Rating: 
Summary: Best Foreign Film Ever
Review: This was the best foreign film I have ever seen! I loved it! The plot was first-rate, and the acting was phenomenal. There was nothing about this movie that I didn't like. I give it two thumbs up (no offense intended to Siskel and Ebert) and five stars! Highly recommended for anyone who loves powerful films. Buy it today!
Rating:
Summary: A Classic!
Review: In the small town of Tulaigh Mhor, Ned Devine has just won the lottery. The only problem is, he died from the shock of it. Two local men, Michael O'Sullivan and Jackie O'Shea, then hatch a plot to impersonate Ned and claim the money. My favourite scene was at the funeral of Ned Devine, where the lotto man shows up and while making his speech, Jackie pretends it is Michael O'Sullivan who has died. He states, "Michael O'Sullivan was my great friend. But I don't ever remember telling him that. The words that are spoken at a funeral are spoken too late for the man who is dead. What a wonderful thing it would be to visit your own funeral. To sit at the front and hear what was said, maybe say a few things yourself. Michael and I grew old together. But at times, when we laughed, we grew young. If he was here now, if he could hear what I say, I'd congratulate him on being a great man, and thank him for being a friend." This was a really cute movie, and it always kept me laughing. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of international movies. It's definitely one of my favourites!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Little Movie
Review: A wonderful film with a great soundtrack. For everyone prattling on about the "beautiful Irish countryside" I hate to burst your bubble, but the film was shot on the Isle of Man, not Ireland.
Rating:
Summary: Very Funny
Review: At first I thought why am I watching this? Especially since I'm a fan of action/suspense/thriller/martial arts type movies but the more I watched the more I laughed. The plot is rather interesting and it gets you glued to your seat because you just have to see what's going to happen next. This is a good 'ol clean entertainment for the family.
Rating:
Summary: Killingly, screaming, LOL funny. Worth 10 stars
Review: A not-to-be-missed movie about the collusion of the inhabitants of a remote Irish village into getting the national lottery money to divide among themselves. Trouble is that the holder of the winning ticket died of shock with the winning ticket in his hand when he heard his numbers called off, so someone must pose in his place when the detective comes to verify the ID of the winner. Things get stickier and more problematic as layer upon layer of inventive Irish complications are added to the stew.
My favorite story about this movie has passed into family lore. I told my somewhat deaf mother she would surely enjoy it, and she persisted in mis-hearing me when I gave her the title. Ever since, in our family, it's Making God Divine or, her next best guess, Waking Teddy Klein. I finally told her to go to the video store and ask for either of those, that surely the guy behind the information desk would know what she was talking about...and he did.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Family Entertainment
Review: Beautiful film. And thought provoking. Purity prevails through this town's ruse.
Rating:
Summary: HEARTWARMING, MEMORABLE, AND GENTLY FUNNY...
Review: This film, written and directed by Kirk Jones III, is one of my all-time favorites - and it's only 5 years old. Telling the story of how unimaginable riches can affect the lives of people in a small Irish village, the writing and the characterizations here are absolutely perfect. Without making fun of the people who live in the village, Jones manages to find the humor in their lives - and in this situation - and he lays it out before our eyes in a very loving, respectful way. When I first saw this in the theatre, I laughed until I had tears running down my cheeks - not at mindless slapstick, but at real, deep humor. Some of the tears were from pure emotion as well - these are characters who will get into your heart and stay there for years to come. The two main protagonists here are lifelong pals Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) and Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly - fans of FAWLTY TOWERS will remember him as the bumbling carpenter O'Reilly) - there is nothing in the world they would hesitate to do for each other, with the honesty and love that a long, deep friendship breeds. Jackie is married to Annie (Fionnula Flanagan) - Michael is a widower who is obviously still very much in love with his departed wife (much to the consternation of a precious widow who lives in the village). An inanimate character in the story is the Irish Lottery - many people in the village are regular players, each with his/her own dream of what to do with the winnings, should they fall their way. One morning after a drawing on TV, Jackie discovers that there is a winner in the village, unidentified. He and Michael hatch a scheme to find out the identity of the lucky party and make sure they are fast friends with them - when they discover that their old friend Ned Devine is the winner, they assume their job will be an easy one. There's a small catch - Ned died of shock when he realized that he had hit the jackpot. The rest of the film revolves around Jackie's newly-revised scheme - sure that he's doing what Ned would have wanted, he is determined to convince the man from the Lotto that Ned is alive. Let the shenanigans and general hilarity begin - along with some genuinely touching emotional moments, and more than a little drama and suspense. We are treated to a wonderful cast of characters the likes of which is rare in a comedic film - each and every one of them is so very well-developed, and even the ones that display humorous aspects are never presented as caricatures. This is where the respect held by Jones for his story and characters becomes valuable to the point of being a rare, precious thing. The interplay between the various characters is extremely well-drawn. Annie's attempts to coax 'the boys' back from a 'life of crime and prison' are from her heart - it's easy to see that she loves Michael almost as much as her husband. The on-again-off-again courtship between Pig Finn (James Nesbitt) and Maggie O'Toole (Susan Lynch, who played the Selkie in THE SECRET OF ROAN INNISH) is sweet but never cloying - and Eileen Dromey is absolutely perfectly detestable as 'the witch' Lizzy Quinn, whose greed and contempt for her neighbors threatens to throw a spanner into the works for everyone. If you've managed to miss this gem - don't wait any longer. Since it wasn't a huge box-office smash, it might be a little hard to find for rental - so go ahead and take the plunge and buy a copy. I guarantee you won't want to watch it just once.
Rating:
Summary: "Waking Ned Divine--" No Surprise It Was A Sleeper Hit
Review: I saw this movie at the strong urging of my half-Irish mother and was so happy I had. Although I wouldn't recommend it for children because of the occasional difficulty in understanding the accents and the blatant theme of complete dishonesty (and phoniness among one's friends), the movie is ideal for adults who are looking for a wholesome night's entertainment. Set amid beautiful hills, valleys and gorgeous thatched-roof houses, "Waking Ned Divine" is basically the story of Jackie's and Mike's very clever deception of Jim, the official from the Irish lottery. Although the ploy to claim the late Ned Divine's winnings was orginated by Jackie, Mike is soon unwillingly cast in the role of Ned by an unfortunate and hilarious twist of fate. The nude motorcycle ride gave me a viewing of the most shockingly thin person I've ever seen in my life. I'm truly surprised Mike does not blow away in the first strong wind coming off the sea. The supporting characters are fantastic: Fionnula Flanagan's portrayal of Jackie's wife Annie reminded me of a kindly disapproving mother-figure that eventually suspends her strict moral standards to come around to the fun. James Nesbitt's Pig Finn was one of the high points of the movie for me as well. But it's Mike who really steals the show, in my opinion. As a man unaccustomed to lying, he comes off nervous, terrified and much older in spirit than he actually is: perfect. I'd highly recommend "Waking Ned Divine" to anyone interested in seeing a movie that leaves one with a warm feeling in their heart and a smile upon their lips.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best surprises I've had in a long time!
Review: A group of my friends happened upon this movie by accident. None of us had heard of it and we were all so pleasantly surprised. It has quickly moved to all of our top ten lists of movies to see. If you like a movie with great writing and a plot - something Hollywood seems to be lacking these days - I highly recommend this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Correction Folks.
Review: For the reviewers who keep commenting about the wonderful Irish scenery and how authentic it is, be advised the movie was filmed in its entirety on the Isle of Man, not in Ireland. A small difference maybe, but certainly not Ireland.
| 
