Review(s): DVD The Boys and Girl From County Clare
Fiddley-dee
Having an Irish film without Colm Meaney in it would be somewhat like having a Harry Potter book with no mention of Hogwarts. It just can't be done. That being said, the ubiquitous Meaney is both talented and charming, the Emerald Isle's version of Gene Hackman, only a little more discriminating in the roles he accepts. Here, the actor is as likeable as always, even if the character he portrays is not.
The story involves two estranged brothers and the woman who came between them crossing paths at an Irish national music competition, where each brother does his best to deprive the other of the trophy. The story is predictable and somewhat formulaic, but that still doesn't get in the way of its charm. The film goes in the direction you expect it to, yet somehow its development seems very natural. The story's familiarity is something of a comfort. Here music serves as a bridge between people, and old animosities give way to newfound respect. Love blossoms and then finds a way to overcome its obstacles.
There's lots of good music and good acting here, and plenty of charming Irish scenery to boot. For lovers of Irish music, the film is worth watching for that alone. As for the acting, Colm Meaney and Bernard Hill come across as Irish Everymen, giving the film a kind of universal quality that helps it transcend its limited scope and setting. This is a film that just about anyone can relate to, and the charming music and bittersweet tale make it that much easier to embrace.
Charming and Entertaining
This movie is definitely a great buy. It's got great actors and lovely music and makes you feel like you're right in the middle of all the competition. It's got a good balance of comedy and drama and sheds a new light on how seriously some people take the Céilí music festival in Ireland. You won't be disappointed with it. If you like Irish music and the Irish culture in general, you should get this movie.
Andrea Corr and Irish Culture Fans Are In for a Treat.
Ever heard of a Ceili band competition? Well, if you check this movie out, you will be treated to excellent Irish music beyond your wildest dreams, and it may make you a fan of the genre if you already aren't. This is a very funny and entertainingly romantic story of two feuding brothers (Colm Meany and Bernard Hill) who challenge each other through their bands, one of which consists of a woman Maisie (Charlotte Bradley) whom Jimmy (Meany) had gotten pregnant and left behind years ago and the daughter he at first doesn't know is his(Andrea Corr).
Meanwhile, young love is blooming between Anne (Corr), and the flute player from her father's band, Teddy (Shaun Evans). This movie is absolute fun from start to finish, full of great jokes, wonderful Irish music, and the lovely, picturesque scenery of Northern Ireland. The conflicts of this movie are worked out with tact and no syrupy goo like so many other romantic comedies, which guys will appreciate, to which I must also add that this is NOT a chick flick! It's a good time for one and all. Congratulations to Andrea Corr for finally landing her largest role in a movie yet, and I hope to see her land even bigger parts in the future.
***That reminds me, why is the lady from Canada's review posted up here twice? I would not have noticed if she hadn't made such a point of being so mean to Andrea!***
When the Corr siblings first began their "Talk on Corners" world tour in 1998, they were still relatively obscure, selling well in their native Ireland but not so well worldwide. Over the next sixteen months, the band shot up the charts with five hit singles and soldout shows the world over. By the time they returned home in July 1999, they had become one of the best-selling groups in Europe, and their concert at Dublin's Lansdowne Road Stadium proved it by becoming the show to top them all.
With over 40,000 fans in attendance, the quartet took the stage armed with recent hits and Irish charm, and the audience eagerly ate it up. The Lansdowne Road concert has since reached near-legend proportions among Corrs fans, and the DVD capturing it all has recently been released to... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Nick Wickham - Ciarán Tanham DVD Release Date: Released the 10 August 2004 Usually ships in 6 to 9 days
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Both epic and intimate, A Very Long Engagement reunites Audrey Tautou and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the star and director of the hugely popular Amelie. A young woman named Mathilde (Tautou, Happenstance)separated from her lover by World War I refuses to believe he's been killed and launches an investigation into his fate--an investigation that spins in all directions, creating dozens of miniature stories (including that of an Italian prostitute avenging the death of her own lover by elaborate means) that shift to and fro in time. The dazzling curlicues of narrative put brutality and tenderness back to back, shifting between crushing inevitabilities and miraculous rescues with deft storytelling skill and the lush visual style of the director of Delicatessen and The... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Audrey Tautou - Gaspard Ulliel - Jodie Foster Director(s): Jean-Pierre Jeunet DVD Release Date: Released the 12 July 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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It has taken awhile for The Corrs astonishing "Unplugged" performance to make it onto DVD in NTSC format but finally, the wait is over!!
Captured live in October 1999 before a studio audience in Ireland's Ardmore Studios, The Corrs deliver an outstanding up-close-and-personal performance in a small intimate setting. In addition to what was then their current hits, The Corrs also debut two songs from their album "In Blue" ("Radio" and "At Your Side") which are arguably superior than what would wind up on that studio album one year later.
Additionally, the band throws in some stellar renditions of traditional Irish tunes which show off the full scope of their musicianship as well as cover versions of their favorite songs - R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts", Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams",... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 10 August 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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