Rating: 
Summary: Dublin Idol
Review: "The Commitments" still works for me, even though I haven't seen it in over a decade, since the night I turned 20. I watched it twice yesterday, during the long Amtrak haul from Boston South Station to New York Penn, the second time with the Alan Parker commentary switched on. The young woman who got on at New Rochelle and sat next to me for the last hour of the ride, watched over my shoulder and, without the benefit of earphones, started laughing at every joke or sight gag. Now it's a rare rock-and-roll band movie that works without sound! But that's the power packed by "The Commitments", a movie with as much soul as its soundtrack.This was the movie that took over my life in college, sophomore year. I rented the VHS from Blockbuster (how quaint!) in late 1992, at the end of the one semester in my life where I hardly had any finals. This is back in the days when you only had one VCR in every dorm. So we ended up with about 20 people watching (many of whom had already seen it before) and we all rocked out. I ended up watching it nearly a dozen times over the next year, and pretty much wore out the two soundtrack cassettes by the time I'd graduated. The movie hasn't lost any punch in the decade since I set it aside. The music is still electrifying, Andrew Strong's voice still an incredibly powerful instrument. The offstage interludes have, if anything, become even more relevant for me since then. At age 19 I didn't know anything about urban blight or housing projects, or what the movie was even about, really. In what has to be a reversal of the way these things usually go, I can identify with the characters more now that I'm a decade older than they were. The direction is a huge asset. One of the reasons a person can laugh with this movie, even on mute, is that so many plots are conveyed through mere looks and glances, without all that much dialogue. Natalie's unrequited crush on Jimmy, or example, or the older Joey working his way through all the comely backup singers. Most of the remaining scenes are dialogue free-for-alls, but the meaning of the movie is never muddled. The fantastic musical performances, especially at the band's final gig, play nicely against the verbal pile-ons that presage the band's messy breakup. The "making of" documentary on the second disc is a bit predictable -- if you listened to Parker's commentary, you can skip it. Much better, is the "looking back" feature, which interviews some of the cast members as they are today. There are more production anecdotes, and it's interesting to see what's happened to the cast. Felim Gormley (who played Dean, the saxophonist) is now the spitting image of Bono; Andrew Strong, who sounded 40, now actually looks 40. Strong and Robert Arkins (manager Jimmy, "Brother" Rabbitte) contribute original songs. Parker's commentary is informative, although at times I felt he patronized the cast a little too much. His production anecdotes are good, and his lengthy description of the casting process was intriguing. Like "American Idol" without Simon Cowell. I did wait in vain for him to comment on the several visual nods to "The Godfather" (as well as the overt references to some of his earlier movies), but that never came. A fitting asterisk and coda to the film is that the biggest discovered talent in the movie -- the Corrs -- didn't even get singing roles!
Rating: 
Summary: Say it Once, Say it Loud!
Review: "The Commitments" is a raucous and joyful celebration of music. It's a gloriously simple and lovable tale, told with passion, profanity, and a deep understanding of how music can infect even the most despairing life with joy. About time the movie got its proper release on DVD. If you've never seen "The Commitments" because you cringe at the notion of white Dubliners singing American soul tunes, well, I hear ya. I fully expected watered-down music along the lines of Michael Bolton butchering Percy Sledge. However, I was wrong - the music, in the context of the movie, is pure and genuine, and performed by young actors who understand that you don't have to pretend to be anything you're not to get soul. Besides, Jimmy Rabbitte, the mastermind behind the band, gives them all a thoroughly convincing speech that assures the lads and lasses from Dublin that they, too, are qualified to sing soul. The movie - well, it's wonderful. Hilarious, free, sometimes moving, life-affirming. I almost wish the movie let the characters develop a little more before the inevitable and mythical ending, but then Joey the Lips gently reminds me (and Rabbitte), "this way, it's poetry." He's right - this is the proper ending for these guys, and the movie. The DVD offers some great extras, including a revealing making-of doc, where we learn that director Parker combed the nightclubs of Dublin nightly, looking for fresh talent. I also love the 10-years-later feature, where we get to revisit our old friends again. These are suitable extras for a movie that just plain makes you feel glad to be alive - how much more can you ask of a movie than that?
Rating:
Summary: Dublin Idol
Review: "The Commitments" still works for me, even though I haven't seen it in over a decade, since the night I turned 20. I watched it twice yesterday, during the long Amtrak haul from Boston South Station to New York Penn, the second time with the Alan Parker commentary switched on. The young woman who got on at New Rochelle and sat next to me for the last hour of the ride, watched over my shoulder and, without the benefit of earphones, started laughing at every joke or sight gag. Now it's a rare rock-and-roll band movie that works without sound! But that's the power packed by "The Commitments", a movie with as much soul as its soundtrack. This was the movie that took over my life in college, sophomore year. I rented the VHS from Blockbuster (how quaint!) in late 1992, at the end of the one semester in my life where I hardly had any finals. This is back in the days when you only had one VCR in every dorm. So we ended up with about 20 people watching (many of whom had already seen it before) and we all rocked out. I ended up watching it nearly a dozen times over the next year, and pretty much wore out the two soundtrack cassettes by the time I'd graduated. The movie hasn't lost any punch in the decade since I set it aside. The music is still electrifying, Andrew Strong's voice still an incredibly powerful instrument. The offstage interludes have, if anything, become even more relevant for me since then. At age 19 I didn't know anything about urban blight or housing projects, or what the movie was even about, really. In what has to be a reversal of the way these things usually go, I can identify with the characters more now that I'm a decade older than they were. The direction is a huge asset. One of the reasons a person can laugh with this movie, even on mute, is that so many plots are conveyed through mere looks and glances, without all that much dialogue. Natalie's unrequited crush on Jimmy, or example, or the older Joey working his way through all the comely backup singers. Most of the remaining scenes are dialogue free-for-alls, but the meaning of the movie is never muddled. The fantastic musical performances, especially at the band's final gig, play nicely against the verbal pile-ons that presage the band's messy breakup. The "making of" documentary on the second disc is a bit predictable -- if you listened to Parker's commentary, you can skip it. Much better, is the "looking back" feature, which interviews some of the cast members as they are today. There are more production anecdotes, and it's interesting to see what's happened to the cast. Felim Gormley (who played Dean, the saxophonist) is now the spitting image of Bono; Andrew Strong, who sounded 40, now actually looks 40. Strong and Robert Arkins (manager Jimmy, "Brother" Rabbitte) contribute original songs. Parker's commentary is informative, although at times I felt he patronized the cast a little too much. His production anecdotes are good, and his lengthy description of the casting process was intriguing. Like "American Idol" without Simon Cowell. I did wait in vain for him to comment on the several visual nods to "The Godfather" (as well as the overt references to some of his earlier movies), but that never came. A fitting asterisk and coda to the film is that the biggest discovered talent in the movie -- the Corrs -- didn't even get singing roles!
Rating:
Summary: The Soul of the City
Review: Alan Parker once again put together a previously unknown cast and has produced a fantastic movie with some stellar individual performances. "The Commitments" is the story of the struggle to escape unemployment and poverty, set in Dublin but equally relevant in any major city this movie chronicles the efforts of a new band to achieve fame and glory. The band choose soul music as their vehicle out of the ghetto at a time when James Brown is just a memory adding spice to an already engaging tale. After a faltering start the band start to pull it together only for their lack of discipline and focus to abort their chances at the very moment when real opportunity is at their door. The music is the star of the show with fantastic numbers such as "At the Midnight Hour", "Mustang Sally" and "Try a Little Tenderness" littered through the movie. The musical performances of Mary Doyle Kennedy (Natalie)and Andrew Strong (Deco)and the acting of Robert Arkins (Jimmy) are really superb. This movie is enhanced by this new format on widescreen DVD, but what makes it work is the screenplay, great acting and wonderfull music regardless of format.
Rating:
Summary: The Soul of the City
Review: Alan Parker once again put together a previously unknown cast and has produced a fantastic movie with some stellar individual performances. "The Commitments" is the story of the struggle to escape unemployment and poverty, set in Dublin but equally relevant in any major city this movie chronicles the efforts of a new band to achieve fame and glory. The band choose soul music as their vehicle out of the ghetto at a time when James Brown is just a memory adding spice to an already engaging tale. After a faltering start the band start to pull it together only for their lack of discipline and focus to abort their chances at the very moment when real opportunity is at their door. The music is the star of the show with fantastic numbers such as "At the Midnight Hour", "Mustang Sally" and "Try a Little Tenderness" littered through the movie. The musical performances of Mary Doyle Kennedy (Natalie)and Andrew Strong (Deco)and the acting of Robert Arkins (Jimmy) are really superb. This movie is enhanced by this new format on widescreen DVD, but what makes it work is the screenplay, great acting and wonderfull music regardless of format.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best music movies ever
Review: Finally they have released a special edition of "The Commitments", which is one of my three favorite movies of all-time. This movie is pure genius, a comedic drama about north-side Dubliners trying to make it in the difficult world of music by playing something completely different: soul. Led by ambitious manager Jimmy Rabbitte (played wonderfully by talented musician Robert Arkins), he puts together an 11 piece band that goes through all the trials and tribulations of a regular rock band as they attempt to make their mark on the overcrowded Dublin scene. Each memeber of the band is integral to the whole of the project, and each character plays their major part. The most amazing of them all is their lead singer Decko, played by a then 16-year old Andrew Strong. From this teenager comes one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard. He is backed up by the Commitment-ettes Natalie, Imelda and Bernie. For those who have also read the book, the character of Imelda Quirke, the beautiful and elusive backup singer, who also shines in a couple of lead songs, is one of the more interesting. It is her that unknowingly keeps the band together, because secretly, or not so secretly, all the men in the band want to be with her. All of the character interaction throughout the film give this movie a whole new dynamic that is absent from most movies about music. As for the band, they are amazing. They blaze through soul classics, and make their mark with powerful performances on such phenomenal songs as "At the Dark End of the Street" and "Try a Little Tenderness", the song that I believe to be the highlight of the movie. Casting real musicians to play all the major roles was a bold move by director Alan Parker, but he scored a big victory as their musical prowess speaks for itself, but they all manage to act very well, bringing to life all the neccessary and uneccessary pieces of a band. The line near the end of the film, that making records and being great "would have been predictable, this is poetic", sums up the entire movie. You will always be left wondering what could have happened had the Commitments been able to hold things together for a little while longer. Jimmy instills in his band the importance of music, and the importance of soul, reminding them of the ability that music has to raise them above all the garbage of life, and this is something that the band truly takes with them as they all go down their personal journeys in music and life. The writing here is very smart and witty, the dialogue being a true-to-life series of insults and profanity-laced tirades. Parker is a great director, and there simply cannot be enough said about the band. This movie also produced two memorable soundtracks and some great live scenes from the dingy Irish clubs they needed to play on their hopeful way to fame and fortune. There is also a second disc on the DVD, filled with interesting vignettes, including an interesting "Looking Back" featurette that interviews most of the band now, many years after this groundbreaking movie. It is interesting to hear of all their musical projects, because all of the Commitments have their own bands, as they did before the movie was released. Overall, "The Commitments" is a must-see movie. Everything in it is great, and even if you somehow dislike the movie, the music is more than enough to keep you thoroughly entertained, because nobody can debate the power of Dublin Soul.
Rating:
Summary: A MOVIE WITH SOUL
Review: First off, I usually don't like soul music, R&B, whatever you want to call it. I can like anything but bluegrass, country, and rap. But I must admit that, even if you don't normally like soul, this movie will make you a believer. I had to watch this film in my college film class. I must say that I was VERY impressed, and even more so after I heard the following from my film teacher concerning this film: 1-The lead singer(the chubby one, can't miss 'em) was only 16! but he sang GREAT! Like a pro, even. 2-This movie is full of first-time actors, and that is because it was open-audition for all or nearly all parts. With that in mind, someone did a great job in casting this movie. This is one of those movies that keeps your eyes riveted to the screen. There's some comical moments, as well as some normal moments as well. At times you feel like you're watching a live music video. A very well done film, that reminds me in some respects of the Blues Brothers, which I also like. Apart from the language, there isn't much to the R rating. Overall an outstanding film about a bunch of Dubliners singing music that is normally associated with African-Americans. Buy it today and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Hallelujah! Widescreen and extras all the way!
Review: For the better part of four years, I've complained about this fantastic movie going in and out of print, but ALWAYS ONLY available in the lousy pan-and-scan (instead of widescreen) format. This film, masterfully directed by the great British musical/drama cinematic maestro, Alan Parker (e.g., Evita, Angela's Ashes, Fame, etc.), deserved better treatment, and finally, let's thank the good executives at Fox Video for listening! A double-disk widescreen presentation with plenty of bonus features! Hooray! Keep in mind that this is one of the greatest films ever made in the 1990s, so influential and original to the extent that it made the British Film Institute's list of the best 100 films ever made in Ireland and the British Isles during the last century. Yet eerily, I can only count on two hands the number of people who've seen it! This has gotta change! Now the film is issued on DVD as it was meant to be seen -- in full stereo and widescreen glory. I like the fact that Fox Video gave this "little" picture a chance, that it heard the complaints from rabid fans for years and finally did something about it!...
Rating:
Summary: Howzit? Deadly!
Review: I was excited to find out they were releasing this movie again with some more behind the scenes interviews. I was surprised to see that the cast they did recently interview, looked relatively unchanged. It was like seeing a long lost friend. I remember seeing this movie the first time in the theatres being shocked at their monumental use of the f-word. This time, it just seemed to be natural. Maybe it's because I'm in my thirties now and it takes a lot to shock me or maybe it's because I've had a chance to read the short story the movie is based on. Roddy Doyle's adaptation of his story of a Dublin soul band was, for the most part, straight out from the page. There were a few parts that could have made it into the film, and a few parts in the movie that didn't need to be there, but on the whole I LOVED IT AGAIN! Seeing these actors come together as a real band was fun. I hope they re-release the last of the Barrytown Trilogy, The Van to DVD soon also.
Rating:
Summary: Howzit? Deadly!
Review: I was excited to find out they were releasing this movie again with some more behind the scenes interviews. I was surprised to see that the cast they did recently interview, looked relatively unchanged. It was like seeing a long lost friend. I remember seeing this movie the first time in the theatres being shocked at their monumental use of the f-word. This time, it just seemed to be natural. Maybe it's because I'm in my thirties now and it takes a lot to shock me or maybe it's because I've had a chance to read the short story the movie is based on. Roddy Doyle's adaptation of his story of a Dublin soul band was, for the most part, straight out from the page. There were a few parts that could have made it into the film, and a few parts in the movie that didn't need to be there, but on the whole I LOVED IT AGAIN! Seeing these actors come together as a real band was fun. I hope they re-release the last of the Barrytown Trilogy, The Van to DVD soon also.
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