Matt's Top 17 Irish films of all time
Paddy's day is rapidly approaching! So, in order to kick off celebrations, CineCola has decided to make a list of the appropriately numbered 17 best Irish films of all time!
NOTE: This is a list of Irish productions, and not films just shot in Ireland. Therefore, no space for so called 'Irish classics' such as Man of Aran (UK), The Quiet Man (USA) or Barry Lyndon (UK) and so on.
17. – INTERMISSION by John Crowley (2003)
An adrenaline filled Irish working class crime comedy drama about a series of coincidence that bring together the lives of of a small group of people living in Dublin. The film brings together laugh out loud comedy and ordinary everyday tragedy with violence and crude ‘in your face’ imagery in a style that was and still feels like quite a trend setter for a new and an emerging Irish cinema.
16. – INSIDE I’M DANCING by Damien O’Donnell (2004)
The tale of the friendship between a rebellious young man with muscular dystrophy and another with celebral palsy, who manage to get out of their institution and get their own home, where they are assisted by a young girl named Siobhan. The three have fun times together, tainted only by the first’s unpredictable behaviours. Though the film starts at a lively pace that seems to defy the boundaries of similar films about people with disabilities, towards the middle the film changes considerably into an overlong episode of a soap opera. Nevertheless, the two lead actors, both able bodied in real life, give excellent human performances that required a tricky level of physicality.
15. – INTO THE WEST by Mike Newell (1992)
A family of members of the Irish travelling community tries to get back their beloved stallion Tir na nÓg after he was illegally sold off of them by the cops. Though the film can come across as an interesting commercialised portrait of the Irish travelling community and the magic of Irish legend storytelling, in reality it has an underwhelming plot and many cheesy moments that seem to row against the initial premise and any expectations the film may have carried. But the stark contrast between fable and realism is the key to the film’s success, and works in its favour defining it as a fascinating conflict of escapism and authenticity.
14. – LOVE ETERNAL by Brendan Muldowney (2013)
A death-fixated young man finds the only way of understanding the meaning of his existence is by getting closer to his strange obsession. Perhaps the pivotal element of the film, however, is his love – in all its forms – for the dead. Muldowney carries on his trend of dark subjects with this film, which strangely aims to charm and at once repel the audience with its clear references to necrophilia and other morbid elements alike. But despite the originality of the nature of the film and the wonderfully stylised visuals, it’s remarkable to find love eternal so incredibly compliant of warmth and humanity without the need to rebuke and rather embracing its own dark, sinister and slightly creepy nature.
13. – THE FIELD by Jim Sheridan (1990)
An Irish farmer upon encountering the possibility of losing the land he has been renting for years when competition arises with the arrival of a wealthy American, comes in contact with his darker side. Sheridan’s film loses power by giving way to clichés and sentimentalism to appeal more easily to a wider audience. In this way, he is a little untrue to the original work by John B. Keane. Nevertheless, The Field has a great performance by Richard Harris that is worthy of praise and perhaps an even greater and certainly more accessible emotional power than the original material – something a cinema audience would find truly gripping, compelling and rewarding.
12. – THE ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN by Peter Lennon (1968)
A documentary painting a picture of Ireland and what became of it since its 1916 rising. An interesting documentary making important and daring comments, among others, on the grip the Catholic Church had on the country and for which it was initially condemned. An important, very witty to the point of almost seeming satirical and remarkably modern in style – making use of the groundbreaking direct cinema documentary approach. The Rocky Road to Dublin also stands today as one of the most important early Irish films, able to rise above the non existing Irish film industry.
11. – THE GUARD by John Michael McDonagh (2011)
An unorthodox Irish policeman is paired up with an American FBI agent to investigate on an international drug-smuggling group. A funny and well paced comedy thriller with a likeable Gleeson performance as the country policeman – an interestingly colourful character. The Guard also has a great genuine feeling of Irishness running through it that bears little interest in seeming easily appealing to an international audience in favour of a more genuine approach – a factor that paradoxically contributes to its great success and makes it stand out quite clearly.
10. – GARAGE by Lenny Abrahamson (2007)
Set in rural Ireland, this is the tragi-comic story of the lonely life of a harmless petrol station caretaker. An honest look at life in rural Ireland, as well as the dangers of an uneducated and monotonous simple minded culture. While the film occasionally lacks urgency and pace, it is certainly kept together by Pat Shortt's performance and his choice to under-act the role of Josie is highly rewarding and makes the film all the more hard hitting.
9. – KISSES by Lance Daly (2008)
An eleven year old boy and his close friend, a ten year old girl, decide to run away to the tragedy of their own homes and explore the city of Dublin with all its dangers. A good coming of age drama about two young lovers which also feels like a modern time fable. Lance Daly's film is sweet and tender but also a gritty exploration of loss of innocence brought ambitiously to the screen with an admirable visual style, most notably the choice to use both black and white shots and colour ones.
8. – THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY by Ken Loach (2006)
Distant yet realistic portrayal about Irish groups fighting the oppression of British lawmen in 1916, following the story of a man who forgets of his dreams of becoming a doctor after he sees the murder of his friend by the hand of British soldiers and joins the Irish cause. The film is cold and seems tp bear little interest in coming across as shallow escapism, seeking instead a documentary like realism that exposes truths of the never ending conflict to a broad audience. Without embellishments of any sort, the impact is very strong and thought provoking.
The story of Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, who learned to paint and writer with his only controllable limb – his left foot. A delicate story to tackle, Sheridan’s film carries great emotional depth and unlike many other films of the same kind does not ever feel exploitational in its portrayal of the lead character’s physical and psychological struggles. While Sheridan’s direction is very skilled, his efforts would have been futile had he not met his match through Daniel Day Lewis’ performance. Totally committed to the physical restraints of the character he portrays, Lewis’ performance is incredibly powerful and among his best.
6. – KNUCKLE by Ian Palmer (2011)
A documentary about the Irish travellers community and their secretive world of bare knuckle fighting. Very much in the style of direct cinema, this documentary is a gritty and stripped down priceless insight into a simple yet fascinating subject that is somewhat undiscovered in cinematic terms. While sometimes it feels a little lacking in focus and balance, it's still quite gripping and intense.
5. – THE STAG by John Butler (2013)
Despite expectations, John Butler’s take on the Irish bachelor party traditions is not the childish comedy that we have been used to expecting – a prejudice mostly shaped by more expensive production that make use of similar elements. This is the story of a man getting married and going of on a ‘Stag’, a trip to the mountains, with his friends and his future brother in law to be, a man whose infamous reputation as a loose cannon has people calling him the machine. Despite their initial friction, they slowly end up connecting not only to nature, but with each other as they reveal personal sides with one another that will have made their trip worthwhile. John Butler’s film is filled with hilarious creative comedic gags, yet it is its emotional depth that catches off guard and makes it infinitely more rewarding than similar films. The Stag has this remarkable ability to be hilarious one moment and the next harrowingly intimate thanks to a very clever and well balanced screenplay. Though the cast does not include any big names, they all do a great job in conveying the strength of the film and its story. Furthermore, The Stag plays up on the Irish element of the film almost fearlessly. Entertaining and overall rewarding, The Stag seems to be destined to become a true gem of Irish cinema’s comedy and there is just no reason why it shouldn’t be.
4. – THE MAGDALENE SISTERS by Peter Mullan (2002)
The Magdalene Sisters made Irish film history when it picked up the Palm d’Or – the first full Irish film to do so. It is easy to see why it was able to achieve the success and international acclaim it did. The Magdalene Sisters touches the delicate subject of one of the darkest pages in the history of the Catholic Church, as it portrays it stronghold on the Irish people’s battered morality through the lives of three young Irish women practically imprisoned within the walls of the titular sisters’ convent. Based on true events, Mullan is totally faithful to the importance of his story, and whilst exploring the degradation and hardships suffered by these women he retains a wonderful level of humanity within the despair and the depression. Coldly lit and full of psycho-emotional intensity, completed by some great performances by its cast, The Magdalene Sisters is a remarkable landmark in Irish film history and one of the country’s finest productions.
3. - THE COMMITMENTS by Alan Parker (1991)
Adapted from a Roddy Doyle novel, this film is about the travails of a soul band put together by young and enthusiastic Jimmy Rabbit. As the band gets closer to fame, however, they start falling apart, and it’s up to the visionary himself to keep things together. The film is enjoyably fast paced and filled with great music, as well as well written characters. The cast is mostly made up of unknowns, yet they carry the film on with great charisma. The film also does not disregard its cultural context by eradicating the story within the poor and run down setting of North Dublin.
2. – THE DEAD by John Huston (1987)
John Huston’s last film is also one of his most meaningful and perhaps even personal ones. It is the moving adaptation of James Joyce’s story The Dead, taking place at an upper class family New Year’s Eve party in Dublin in 1904, after which a wife confesses a love affair she had long ago to her husband after hearing an old ballad. An intense film, delightful to the eye with the wonderful art direction, and the poetic cinematography that follows the complex actions of that one night well. John Huston really displays his experience and talent with this final great and sophisticated movie, where great performances were required from the cast, and great performances were delivered. All the while, an emotional restraint heightens its tension and contributes to the naturalistic and breezy flow of the film.
1. – IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER by Jim Sheridan (1993)
Sheridan teams up with actor Day-Lewis to give us a portrait of the difficult situation of the troubles and the IRA. This film is based on the true story of Gerry Conlon, wrongly accused of a bombing in London and imprisoned along with his father after the investigators force a confession out of him. Sheridan’s ability to enclose a tense relationship between father and son within the depressing and violent walls of prison is exceptional in its exhibition of humanity. It is also one of the most touching cinematic representation of the tight bond between father and son and the love and commitment of father and son for one another. At the same time, however, Sheridan also gives plenty of attention to a feeling of disenchantment towards institutions and the madness and disorganisation of the cultural context in which the film is set. Gripping and intense in every way from start to finish, due to a excellently balanced screenplay as well as some masterful performance, In the Name of the Father will always figure among the best Irish films ever made, and certainly one of the most influential contemporary dramas that Ireland has ever produced.