St. Patrick’s Day: What Irish films to watch and what you should avoid… like the plague.
Well, tis that time of year again, bigorah and bigosh, when the leprechauns come out to play and we all go off looking for pots of gold under the rainbow over yonder… Well it’s that time of year for Michael Flatley. However, the rest of the known world will be donning green and drinking Guinness (a drink most people will pretend to drink while slugging vodka in the corner) and telling anyone who will fucking listen that they are Irish. If, like me, you only celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in other countries (it is way more fun that way, you get free booze) you might consider this the most opportune time to take shelter from your fellow Irish brethren, who never really get the chance to go out and so deserve a couple of alcoholic beverages, and watch some classic Irish films.
As a nation, we are way too hard on our film industry. We are the country who produced Neil Jordan, Michael Fassbender, Oscar winner Brenda Fricker, the mighty Brendan Gleeson and his wonderful son Domhnall, Colin Farrell, gone but never forgotten Richard Harris, “I will find you” Liam Neeson, the man who would be Bond Pierce Brosnan, “Scarecrow” Cillian Murphy, the Galwegian Peter O’Toole, Fiona Shaw, Jim Sheridan… We have produced international masterpieces with Oscar winning performances and have proven that we are incredible storytellers. For a small island, what amazing achievements, what talent and what promise…
On the other hand, we need to move on from stereotypical Irish films that deal with the same dilemmas, church, abuse, Northern Ireland and all that comes with it, alcohol, the famine, tried and tested formulas that have worked for us in the past. The reality is now some of our greatest animators have left the country, new production companies are looking abroad to make a move forward and rarely, unless it is specifically stamped IRISH, will a project get the funding it deserves. And yet, we have a huge number of nominations for shorts at the Oscars and are producing talent every year that is, without a shadow of a doubt, world class. As an industry, we are making moves forward (Parked, d etc) but it’s time to stop funding the leprechauns. Well, unless they’re beautifully animated integral parts of a story… We are so much more than that.
I digress…
5 Films you should watch this Paddy’s Day
1. In the Name of the Father
5 Films you shouldn’t watch on Paddy’s Day
They don’t deserve clips.
- Far and Away – Cruise, worst accent of all time.
- Leap Year – on the top 10 worst list of all time.
- PS I Love You – Butler, what were you thinking?
- Darby O’Gill – The Quiet Man is inoffensive. This? Well this is offensive.
- Circle of Friends – Where is there anything right about it? Chris O’Donell, the worst actor ever, ever.
“With a shillelagh in me ear and a shamrock up me nose, I’ll be off to Connemara in the morning….”
Ah fuck, I forget His n’ Hers. It’s amazing. Watch it.
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