Summer Fling

Rating:
Summary: Summer of Love, Exams and Elvis!!
Review: A summer in Ireland where anythings possible. Set in Ireland I was amazed by the quality of the actors accents. Jared Leto and Cathrine O'Hara being American I thought they sounded like natural irish folk. Christina Ricci only had a small role but it was memorable as the American gal who cheerleads and tries to seduce Jared Leto. The family brawls and the love of politics make Summer Fling a funny and dramatic look at life after school exams and the summer counting down the days to your results. Well worth a watch!!

Rating:
Summary: Unique Coming of Age
Review: After I graduated from high school, I was wishing I could find a movie or a book that dealt with the unique emotions of standing at a precipice in your life--between childhood, and the real world.

"Summer Fling" hit the spot! It is one of the rare movies out there that actually deal with this time in life that no one else seems to portray.

Jared Leto is excellent in his role as Frankie, the eldest sibling in his eccentric brood. A kind, seemingly-average boy whose unsure of himself and the future, he experiences mixed emotions the summer after school. Gabriel Byrne and Catherine O'Hara also fit their roles perfectly as his unconventional but loving parents.

Christina Ricci's character is small but very memorable--an American who stays at Frankie's house for a couple of days, and falls for him, despite the fact that he doesn't like her. Her last words to him: " Where I come from, you tell someone if you like them, and even if they don't like you back, they don't treat you like a moron", leaves an indelible impression on Frankie.

Towards the end, Frankie talks to his father and his father tells him: "The world is waiting for you". Frankie responds: "I think it's a little too much."

This is a great movie for anyone out there who is also coming of age. It's a small movie you shouldn't miss!

Rating:
Summary: Summer Fling = Summer FLOP.
Review: I cannot even begin to illustrate how tiringly bored I became throughout watching this movie. I actually stopped it and took breaks from it before actually watching the whole thing. Let's get the basics out of the way: Frankie (Jared Leto) has just gotten out of high school, and is doomed to a summer of anxiousness and worry as he counts down the days until his final test results arrive, as these test results basically decide his immediate future for him. His father (Gabriel Byrne) is an "actor," but more so, a limp father who has about 0% of an influence on his five children, as he is always away, trying to get the part that never seems to come to him. His mother (Catherine O'Hara) is a few cans short of a six pack, and extremely prejudiced, narrow-minded, and ignorant -- and not even in a FUNNY way, just that annoying, unbelievable way. Now that we have the characters out of the way, it's due time to get into the plot, the only problem is, there isn't one. Perhaps the makers of this movie wanted it to be boring, drab, wimpy, and bleak (I highly doubt it, though), in which case, this movie is a wonderful accomplishment. On the other hand, if they wanted it to be anything but, then they really have some explaining to do. As Frankie waits for his test results, he also scopes the two girls that he went to school with from afar, only hoping to be lucky enough to hold a conversation with either one of them, as he hasn't quite decided yet which one he likes (apparently, either will do). Meanwhile, a friend of Frankie's father, Erin (Christina Ricci) ends up staying at their house for a couple of days for one reason or another (they never really gave one). Frankie's mother is adamant about forcing Frankie to take Erin out and show her a good time, as Frankie seems he would rather be caught dead than with Erin. He does take her out, though, and, after she embarrasses herself on a bus for him, no thanks to Frankie and the two girls from his school that he is after, he still doesn't give her the time of day. From here, you can almost empathize with Frankie and his anxieties swarming within his last summer of freedom, but not after he becomes a fickle, manipulative, apathetic jerk in his last scene with Erin. From here, the movie just gets even slower, and even more hard to swallow. Best of luck in trying to figure out what the hell the point of the movie was, or even the actual plot of this movie, once it's finally over.

The accents were wonderful, completely believable. Catherine O'Hara did a wonderful job playing a clueless, controlling, witch of a mother. Jared Leto plays his character wonderfully, but I don't think anyone would have a hard time playing a boring, quiet, girl-crazy teenager. Gabriel Byrne was in the movie for a total of about fifteen minutes if you paste all of his scenes together, and the same goes for Christina Ricci. Obviously, Summer Fling felt it necessary to market itself with as many big names as possible, even if these big names don't even account for 1/4 of the movie.. perhaps they knew how unintriguing the storyline actually is.

If you're considering renting this movie, DON'T. See when it'll be on television and try to enjoy it then (good luck). I'm sure some of you will find this review a bit confusing, but if you had a hard time with this review, then you'll definitely have a hard time with Summer Flop, err.. Summer Fling.

Rating:
Summary: Summer Fling = Summer FLOP.
Review: I cannot even begin to illustrate how tiringly bored I became throughout watching this movie. I actually stopped it and took breaks from it before actually watching the whole thing. Let's get the basics out of the way: Frankie (Jared Leto) has just gotten out of high school, and is doomed to a summer of anxiousness and worry as he counts down the days until his final test results arrive, as these test results basically decide his immediate future for him. His father (Gabriel Byrne) is an "actor," but more so, a limp father who has about 0% of an influence on his five children, as he is always away, trying to get the part that never seems to come to him. His mother (Catherine O'Hara) is a few cans short of a six pack, and extremely prejudiced, narrow-minded, and ignorant -- and not even in a FUNNY way, just that annoying, unbelievable way. Now that we have the characters out of the way, it's due time to get into the plot, the only problem is, there isn't one. Perhaps the makers of this movie wanted it to be boring, drab, wimpy, and bleak (I highly doubt it, though), in which case, this movie is a wonderful accomplishment. On the other hand, if they wanted it to be anything but, then they really have some explaining to do. As Frankie waits for his test results, he also scopes the two girls that he went to school with from afar, only hoping to be lucky enough to hold a conversation with either one of them, as he hasn't quite decided yet which one he likes (apparently, either will do). Meanwhile, a friend of Frankie's father, Erin (Christina Ricci) ends up staying at their house for a couple of days for one reason or another (they never really gave one). Frankie's mother is adamant about forcing Frankie to take Erin out and show her a good time, as Frankie seems he would rather be caught dead than with Erin. He does take her out, though, and, after she embarrasses herself on a bus for him, no thanks to Frankie and the two girls from his school that he is after, he still doesn't give her the time of day. From here, you can almost empathize with Frankie and his anxieties swarming within his last summer of freedom, but not after he becomes a fickle, manipulative, apathetic jerk in his last scene with Erin. From here, the movie just gets even slower, and even more hard to swallow. Best of luck in trying to figure out what the hell the point of the movie was, or even the actual plot of this movie, once it's finally over.

The accents were wonderful, completely believable. Catherine O'Hara did a wonderful job playing a clueless, controlling, witch of a mother. Jared Leto plays his character wonderfully, but I don't think anyone would have a hard time playing a boring, quiet, girl-crazy teenager. Gabriel Byrne was in the movie for a total of about fifteen minutes if you paste all of his scenes together, and the same goes for Christina Ricci. Obviously, Summer Fling felt it necessary to market itself with as many big names as possible, even if these big names don't even account for 1/4 of the movie.. perhaps they knew how unintriguing the storyline actually is.

If you're considering renting this movie, DON'T. See when it'll be on television and try to enjoy it then (good luck). I'm sure some of you will find this review a bit confusing, but if you had a hard time with this review, then you'll definitely have a hard time with Summer Flop, err.. Summer Fling.

Rating:
Summary: This is a MUST see Movie!
Review: I loved this movie. It was about an Irish teen who isn't you most normal Irish teen. His name is Frankie. A girl comes along, and he treats her like she doesn't even exist. She likes him, but he isn't showing her that he likes her back. When he finally begins to like her it's too late. The movie was awesome, but I can't understand the title because when I saw it it was called Last of the High Kings. Summer Fling sounds more like it should be, but I just don't get it. Maybe the cable guid made a mistake. I still found a way to find it on the net by entering the director's name in the search box. I just had to write this review because the movie is soooo good.

Rating:
Summary: Great Film!
Review: I think this movie was pretty cool because it was a different type of role for Jared Leto, who played Frankie. It takes place in Ireland and it's about a Frankie a teenager that just gratuated from high school and is looking forward to having fun in the summer. This movie deals with Frankies problems with his mother (Katherine O'Hara) who only wants him to date a certain religion , his father (Gabriel Byrne) who is always away acting, getting enough courage to talk to these two girls who he's obsessed with, and of course planning a huge beach party at the end of the summer. Christina Ricci is also in this film but only for about 10 - 15 minutes. It's a witty, charming movie that will make you laugh...a lot. Definetely see it!

Rating:
Summary: A good look at Ireland and Irish Mothers
Review: I was surprised to see a few reviewers on this site bashing the movie. I agree it has a slow pace to it, but the supurb acting by O'Hara makes it a memorable film. She should have gotten an academy award for this role.
I really enjoyed this film and I just bought a used copy. Don't expect a fast paced slapstick comedy and you won't be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: A terrible waste of my time!
Review: Origially titled "Last of the High Kings", this film apparently has been released in the US as "Summer Fling". The new title is horrible but by any title, this film is worth seeking out. It is a coming of age tale about Frankie and his friends and family. The story is set in the summer of 1977 to the music of Frankie's favourite band, Thin Lizzy. Jared Leto plays Frankie. His family is ruled by his Mother, played to perfection by SCTV alum Catherine O'Hara. His father, an actor, influences Frankie's life most notably by his frequent absences. Gabriel Byrne, also the co-writer, plays the father. Jason Barry, bearing a striking resemblance to Ewan McGregor, plays one of Frankie's friends who has an obsession with bringing Elvis Presley to perform in Ireland. Christina Ricci also appears briefly but notably as an Irish-American visiting from Milwaukee. (The Milwaukee audience I saw the film with got a big kick out of that reference.) Leonard Maltin's guide mistakenly identifies the mother as pro-protestant, but in fact she is Irish Catholic through and through. What causes conflict for Frankie is when he acts on his lust for the town's two most popular girls. They are protestant and one is backing a candidate for the Labour Party in the parlimentary election. Though the story takes place twenty years ago, the events of the election, and the character of the Conservative Party candidate played by Colm Meaney may strike a chord with Americans. I'll say no more at the risk of giving away too much of the story. It's a shame the title has been changed for American audiences. "Last of the High Kings" is a title which better fits the story. Frankie's mother frequently refers to her children as descendents of the High Kings of Ireland. The King of Rock and Roll's death and life touched people around the world. This is a small film with a big heart. I raise a pint to director David Keating and the "Last of the High Kings".

Rating:
Summary: Irish lad comes of age when The King passes away.
Review: Origially titled "Last of the High Kings", this film apparently has been released in the US as "Summer Fling". The new title is horrible but by any title, this film is worth seeking out. It is a coming of age tale about Frankie and his friends and family. The story is set in the summer of 1977 to the music of Frankie's favourite band, Thin Lizzy. Jared Leto plays Frankie. His family is ruled by his Mother, played to perfection by SCTV alum Catherine O'Hara. His father, an actor, influences Frankie's life most notably by his frequent absences. Gabriel Byrne, also the co-writer, plays the father. Jason Barry, bearing a striking resemblance to Ewan McGregor, plays one of Frankie's friends who has an obsession with bringing Elvis Presley to perform in Ireland. Christina Ricci also appears briefly but notably as an Irish-American visiting from Milwaukee. (The Milwaukee audience I saw the film with got a big kick out of that reference.) Leonard Maltin's guide mistakenly identifies the mother as pro-protestant, but in fact she is Irish Catholic through and through. What causes conflict for Frankie is when he acts on his lust for the town's two most popular girls. They are protestant and one is backing a candidate for the Labour Party in the parlimentary election. Though the story takes place twenty years ago, the events of the election, and the character of the Conservative Party candidate played by Colm Meaney may strike a chord with Americans. I'll say no more at the risk of giving away too much of the story. It's a shame the title has been changed for American audiences. "Last of the High Kings" is a title which better fits the story. Frankie's mother frequently refers to her children as descendents of the High Kings of Ireland. The King of Rock and Roll's death and life touched people around the world. This is a small film with a big heart. I raise a pint to director David Keating and the "Last of the High Kings".

Rating:
Summary: A terrible waste of my time!
Review: This movie was a terrible movie. It was so boring. I couldn't believe that it was such a dull movie. It looked so good on the cover. They had to get got actors to lessen the blow of this rather complicated film. It didn't even make sense. Christina Ricci's character shouldn't have been in there. She didn't do anything except embarrasse herself on the bus. The accents were the only good thing about it. They did a good job with that. Don't waste your time!!!