Between the Canals

Fantastic micro-budget Irish crime drama. Shockingly low IMDb rating, especially in contrast to its positive reviews. I guess the film-going public are STUPID (or don't understand the thick Irish accents, in all likelihood). 'Mean Streets' comparisons are apt in its depiction of working-class best friends tied up in petty crime, and the conflict of interest that begins to develop between them. It takes a turn for the weird with the introduction of a bisexual Nigerian drug dealer with a sword.

However, its financial limitations show in the film's length of an hour and twelve minutes, credits included, as is a musical montage of pictures of Irish people. However, it's brilliant what Mark O'Connor did with so little. Review by Jack from Letterboxed

The characters were established early in the film and the acting, I thought, was superb, a few of the young children were clearly aware of the camera, but the acting was a million miles from wooden. Some of the devices and sub plots from TV shows like The Wire are kind of inevitable when the movie is dealing with a similar sub-culture. Although I am an English speaker who is fairly used to Irish accents, I found, not the accent, but the vocabulary and expressions of the protagonists quite hard to follow.

The story was well written and although it had a limited narrative,it was, almost like a documentary, able to describe the community quickly and the main players were put into context simply by showing authority and deference,a nice touch. There is an inevitability about this type of tale and most of tension comes from waiting to see how and who is responsible for the denouement. I will have to watch it a few more times to follow the dialogue but as I love Irish films, for me, it will be an investment worth making.

As a Dubliner living away from home now for over 20 years, it is a great joy to watch such a realistic film of what its really like living in inner city Dublin and what the people are like with all the Irish talk, great characters.

To the director and others involved in the movie I say well done and thanks for this gift. Foreigners wont get it and Irish living at home wont appreciate its realism as they are used to it. Only when you leave home, and miss it, can you appreciate just how great this film is. It had me laughing many times and would recommend it to anyone that wants to see real Dublin

I watched this film before reading any reviews, and was immediately suspicious after the first set piece of Jonny and the dustbin.

The main character made an enviable mirror image and obviously studied the Jonny from Meanstreets Character in detail.

The film I think would have reaped benefits from a more subtle influence rather than a direct ape.

The main Character in particular compels empathy, and the bleak environment will seem all too familiar to UK Towns and Cities not just Irish.

The dialect is difficult to comprehend at times, but is authentic and worth the effort to understand.

All the same, I found the film compelling and enjoyed the characters.

Well i've been a big contributor to the IMDb forum for a few years now and finally i get to comment on a film directed by my brother Mark.

I may be a little biased but Mark has done a great job here, it's very gritty and realistic - it makes the commercial 'gangster' films like the general and intermission seem real artificial because you can tell with those films that they are actors.

Mark used almost all non-actors who lived in those areas of the inner city we rarely see on the big screen. Mark's film entered the IFI cinema in Dublin two days ago and it will run for another 5 days.

It will then be decided if it moves to the multiplexes. Check it out, it's great.