes of Magnolia, Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Crash, 13 Conversations About One Thing and many more films I'm sure that escape me at this point. So what does Intermission have to offer that these films do not? For one, the acting talent involved is pretty much a who's who of Irish (and Scottish) actors at present. Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy, Colm Meaney, Shirley Henderson and Kelly Macdonald. The other main factor in the quality of Intermission lies in it's script, which comes across as funny, engaging and despite the comparisons made above is fairly original. It is most definitely a lighter affair than some of it's contemporary rivals listed above, and though not groundbreaking by any means, is a well-made and engaging piece of work.

Well, if you loved "Crash" (no not the David Cronenberg version, but the Academy Award winning Paul Haggis film) you'll love this Irish version of everyday Irish folk in everyday life, living everyday life interchanging and interacting, kind of like a Irish "six degrees" thing. Speaking of acting, what acting...Everyone is so "real" almost like a documentary, Oscars for All! Great camera work, it just flows so well together, great cast nice to see Scottish actress Kelly MacDonald (Trainspotting, Gosford Park) again. Colin Ferrell is as intense as always, he is such fun to watch he's a great "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" actor. So if you enjoy great acting, a good story with some twists and turns check this one out. Other great Irish films are: Omagh(2004), Veronica Guerin(2003), Bloody Sunday(2002), The Commitments(1991), Waking Ned Divine(1998) and The Field(1990).

Slainté