I guess you could say this film sits in the tradition of the Ealing Comedies; lighthearted, set in a close community and with a gentle humour.
The opening scene was one of the funniest starts to a film I have ever seen, and raised a huge laugh in the cinema. From there on in it isn't a laugh every minute, but the pace generally keeps up. The humour is generally affectionate, there are few characters to dislike, and the scenery is beautiful.
If the film has a fault it doesn't quite carry off all its sentimentality. A few of the shots, beautiful though they are, come over as a little too much like adverts from the Irish Tourist Board. If you want an image of contemporary Irish rural life my guess is 'Ballykissangel' would be closer to reality!
These aren't major faults however, and the film is genuinely funny and compassionate, one to cheer you up. It certainly gets my vote for world's funniest nude pensioner on a motorbike scene.
The opening scene was one of the funniest starts to a film I have ever seen, and raised a huge laugh in the cinema. From there on in it isn't a laugh every minute, but the pace generally keeps up. The humour is generally affectionate, there are few characters to dislike, and the scenery is beautiful.
If the film has a fault it doesn't quite carry off all its sentimentality. A few of the shots, beautiful though they are, come over as a little too much like adverts from the Irish Tourist Board. If you want an image of contemporary Irish rural life my guess is 'Ballykissangel' would be closer to reality!
These aren't major faults however, and the film is genuinely funny and compassionate, one to cheer you up. It certainly gets my vote for world's funniest nude pensioner on a motorbike scene.