Rating: 
Summary: I'm a Fan and I'm Proud!
Review: If you are at least 45 yrs old, love 60's R&B and Soul, not adverse to cursing, and like to be entertained, this movie is a Must See! The fact that none of the principal actors (except Colm Meany at his best) were not actors at all, makes this a spotlight for the talents of director Alan Parker. My continuing to write about this terrific film would be a waste you your time. Instead, GO GET IT!!!!!
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Summary: Bringing Soul to Dublin...
Review: On the north side of Dublin lives an enterprising young man by the name of Jimmy Rabbitte who has the bright idea of becoming a manager for a band. Through a selective process he hand picks the band musicians and vocalists as he wants to bring soul to the working class of Dublin. After many struggles he finds a way to bring a band together named the Commitments, which was chosen by Joey 'The Lips' Fagan. However, the many different personalities within the group begin to pull in different directions as the band slowly becomes more successful, and it is up to Jimmy to keep the band together. The Commitments is a terrific film with a solid plot that is supported with a cast that provides a real atmosphere to the film leaving the audience with a great cinematic experience.
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Summary: I'm sorry you doubted me, brother Rabbitte ...
Review: One of my all-time favorite films. If you love blues/R&B/soul, you'll find plenty to like in this film, even if you don't listen to anything else except the music. Andrew Strong is great as the "bollix-for-brains" lead singer of the Commitments, and was only 16 (!) when the film was made (shades of Johnny Lang!). But don't overlook some great performances by the female vocalists as well; "Natalie" (Maria Doyle) does a fantastic job with "I Never Loved a Man (the Way that I Love You)" and "Imelda" (Angeline Ball) really shows her stuff on "Chain of Fools"). The film also features great background classics by performers such as Delbert McClinton ("I've Got Dreams to Remember"). Yes, it's Irish, and you do have to listen closely in a few spots to understand the dialogue, but it's definitely worth the effort. The film is down-to-earth without being gritty or depressing, and accurately portrays the trials and tribulations of a band in the making. The music is superb, the dialogue is honest, funny and just wacko enough to be believable, and the plot (such as it is) doesn't really matter -- there's enough going on with the characters to keep things moving for the duration. Recommended -- and when it comes out on DVD -- highly recommended.
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Summary: VISCERAL BLEND OF MUSIC AND HUMOUR: BEST BAND MOVIE EVER!
Review: Propelled by the raw energy of a talented ensemble and the throbbing vibrancy of some dozen classics, The Commitments pulls off two neat tricks.
First, it's one of the few movies about rock-pop-soul music that seems to have the right idea about why and how bands come together, with some fine performances from rank amateurs.
Secondly, and more impressively, it finds some great humor in a setting that's defined by abject poverty.
The two-disc Commitments DVD set packs in some great features including a video of the song that plays over the closing credits (with Arkins singing), and tons of background material on the making of the film and about Dublin in general.
Fabulous entertainment.
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Summary: Roddy Doyle's modern Irish classic
Review: Quite simply, this is one of my all-time favorite films. Based on the first book of Roddy Doyle's Dublin trilogy, The Commitments is more than a story of a bunch of Irish kids forming a soul band. From the harsh realities of poverty to the power of the Irish spirit, this movie is a portrait of life in working class Dublin, and is true to Doyle's book in every way. It is raw and irreverant, extremely funny but also poignant. One of the remarkable aspects of this film is the cast of virtual unknowns - all actually Irish, thank goodness. Andrew Strong, who plays the lead singer, was only about 16 when the movie was filmed, and he did his own vocals. In fact, the cast is extremely musically talented and appears on two very good soundtrack volumes. The one familiar face belongs to veteran actor Colm Meaney (Miles O'Brien on Star Trek TNG/DS9). Meaney also appears in the two other films from the trilogy, The Snapper and The Van. Rent them all and have an Irish film festival! If you want to be entertained with great soul music while being magically whisked away to Dublin, by all means buy this video so you can watch it over and over again.
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Summary: The one and only music film
Review: The film "The Commitments" is the story about young Irish musicians who declare themselves a soul band. All of them are very dedicated and you really feel it. The original Irish atmosphere is very well shown and so it's real fun to watch this film, especially when you know Ireland. Director Alan Parker did a really good job in transferring the novel, written by Roddy Doyle, into a film. The best thing about the film is the music! Forget "A Chorus Line" and "Saturday Night Fever". This film has the best music ever. The music has got real soul and that's what the Commitments want to bring to the working class of Dublin. My favourite songs are "Mustang Sally" and "Try a little tenderness". Andrew Strong, the actor who plays Deco, sings most of the songs. This boy has an incredible voice and it's hard to believe that he was just 16 when this movie was filmed. The second best thing about this film is the actors. They are all unknowns, mostly from Ireland, and because of this they are quite genuine and authentic. You notice this when you hear their strong accents, but don`t worry: At the beginning it is a little bit tricky, but then you get used to it. The character I like best is Joey "The Lips" Fagan, hilariously played by Johnny Murphy. Joey is the most interesting character because he is so crazy and weird. All in all, "The Commitments" is the best music film I have ever seen. The music, the actors as well as the Dublin setting are great; the camera work and direction are pretty good as well. Watching the film never gets boring and you can watch it over and over again.
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Summary: A movie about fantastic soul music made by "The Commitments
Review: The movie "The Commitments" is very interesting and authentic because it shows the hard reality of life in Northside Dublin. That means that you get a special impression of the working-class in Dublin, their life philosophy and their culture. A part of this impression is made up by the original setting, that includes market places, the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport), dirty tenements and houses to dimly-lit rehearsal rooms and local clubs. This dreary and sometimes depressive atmosphere is emphasized by the film techniques, the lighting as well as the camera movements. The actors are also very well-chosen because they are unknown and quite genuine; because of this fact they can represent the people of the working-class very realistically (just listen to the way they talk!). Jimmy is perfectly played by Robert Arkins, who emerges as a distinct personality as the manager of the band. I like him best because he plays his main role better than the others. And the best aspect of the film is the great music, which is an honour to the history of soul music and provides the heartbeat of the film. Finally, I would say that everybody should watch the movie, if only because of the great music!
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie But Hard To Watch
Review: This is a pretty good movie, but it is an uncomfortable movie to watch.
I had heard that the lead singer (in the fictional band The Commitments) is something special ... and it was true. I had also heard that the actor who portayed this singer had to later spend some time in re-hab for a drug addiction, and you could sort-of see that coming from his performance in the movie. Definately a wounded soul who pours his pain into every lyric.
But all around this worthwhile portrayal (in the movie) there is strife, and it's hard to watch. The members of the band (and there are nine or ten of them) are constantly bickering amonst themselves, with it sometimes escalating into serious arguments and actual fights. And the F word flies about like a family of gnats the entire film. And bad things happen to the band, which leaves us, the viewers, sitting there with a sense that an impending disaster is about to hit. And I wondered ... is this the movie maker's idea of entertainment?
There is no hero (or heroine) ... no good guy (or gal) that tries hard to make things better. And it is not a success story ... the band simply breaks up after a particularly brutal argument. Why not let them be a success? The bleakness and urban decay of Dublin, Ireland is showed quite clearly ... why not provide a lamp of hope in the middle of all that bleakness? But the movie maker did not see it fit to give that to us.
Still, the songs are pretty good, and the lead singer is worth watching.
Rating: 
Summary: Should Be Called "The Committed"
Review: When the 'band' is performing, THE COMMITMENTS is excellent. However, in the final analyisis, the backstage squables among the band members overtakes the story and it becomes more of a nuisance than a story conflict device. The characters are well drawn out, the Dublin location shots are atmospheric, and the music and musical performances are all great. Yet,there seemed to be some fight (some of which were very physical, bloody, and abusive) or disagreement among the band members after each of the performances and it became too much of a distraction to enjoy the whole film. In some cases, it made some of the characters/band members come off as people who should be in an insane asylum. Overall, the film gets 2 stars because the fighting amongst the band members backstage overshadowed the great music that was performed onstage.
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Summary: Cultural touchstone
Review: You know a movie has staying power when references to it become a cultural touchstone even 12 years after release. We attended a wedding in the UK this past summer (2003) and there was a discussion about the wedding band's promise of delivering a 'Commitments-style' slate of songs. It required no further explanation. Everyone knew exactly what that phrase meant. This movie really has woven its way into the fabric of society. Other than the music (especially that of lead singer Andrew Strong - just 17 at the time! - as Deco Cuffe), there are three things that stand out 12 years on: - The sarcastic interplay between band organizer Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins in his only screen role ever) and Elvis-worshipping father Jimmy Rabbitte Sr. (the prolific Colm Meaney in one of his more memorable outings) - The presence (sprinkled throughout the film in supporting roles) of all four of the then-young and undiscovered Corr siblings - Johnny Murphy as the inexplicably seductive babe-magnet Joey 'The Lips' Fagan. His stories about his connections to rock royalty - most notably Wilson Pickett - keep you guessing until the very end of the film...are these tall or true tales? All in all, 'The Commitments' is great fun and undoubtedly one of director Alan Parker's enduring works (only 'Midnight Express' belongs in the same top-most echelon).
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