Waking Ned Devine
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Movie Reviews of Waking Ned Devine
Movie Review: HEARTWARMING, MEMORABLE, AND GENTLY FUNNY...
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: HEARTWARMING, MEMORABLE, AND GENTLY FUNNY...
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Quite simply, Waking Ned is a superb film.
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw this movie back in 2000, when I was a lad of twenty. Having become fixated on Irish music and culture, a passion I still have to this day, I was encouraged to watch this movie by a lady friend. It ended up on my Christmas list. At the time, however, I didn't have a DVD player, so the movie was still on VHS.
The story of Waking Ned is at once simple and at the same time complicated. It takes place in a small village off the coast of Ireland, one of those places where everybody knows just about everybody else. Reminds me of my parents' home town in Wisconsin, though considerably smaller. This Irish village, however, seems composed largely of elderly folk with a few youngsters thrown into the mix. They live simple, easy lives, playing the lottery without necessarily expecting to win.
Things get complicated when it's discovered that the winner of the most recent lottery is a member of this small community. Lifelong friends Jackie O'Shea (played by the late Ian Bannen), and Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly), decide to find out who the winner is and make sure they're that person's best friends when they go to claim the money. Things become much less clear-cut, however, when Jackie discovers that the winner, Ned Devine, died of a heart attack brought on by the shock of discovering he'd become a millionaire. Not to be dissuaded, Jackie persuades Michael to help him in a scheme to impersonate Ned and claim the winnings. Rather than keeping it all for themselves however, Jackie decides to divide the money among all the residents of the village in response to what he believes is a vision from Ned. Ned, a kind and generous man in life, would probably have done exactly this had he lived to claim the money, so Jackie decides to go ahead with the scheme. The tricky part of course is convincing the entire village to go along with the whole thing. Matters are almost put to rest before they really get started when the man from the lottery shows up much sooner than expected, forcing Jackie, who had originally intended to impersonate Ned, to lay the burden on a reluctant Michael's shoulders. Michael, with no other options, rides his motorcycle, buck naked, from the beach where the two were rehearsing for the interview, all the way back to Ned's place while Jackie delays the man from Dublin.
All in all Waking Ned is definitely my idea of what a commedy should be, not too heavily reliant on crude jokes and profanity. In other words, true humor. Add to it the potential stumbling block of Lizzie Quinn, the village's resident grinch, and the subplot of the romance between Pig Finn, the local pig farmer, and Maggie, the farmer's daughter, and what you have is a delightfully lighthearted Irish tale of tragedy and triumph mixed liberally with humor. The musical score is particularly fitting near the very end of the film, which details the opposite fates of the villagers and Lizzie Quinn simultaneously. The film ends with a triumphantly beautiful rendition of The Parting Glass, one of my absolute favorite Irish tunes.
So all in all, I found this to be an excellent film and can't wait to own it on DVD.
Movie Review: A wonderful Irish (?) Comedy
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit that I bought this movie because of where it was filmed rather than because of the plot, although I was not at all disappointed with the latter. I found the combination of impeccable performance, gentle wit, occasional hilarity, evocative soundtrack and stunning scenery harmonised perfectly into a highly enjoyable whole. DVD audio and video quality is excellent although there is little otherwise to choose between VHS and DVD formats. Extras are limited to "text and photo" biographies of the cast and a Theatrical Trailer which gives away too many surprises - DO NOT WATCH THIS BEFORE WATCHING THE MOVIE.Many people may be surprised to discover that not a single frame of the movie was shot in Ireland, the filming actually taking place on the Isle of Man. Although more famous for its tail-less cats and the annual TT motorcycle races, tax concessions by the (Independent) Manx government have recently made the Island something of a haven for movie makers. The Isle of Man (which is almost exactly at the geographic centre of the British Isles) is in many ways an ideal location ; within its 220 square miles it possesses much of the landscape scenery found in the United Kingdom and Eire and enjoys a more favourable climate than either of its near neighbours.
The dramatic cliffs of the Island's south-west coast are used to wonderful effect in Waking Ned Devine as are the beautiful, secluded bays and the narrow country lanes - the naked motorcycle ride has to be one of the most memorable scenes in any recent movie. The village of Tullymore in the movie is actually Cregneash, at the extreme southern tip of the Island. A large part of this village, with its thatched farmstead and cottages, is a living museum, part of Manx National Heritage. I would urge anyone who loved the scenery in this movie to visit and explore the Isle of Man should the opportunity arise. It has been a favourite haunt of mine for many years and is certain to feature in an increasing number of productions as its reputation as a film location grows.
Movie Review: Charming Fairy Tale
Summary: 5 Stars
You may not immediately spot the leprechauns, wizards, and other tell-tale signs, but as you watch `Waking Ned Devine', you will soon realize that what you are seeing is an Irish fairy tale, simple and pure. The signs are all there, and if you are sharp, you will soon start to catch them. First to make its appearance is the pot of gold, disguised as a winning lottery ticket held by some lucky neighbor in the tiny village of Tulaigh Morh. Next, you will discover that the two old men scheming for a piece of the action, blarney filled Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) and his expressive faced scarecrow pal Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly), are but thinly disguised mischievous leprechauns. You will meet a hog keeper (James Nesbitt) waiting for the kiss of a fair maid (Susan Lynch) to reveal him for the prince that he is, and an old hag so black hearted and malevolent that all know her as a witch. And when Ned Devine, the neighbor with the winning ticket, dies from the shock of it, his ghost appears to old Jackie in a dream, setting in motion a plan fanciful as any Puss in Boots ever dreamed of that has the whole village working to outwit the vigilance of the lottery board and the malevolence of the witch, to all claim a piece of the fortune at rainbow's end.
`Waking Ned Devine' will enchant you and make you laugh. From its opening scene until the last verse of The Parting Glass is sung, it will charm you and leave you with a smile, wanting to watch it again.
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