Intermission (2003) User Reviews

demanding but rewarding offbeat comedy

[Buddy-51 · 8/10 · 13 March 2005]

You may develop a slight case of whiplash while watching "Intermission," but it will be a small enough price to pay for the pleasure of the experience. This is a fascinating film that ingeniously weaves together a myriad of overlapping stories whose common thread is life among the Irish working class.

The screenplay focuses on a group of seemingly unrelated people whose lives crisscross and intersect in so well crafted a way that, as the story develops, a fully connected narrative soon emerges. Through a carefully thought-out structure and pattern, writer Mark O'Rowe and director John Crowley create order out of seeming disorder, and the overlaps never feel pre-fabricated or contrived - until the end that is, and then the contrivance is used for comic effect. The overarching theme of the piece is an examination of the subtleties and complexities that make up human interactions and human relationships. There are people here from all walks of life, yet they are basically united in their desire for love, commitment and acceptance from their fellow man. A few of them veer towards the criminal and/or violent side of life but most are just ordinary Joes (and Janes) trying to make the best of the lives they've been handed. This is one of those films in which the good people triumph over their failings, the not-so-good ones get the chance to make things right, and the irredeemable ones get their richly deserved comeuppance in the end.

Colin Farrell, playing a violent, two-bit hoodlum, is the only "name" member of the cast, but the film boasts a whole gallery of fine actors and actresses who deliver heartfelt, winning performances. The film is filled with humor and sentiment and just enough action and violence to keep the whole thing contemporary and cutting edge (with the usual nod to "Pulp Fiction," of course).

The real joy of the film lies in putting yourself in the hands of the filmmakers and letting them take you wherever it is they want you to go. The trip, I promise you, will be a rewarding one.

And you'll barely feel that whiplash.

A solid piece of entertainment

[The_Triad · 7/10 · 20 November 2006]

Intermission is one of those modern multiple storyline films in which a group of characters lives intertwine. And, as per usual involves a car crash. These factors tie it to the likes of Magnolia, Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Crash, 13 Conversations About One Thing and many more films I'm sure that escape me at this point. So what does Intermission have to offer that these films do not? For one, the acting talent involved is pretty much a who's who of Irish (and Scottish) actors at present. Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy, Colm Meaney, Shirley Henderson and Kelly Macdonald. The other main factor in the quality of Intermission lies in it's script, which comes across as funny, engaging and despite the comparisons made above is fairly original. It is most definitely a lighter affair than some of it's contemporary rivals listed above, and though not groundbreaking by any means, is a well-made and engaging piece of work.

Darkly Funny Gem

[kvnmsmth · 8/10 · 14 January 2009]

Intermission starts with a bang and just keeps going, following the intertwined lives of its characters who are in search of either love, money or fame. This darkly funny Irish film speeds along, delivering numerous memorable scenes and a variety of interesting characters.

The dialog is sharp and the story carefully laid out. The direction shows a true love a film making - a desire to make something lively and entertaining and funny, yet truthful and touching.

Despite the multiple story lines and players, Intermission holds together, arriving at its final destination at just the right time. Not an ounce of fat to be found here, this is a well-crafted film.

Good but not Great

[renodc · 6/10 · 30 December 2004]

Some movies are great and some just stink, and then there are some that fall in the middle somewhere. Intermission would fall into this category. I wouldn't necessarily call it a good movie, but it's not bad either. I was impressed by the way director John Crowley was able to maintain a somewhat coherent storyline despite having so many interwoven characters. The problem with most ensemble pieces is that the characters tend to get lost in the mix. I was intrigued by the way Crowley was able to develop each character enough to make them interesting, even though I think he could have sacrificed a couple of the more minor characters to make some of the others richer. I thought the acting was very good, which is typical of European films, but be warned that you might want to use the subtitle option (unless you're Irish) because the Irish accents are so sharp, especially Colin Farrell, that it's often hard to understand what's being said. The fabric of the film itself involves many characters involved in separate story lines, that as the film plays out, slowly approach and tie into a more central story revolving around an attempted robbery. The multiple story lines are fairly engaging, and at times very funny with very witty dialogue, especially in relation to Sally the mustache girl. Intermission isn't a movie probably everyone will like, but I thought it was interesting and worthy of a rental.

Sorry, sheep

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 30 December 2013]

Dublin. The producer of a small news segment about the people, Ben(O'Suilleabhain, toying with that edge) wants to do a show on cop and self-proclaimed hardass Jerry(Meaney, determined and volatile), who is harassing small-timer Lehiff(Farrell, playing to his strength as a charming bad boy), who thinks of a bigger scheme. He will need people for it, so he approaches bus driver Mick(O'Byrne, kind but needing money for the missus, or, more appropriately, her plans for new floors, a shed, and...), whose friend John(Murphy, nice but keeps his feelings bottled up) misses his ex Deirdre(MacDonald, sweet) who, get this, has already gotten together with Sam(McElhatton, defensive) who left his wife of 14 years for her, understandably making her a bit upset.

Thus this weaves the people and story lines in with one another, often letting us spend just a little time with one situation, allowing it to be, as the film is, fairly fast-paced, effective in its establishing and developing of characters, plot and the dark, quirky and harsh comedy, and, in spite of everything being set up and paid off on, immensely surprising. Along the way, we explore the themes of relationships, job situation, money and happiness. The ingredients of life, right there! And it manages to mix in drama, and maintain its Irish roots and identity throughout. The occasional intercutting of mounting tensions in different locations is a great tool, and at no point do we lose interest or track of any of the connected tales.

There is a lot of strong language, some bloody, violent and disturbing content and a little sexuality in this. The DVD comes with interesting interviews with crew(about 4 and a half minutes) and cast(7 and a half minutes) and trailers for The United States of Leland, The Butterfly Effect, Step on It, Monster, The Passion of The Christ, Sky Captain and the world of Tomorrow, Godsend and Inkasso. I recommend this to any fan of local flavor and the superb cast. 7/10

see this with someone who is as cynical as you

[hitchingsk · 9/10 · 7 February 2005]

to be honest, the first scene sums this movie up, it's a punch in the face. you have to have a very dry sense of humor to like this movie, i don't think it was made for the usual "american" market. our culture is geared toward in your face comedy, like old school or dodge ball, where subtle darker humor about everyday life gets lost. husbands leave wives, people get fired from terrible jobs, and in general have crappy lives. but it is up to us to enjoy what we have, and finding the strength to keep on going no matter what, and this movie is like that. it has an all star cast, from Colin Farrell to Colm Meany, Shirley Henderson to Cillian Murphy they all shine like the stars they are.

cynical in right dose

[Vincentiu · 10 July 2014]

it is a not soft exercise of honesty. smart script, great cast and a lot of events. dark humor and a classic story about basic values and their price. more than cynical picture of characters lives, it is a bitter story who remember the best pages of American literature. because the frustrations, the desires, the search of happiness, the horrible job and the taste of freedom are sides of same need of sense. and the science to transform all in a seductive labyrinth, who remember many others, to impose not a fantastic end but the normal solution with its delicate flavor of perfect circle are virtues of a movie who remains a challenge or, maybe, an experience. if it is an experience, the whole guilt is result of extraordinary cast job.

enjoyable but not essential

[juancalzetta · 6/10 · 19 April 2004]

I saw "Intermission" in a small theater; the sound was bad which made the tricky Irish accents difficult to decipher at times. Still, the film was funny, interesting and involving enough to be enjoyable.

The script was good and was it's pleasing that each of the numerous characters of this ensemble cast had resolution in their tales. The evolution of each of their stories was enjoyable, especially if you like character-driven stories. Cillian Murphy (John) was the brightest performance but not to be outdone by an aggressive and explosive Colm Meaney. Colin Ferrell was unimpressive aside from his nasty appearance and a couple golden moments, as in the opening scene. Shirley Henderson and Kelly MacDonald were decent too, but not overly impressive, which is acceptable given their straightforward roles.

The film shines when the intersection of its characters make it evident how much action and reaction can affect others. --Cause and effect, trust and deception, love and hate, love and sex, sex and violence, violence and justice, justice and criminality: welcome to an exhibition of these dynamic polar forces weighing in on everyday life::: The characters are blasted apart, drawn together and into collision and this, surely, is always amusing to watch.

Again, sound quality is imperative and was the film's major weakness.

However, I had no problem paying the matinee price for a 90 minute romp in Ireland.

6/10, JCC

Irish film-making at is best

[coffey-21 · 10/10 · 26 April 2008]

I'm quite surprised that this film hasn't got a higher rating. This really is a gem of movie. Well-written, well-acted, witty and brutally black dialog makes this a modern Irish classic. The acting is excellent. Colin Farrell is well cast as the stereotypical Dublin scumbag which he seems to have great fun portraying. Cillian Murphy is great as the lovelorn rogue John while David Wilmot steals the show from his more famous co-stars as unlucky in love Oscar. Kelly MacDonald, Shirley Henderson, Deirde O' Kane and Colm Meany add more weight to a highly talented cast.

The film follows the lives of several different characters in contemporary Dublin and how their lives intersect. The violence and coarse language is matched by the tender and honest scenes. The fast pace of the movie holds the viewers attention fantastically well as we follow the lives of these highly likable characters(well maybe not Farrell but he is still compelling and hilarious to watch) while they search for love, happiness and the answers to life's complicated dilemmas. A true original. Even though its not much of an achievement, by far the best Irish movie ever made. Perfect stories. Perfect writing. Perfect characters. Perfect acting. Perfect film.

Refreshing escape from typical movies...

[jobey-3 · 7/10 · 19 October 2006]

i agree almost completely with renodc's comments. i think i liked it just a touch more. i agree that the dialog was refreshingly witty and interesting, and i loved the subtle nuances brought into the dialog, like the whole background story and bit with the brown sauce i thought was a great addition to the movie, as well as the mustache bit with sally, and the paralyzed old man in the pub. the character development was surprisingly good for the amount of story lines and characters in it, and this was due i think to the variety of types of characters in the film as well as the good acting.

i, too, suggest subtitles; withing the first few minutes of the opening scene my wife and i rewound and put on subtitles. we've spent time in ireland and have many thick accented irish friends, but this at times was too thick for us, which added to the romance and authenticity of the film. this was part of the enjoyment for us was hearing real dialog that wasn't "hollywoodized" for the mainstream market. there are many finer points of the dialog that would require a basic knowledge of irish culture/slang.

recommended if you like interesting and different movies.

Average at best. By no means a classic.

[jonathanfdaly · 2/10 · 21 October 2003]

I'm Irish and I've been living in Denmark for a while so I was looking forward to going home last week so I could see Intermission. And I will go on record as saying:

THIS FILM IS AWFUL.

It is not quite as bad a something like "The Most Fertile Man in Ireland" but it definitely does not stand up there with other Irish films such as The Commitments, I Went Down or Michael Collins.

Some aspects of the film are actually quite funny, such as Colm Meaneys American-style garda. But the film itself is shot completely wrong. The bouncing around of the camera and the constant zoom-in, zoom-out tries to give the film an edgy look as if it were a gritty drama. But it isn't. This is an Irish Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and it should be shot like this. It should have smooth movement from one shot to the next. The film just looks sloppy and thrown together.

The performances are okay, given the awful script. A friend of mine said to me like it was like they just followed Colin Farrell around Dublin for a week. He gives a decent display as a Dublin Dirtbag, but it no way compares to his performances in Minority Report, Tigerland or Phone Booth. The best performance was from Dierdre O'Kane who plays a sexually frustrated middle-aged woman who has just been dumped by her bank manager husband for a younger woman. I think she should leave her god-awful stand-up and focus more on her acting.

All in all, its does in no way live up to the expectations put on it by the Irish press or deserve to be even considered as one of the best Irish films ever.

I'm expecting a backlash from these comments because most people I have spoken to have said it was great. But before you reply, ask yourself: Would think so highly of this movie if it was set in England or America?

Great Great and Great!

[victoria-85 · 9/10 · 15 July 2006]

I really enjoyed this movie. I laughed and laughed. It held me intrigued and wasn't a chore to watch or follow the story line. This movie dared to do what many others don't - very un-PC in places. Good on them for making such a refreshing movie. Sure we've seen many elements of the story line before and could anticipate many of the outcomes but I don't think this detracted from it at all. Great to see so many well known actors in different roles too. And demonstrating their acting talent by creating believable Irish accents. I did wonder if Colin Farrell had to practice his mother tongue after being in the USA for so long - seems he did OK though. I would definitely watch this again and recommend it whole heartedly to others.

Has its moments, but should be better (**1/2)

[Ronin47 · 6/10 · 8 June 2004]

A wild and frantic comedy/drama/thriller, set in Ireland, about the lives of several people whose lives interconnect in surprising and often funny ways. Sounds great, right? Well about 2/3 of it is.

Events are set in motion when a small-time crook named John (Cillian Murphy, "28 Days Later) breaks up with his girlfriend, Deirdre (Kelly Macdonald, "Trainspotting", "Gosford Park"). She takes up with an older married man named Sam (Michael McEllhatton) who is later robbed by John and his friend Lehiff (a riveting and menacing Colin Farrel), who is being tailed by a cop (Colm Meaney), etc, etc, etc...

All the stories bounce off each other and connect at surprising times, and the effect can be exhilarating and exciting. All the actors are very good as well, particularly Farrel and Shirley Henderson, in a touching and funny performance as Dierdre's cynical, bitter sister.

Overall the film is pretty good, but when the story isn't really going anywhere, it drags and the chaos of it becomes a little grating. It's also difficult to understand what the actors are saying sometimes because of their thick Irish accent and slang.

It's a pretty good film, though, the kind I might watch in the future if I'm channel-surfing and I come across it.

a bad movie

[axelswag · 3/10 · 14 August 2005]

This was no Trainspotting or Guy Ritchie film. It was a big wannabee. It wanted to be an edgy, nervous-laughter, urban-life affirming film, but it's more of a camera jerky, mess. It's a lot easier to imitate something else, than to create a real story with real characters. From the beginning, I couldn't care less about the characters or what they were involved in. They were always always hitting, pissing, or crying on each other. Only, there wasn't any substance to what they were doing. The dialog between characters is meant to be hip, revealing, instead it comes out trite, and one scene after another is predictable. I know there are viewers out there that really liked this movie, so I could be wrong.

Interesting outlook, decent performances... but the film itself should have been better.

[shanfloyd · 6/10 · 20 April 2006]

The movie follows parallel story lines of some random characters with different tastes, ambitions and perspectives. And in the end shows how each of their actions made them interconnected. Told in a very interesting satirical outlook towards life and society, the film does a decent job to provide unprecedented surprises especially in the end.

But the film was supposed to be realistic in its approach. During the first hour-and-half it embraced realism, but it also grew boring. Towards the end, it abandons the idea to get entertaining. This dilemma in writing the screenplay perhaps weakened the basic plot and the movie lost its focus. It did deliver its entertaining and surprise-filled climax but I did not exactly want that clichéd approach of film-making especially when the movie started with a promise to be something different.

The actors did a fine job altogether, especially the always-interesting Cillian Murphy and Kelly Macdonald. Colin Farrell did not have enough screen time and script to explore his expertise, so I do not see the point of casting him for this supposedly 'starring' role.

A good film, but not a Commitments...

[irishsparky478-1 · 7/10 · 31 March 2006]

This one goes to John F. Daly - I agree with your comments to some extent, but seriously mate,would you expect this kind of comedy to even happen in England or America. Sure, it's no Commitments, but, when is the last time we had a great Irish film? The Snapper? Commitments? It's been a while. Lock stock, Trainspotting, all good movies, but they will never be Irish. As Christy Moore said, Irish Laws and Irish Times - we have a different humor. Let's go to basics, can you really imagine an English Fr. Ted? It doesn't happen! Again, not Colin Farrell's greatest work, but definitely due for some credit. To be honest, this is probably one of the reasons Cillian Murphy actually got a Hollywood movie - Redeye.

Yet, another great Irish film

[insightandsound · 9/10 · 14 November 2006]

Well, if you loved "Crash" (no not the David Cronenberg version, but the Academy Award winning Paul Haggis film) you'll love this Irish version of everyday Irish folk in everyday life, living everyday life interchanging and interacting, kind of like a Irish "six degrees" thing. Speaking of acting, what acting...Everyone is so "real" almost like a documentary, Oscars for All! Great camera work, it just flows so well together, great cast nice to see Scottish actress Kelly MacDonald (Trainspotting, Gosford Park) again. Colin Ferrell is as intense as always, he is such fun to watch he's a great "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" actor. So if you enjoy great acting, a good story with some twists and turns check this one out. Other great Irish films are: Omagh(2004), Veronica Guerin(2003), Bloody Sunday(2002), The Commitments(1991), Waking Ned Divine(1998) and The Field(1990).

Slainté

For Ritchie or McDonagh or poorer...

[ThurstonHunger · 6/10 · 7 August 2023]

If like myself, you are a fan of the McDonagh lads' work, then this film should be enjoyable enough for ye. It's definitely a bit looser in construction (although there is an element of write all the main characters on a board, and then draw dashed lines of romance and/or crime between 'em and generate a plot from that).

It is definitely an ensemble film with names that likely pop for ye as well. In a way, it tinkers with Guy Ritchie maneuvers, although it avoids aiming for the adrenaline-bursting spleen, and instead splits most of its time aiming somewhere between the funny bone and the heart.

If you appreciate marital mess over romantic bliss, then you might as well take this film to have and to hold for about two hours. Or again if you look at the cast and hit at least two "Oh, I love him/her" amongst then list, then you do worse than this 20 year old film.

Much better than rating suggests

[bdavis-53 · 9/10 · 3 November 2006]

Frankly, too many IMDb critics are expecting "films" instead of movies, because viewed simply on its entertainment merits, "Intermission" was one of the better movies of 2003. There is no "cinematic" brilliance here. It's not a pretty thing played by thespians to pander to Cannes film snobs, but the movie is funny as hell. Colin Farrell fans might be disappointed, because he's really just a bit player, though a quite good one. But Colm Meaney is absurdly good, and the movie as a whole is prepossessing and original. Quality work - Think Guy Ritchie meets "The Full Monty."

Possibly the weirdest movie i have ever seen

[timoth93 · 7/10 · 28 December 2008]

this movie is pretty weird, think love actually but Irish and a lot less safe with absurd characters. don't be turned off by that comment because you don't like love actually, i myself very much disliked it but found this movie really good. I'm just comparing the two due to the formula of having several interconnecting stories and how each character has a sort of conclusion to them. each character in this movie faces their own problems and seeks something, yet whether or not they find it is a different story.

i'm a fan of colin farrell and will admit that it was disappointing to see that he didn't have much screen time. however he does steal the show for most of his scenes. cillian murphy is the lead and he is a pretty good character though he is completely normal compared to colin farrell. but still fitting to the movie as most audiences require a fairly relateable character. what i liked about the colin farrell character was that he was completely un like able. no spoilers here but the opening scene in the movie was just gold. colm meaney was great as always, playing a violent policeman who has it in for colin farrell's character. and i was quite impressed by the character of Oscar, i'm unsure of the actor (i assume he is fairly unknown) who is an unconfident young man who wants a relationship.

this movie does have a few moments that i didn't particularly like, such as sally who would be a reasonably attractive girl, but seeing her 'ronnie' is disturbing. but of course things come through in the end so all previous critisisms aside.

this movie would be a 7 but due to the end credits song 'i fought the law and the law won' (performed by Colin Farrell) it's worthy of an 8. see this movie if you are looking for something different.

Over-rated Crap

[oconnor5 · 2/10 · 5 December 2003]

How Irish critics rave about this movie is beyond me. Overacted by the usual band of Irish actors dragged out for every Irish movie. Terrible script, with forced character quirks (the brown sauce). Romanticising all that is bad about Dublin. The attitude of 'ah, it's a dump but sure isnt it great all the same'. Plenty of tidbits purely for American audiences (the supermarket boss and his horribly forced catchphrase). And the nail in the coffin was Colm Meaney's character. A great actor forced to play this part that could've been written by a five year old. Cringeworthy stuff. The best thing about this movie is Farrell, and it's a bad when you have to say that. Well, at least he wasnt putting on his dreadful American accent. International Audiences be warned: stay at home and watch Snatch and Lock Stock. You'll have a better time. Intermission is a walk-outer

Dublin Comedy

[eastbergholt2002 · 8/10 · 8 April 2007]

I really enjoyed "Intermission" which is set in Dublin. It has a great cast who play lovable losers who take themselves too seriously. Their antics make for a funny and entertaining film. There are a number of different plot lines but the characters are all connected somehow. In some ways it's like a comic version of Babel. Dubliners seem to have a limited vocabulary and every adjective seems to begin with F, so it's not a family film. But it's fast paced and should make you laugh.

The film starts when John (Cillian Murphy) decides he needs a break or intermission from Deirdre, (Kelly Macdonald) his girlfriend. She then makes John jealous by going off with Sam (Michael McElhatton), a married bank manager. Sam's wife of 14 years (Deirdre O'Kane) having been dumped embarks on a program of revenge, including sex with John's best friend, Oscar (David Wilmot). Jerry (Colm Meaney) is a police detective who likes beating people up and listening to Celtic music. He convinces a TV producer to make a documentary about his life. John and Oscar both work in a supermarket where their boss Mr. Henderson (Owen Roe) is a pompous twit. Deirdre's sister Sally (Shirley Henderson) was recently humiliated by a former boyfriend and sports a impressive mustache. Lehiff (Colin Farrell) is a thug who wants to rob Sam's bank. He is a friend of John and together they plan a bank robbery. Finally, there's Mick (Brian F. O'Byrne), a bus driver who is fired from his job and joins the gang. It's all good fun.

What Happens After The Intermission?

[Chrysanthepop · 13 March 2012]

Director John Crowley and writer Mark O'Rowe create a fascinating and hilarious black comedy farce. 'Intermission', what an interesting name for a film. The title itself caught my attention. It's set in a small Irish town and focuses on its working class characters. Overlapping stories aren't anything new in film but here it is done exceptionally well. As the story builds, the connection between each character is gradually (and subtly) revealed and it feels very natural. Despite a few characters that border on being criminally insane, most of the characters are the common man and woman from various walks of life, people you see everyday who want love and respect.

'Intermission' is full of energy. The action sequences are shot wonderfully, especially the final chase sequence. The writing is just solid and it has a wicked sense of humour that works excellently. Dialogues are witty and very funny. The score is quite unique.

Of the cast, Colin Farrell, Kelly MacDonald, Cillian Murphy, Colm Meaney and Brían F. O'Byrne are already well known internationally. They perform naturally and do nothing short of a superb job as do their costars Shirley Henderson and Ger Ryan.

'Intermission's already become a favourite. I would easily recommend it to anyone (especially those who love black comedy) who's interested in witnessing a different kind of slice of life with an extra dose of adrenaline.

An Irish medley of pure roller-coaster entertainment

[Chris_Docker · 7/10 · 25 August 2003]

Well put-together Irish movie of intersecting lives, loves, small time crime capers and remarkable incidents. Flicking from thrilling to scary to sexy to hilarious, each scene has its own tour de force and provides continuous entertainment from start to finish. And Colin Farrell even gets to have a shot at his long lost ambition of being a pop star as he sings the closing song!

Uneven Flick About Mostly Boring People Replete With Inaudible Dialogue

[lawprof · 4/10 · 9 April 2004]

"Intermission," a story about the inter-related lives of a group of Dublin men and women, mostly either working- or criminal class, has its moments but overall it's a disappointment. The story is weak. Episodes of marital infidelity, searching for love, random child-engineered mayhem, a stupid detective in search of boob tube fame and a very conventional crime caper don't really come together. Caricatures rather than characters dominate the movie.

Colin Farrell pulls off his role as a thug with no personal attributes- it's impossible to care about him or even ponder his brutal and dumb acts. Shirley Henderson as a lonely young woman is the best actor in "Intermission." A Scot in the current "Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself," she's convincing here as an Irish lass going on age from thirty to spinsterhood (a word still in vogue in Eire). Kelly MacDonald, an up and coming actress with real ability, is largely wasted as a gal who abandons her boyfriend for a colorless bank manager who leaves his anguished wife for sweeter bedsheets. She's beautiful but transparently vacuous.

Perhaps this film resonates with Irish, and even U.K., audiences but I found it disappointing. The theater's excellent sound system merely amplified the incomprehensibility and audibility of much speech. It's one thing not to understand the argot of today's urban Irish working class. It's something else to be trying to figure out what you're hearing during much of a movie.

4/10.