Intermission
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Movie Reviews of Intermission
Movie Review: Entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars
Life not typical of the Irish, but another Cillian Murphy movie who completely out shines Colin Farrell.Movie Review: Intermission - Life is what happens in between
Summary: 4 Stars
Intermission is a comedy drama, which deals with the hard and interwoven lives and loves of small town criminals, dubious cops and an Irish gang. This is probably the reason the MPAA (Motion Picture Association America) rated it with an R and FSK only allowed grownups to watch this movie. The director of this movie is John Crowley, who has done a great job in depicting the unique city of Dublin and Mark O'Rowes script. And although the movie has multiple plotlines Crowley ensures the viewer to never lose track of the story.
The films starts off with a flirty Lehiff (Colin Farrell) bewitching the cashier of a shop, just to punch her in the face and take all the money. In the first and very disturbing scene one can see at the first moment that Intermission is not going to be a film that deals much with traditional Ireland but rather with contemporary stereotypes of the Irish. When Lehiff runs out of the shop, the music starts simultaneously. In this scene and also in many other scenes in which Lehiff appears, music creates tension and suspense. But the music only accompanies Lehiff, otherwise music is played very seldom and if so, only for background noises and not for special effects like in typical Hollywood movies.
Speaking of Hollywood movies Intermission is the total opposite to it. There are no special effects, unmanageable stunts or absurd storylines. This movie rather depicts the normal life of these people living in Dublin. A further difference appears in the area of lights and shots. For example look at another crime/action movie with Colin Farrell like Phone Booth there, the actual crime sequence is very fast cut. In contrast, the crime sequences in Intermission happen in real time and not that fast that nobody knows what is going on anymore. There is also no light on important parts, everything is light up equally and naturally.
In the next scene, the viewer is introduced to two other important characters, John (Cillian Murphy), who is a young man working in a supermarket and who just lost his girlfriend Deidra (Kelly McDonald) and Mick (Brian F. O'Byrne), the bus driver. This scene already deals with a stereotype about the Irish. The Irish are known to be very friendly and open-minded people, but Mick is shown to be very unfriendly and annoyed by the passengers. He and an older passenger have a short conversation, which is full of unfriendliness and swear words. Mick also shows another stereotype concerning the Irish. He listens to two women walking which is very impolite but it is known as "Irish curiosity".
Another stereotype that is dealt with in the film is about the Irish and alcohol. When they are all together in the pub, emphasis is put on an elderly man in a wheelchair who is unable to hold his drink but gets younger men to hold them for him and basically "feed" him. He is drinking Guinness which also shows a certain pride of his country. Right afterwards the viewer is introduced to the detective Jerry Lynch (Colm Meaney) who takes himself very seriously and does not behave like a real police officer. Lynch is a perfect example of police brutality and disrespect towards criminals, especially when he relieves himself on Lehiff's legs. His attitude towards criminals is strengthened in the boxing scene, when he says: "People I deal with are piss...waste."
The film deals a lot with unemployment, poverty and crime in contemporary Dublin society. Above everything there is the trio (Lehiff, John and Mick) that decide to rob a bank, which incidentally is run by Deidra's boyfriend Sam. Through Ben's and Lynch's TV show, one gets to see two other criminals. A character, who shows how Dublin's youngest generation behaves, is the boy who first throws a stone at Mick's bus and then makes his car fall into that river risking Mick getting seriously injured. He seems disrespectful and indicates that the youth is rather badly educated and troublemaking. Through all those characters, Ireland is not represented in a very good way.
But what the characters all have in common is some sign of traditional "Irishness". All of them enjoy going to the pub and having a quiet pint with their friends. A further common feature is that everybody started off by being rather lonely and unhappy. John broke up with Deidra and quits his job. His best friend Oscar started an unhappy relationship with an older woman and also paid for the bad deeds he had committed in his life. But the finish promises satisfaction for everybody, who loves happy endings. The only character who pays for the way he lived is the real villain.
Despite the movie, the DVD offers a lot more. There are for example other movie trailers and bonus material on it. This material consists of the original trailer and some interviews with the actors. At first the producers deliver their comments to the movie and how they created it, the second part consist of the actors explain their role and the hidden meanings of some sequences.
Intermission shows the issues and negatives about Dublin's society but it is presented in a very humorous way. It is entertaining, thoughtful and exciting at the same time. The characters are played by very good actors and I can only recommend this film to everybody. All in all the perfect movie for those, who long for a change from the Hollywood productions.
Movie Review: (4.5) Fun Irish romp
Summary: 4 Stars
Saw this film playing at some second rate movie theater for around a dollar or so. And for the record, I love second rate movie theaters.
Im also becoming a fan of Cillian Murphy after watching him in Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later", am accustomed to seeing Colin Farrell here and there, remember seeing Shirley Henderson and Kelly MacDonald in "Trainspotting", and Colm Meaney usually plays interesting characters in all his films. I also drink lots of Guinness, so I figured I'd give this a try.
What I saw was a film based on multiple stories tied together by chance meetings, irony, stupidity, and just plain old luck. Each little scenario affected the entire picture in one way or another. This type of plot and storyline has been done many many times. Some films have had great success and fun with it ("Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels", "Run Lola Run", for example) and some didnt really work, or had too much going on ("Happenstance"). Since the plot is more or less recycled and cliched, the film's success or failure depends mostly on the performances, the characters, and the crazy twists and turns.
With that said, this film was pretty enjoyable, silly at some points, but overall well done. The talent I mentioned above all acted well, especially Colin Farrell, who seemed to be really free and relaxed speaking...the way he normally speaks, I guess. The characters were also interesing enough to keep everything flowing smoothly. Irish accents are fun, too, even though once in a while a few lines of dialogue are nearly impossible to understand. I dont know an overly large amount about the Irish culture, but everything seemed basically believeable. I do listen to Clannad and go to pubs, though, so that earned me some points. The environments were beautiful, from crowded downtown scenes to pubs to the rolling green hills. A lot of the humor I found highly entertaining, although I can see where others may not, because some of it is borderline evil humor. The music fit well, with both UK and Irish artists playing in the background. Colin Farrell's version of "I Fought the Law" is fun, too, and is definitely a worthy remake, right up there with The Clash, Dead Kennedys, and Mike Ness versions.
I really liked the Irish twist to the fimiliar plot, and the characters were fun, along with the brown sauce in the coffee and all the Guinness being consumed. I dont know whatll be on the DVD when it arrives in October, but Ill still get it. I encourage you to check out this film.
Movie Review: Dubliners in 'Lock, Stock' Fashion: Rough, Edgy and Unpredictable
Summary: 4 Stars
You just don't know what happens next in 'Intermission,' Irish-English film directed by enormously promising first-timer John Crowley (who's been doing jobs for stage before this one), and produced by Neil Jordan ('Michael Collins'). You see sweet talking from Colin Farrell, and then, Bang! something terrible happens. But wonderful thing about 'Intermission' is, beside that unexpected shocks or tender moments, that it has lots of delightfully eccentric characters and amusing dialogues (with equally lots of dirty words). It's like 'Trainspotting' in Dublin.
[EMSEMBLE CAST] Among the film's eleven stories, known and unknown faces appear as the residents in Dublin, Ireland, where they encounter mostly unhappy incidents in their life. Colin Farrel is rakish Lehiff, who is chased after by a violent cop Jerry (Colm Meaney, 'Deep Space 9'); Cilian Murphy ('28 Days Later') is unhappy John who left his love recently; Deirdre (Kelly McDonald, 'Trainspotting') is John's ex-love, having an affair with a bank manager. And Shirley Henderson (who is Moaning Myrtle in 'Harry Potter' series) is Deirdre's sister Sally, who, it seems, has a mustache ala Burt Reynolds or Tom Selleck.
We see the fates of these characters, all unlucky in love, job, or whatever, cleverly depicted by the sure hand of director, who knows how to spin good stories out of very ridiculous situations. Some find riding a bus can be very dangerous when a little boy throws a stone at that; or some find brown source tastes very good when put in a cup of coffee. Screenwriter Mark O'Rowe did a fine job in creating a variety of lively characters that remind you of 'Pulp Fiction.'
[TO COLIN FARRELL FANS -- HE SINGS!] Really. Though Colin Farrel's character is part of emsemble cast, which means you often lose track of his character, Colin Farrel here is exactly your bad boy image of Colin Farrel with Irish accents, which I find is not as thick as you may think. And listen to the song 'I Fought the Law' at the end credit, sung by Colin Farrel himself. Just in case you might be interested.
Though often very violent and even nasty, 'Intermission' is brimmed with energy that keeps the film going on smoothly to the end. Sometimes unpleasant, but you forget it when everything fits in the right places in the end.
Movie Review: Pleasant if not particularly original.
Summary: 4 Stars
"Intermission" is very reminiscent of other modern offbeat films from Britain and Ireland is the past few (nearly ten since Trainspotting? Already?!) years, the kind of films that seem all vaguely "Guy Ritchie-ish" except "Intermission" is more based around love than crime and violence.
The structure is particularly reminiscent of "Go" (1999), the American film, in which a number of storylines revolving around offbeat, quirky characters all come together in the end. It may already sound like I'm denigrating the film, but I'm not. I'm giving it to you straight - this film's originality is not its strong suit. But most of you I imagine are like me, already knew that and want to see it anyway.
Well, this film delivered pretty much all I expected and I liked it. I was looking for another one of those wonderful British/Irish films where everyone talks in sexy, outlandish accents and working class stiffs get themselves into impossible jams and extricate themselves and find their way through life in the most improbable of ways. Among the storylines - two supermarket stock boys, one of which can't believe his ex-girlfriend who he is still loves is dating a man 20 years her senior, the second a man who is incapable of having an orgasm of late; the ex-girlfriend and her family, with her sister who was screwed over and left jaded by a boyfriend who hurt in her in a particular vicious and unpleasant way, rebelling against men by growing a moustache; a bedraggled bus driver; a small-time thief who has qualms about punching out pretty girls and manipulating his would-be friends; a tough-talking cop who thinks he's the world's biggest badass; and etc. all revolving around a down-on-its-luck Dublin suburb.
This movie doesn't have a huge "wow" factor, but I liked it quite a bit and it delivered all it promised. If you like films like "Shallow Grave," the works of Guy Ritchie or Irvine Welsh, I can't you see not liking this movie. I think the photogenic, very attractive acting trio of Kelly MacDonald (very cute), Colin Farrell (patented Irish bad-boy persona in full force), and Cillian Murphy (those eyes making girls and not a few guys swoon) put on the most memorable and best performances of all, but the whole, well-known Irish cast does a fine job. 4 well deserved stars.