As we all know, this Friday is St. Patrick’s Day. If, like us, you see a day off work as a chance to stay home and watch some great movies, Movies.ie has taken a look at the Irish films currently on offer on Netflix, so you can still celebrate the best of the Irish on March 17th! Keep reading to find out more…
THE YOUNG OFFENDERS
In 2007, 61 bales of cocaine were washed into the sea off the coast of Cork. 15 year olds Conor (Alex Murphy) and Jock (Chris Walley) dream of a better life, away from stealing bikes in Cork City and getting chased by local police, so when they hear that each bale of cocaine floating in the sea is work €7 million, they steal bikes and head off on the trip of their lives.
One of the biggest and most successful Irish films of last year, ‘The Young Offenders’ is a best friend caper that is full of laughs and has a big heart. It is a delight to spend time with Conor and Jock – the two tearaways at the heart of the film – and it is clear that Alex Murphy and Chris Walley are two young actors on the rise. There are even hints of a sequel being in the works…
GOLD
Twelve years after he left town because his childhood sweetheart dumped him and took his child away, Ray (David Wilmot) returns to see his ailing father. Ray decides to catch up with his former partner Alice (Kerry Condon) and his daughter Abbie (Maisie Williams), only to discover that Alice is dating his former high school PE teacher Frank (James Nesbitt).
‘Game of Thrones’ star Maisie Williams’ second big screen outing is a small Irish film with tons of charm. ‘Gold’ is a comic take on a tragic story, which is made by strong performances from David Wilmot and Maisie Williams. The dynamic between the two makes the film warm and funny, and lends weight to the choices that Ray must face. James Nesbitt does a fantastic job as the over the top PE teacher and it is a treat to see an Irish film with a whole lot of heart.
THE LOBSTER
Recently single David (Colin Farrell) checks into a mysterious hotel in the hope of finding love; the catch being that if he doesn’t find a partner with in 45 days he will be turned into an animal. Choosing a lobster as his animal, Dave sets out to find a woman to spend his life with, spending evenings hunting the Loners to try and up his day quota, and trying to find a woman with whom he has a defining characteristic in common.
Colin Farrell’s deadpan performance in ‘The Lobster’ shows off his comedic talents as an actor, and of course this is the film that created so much talk about Farrell’s supposed ‘Dad Bod’! The rest of the cast features John C. Reilly, Ben Whishaw, Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz. The film certainly leans toward the weird, but this is where the magic of ‘The Lobster’ lies.
GRABBERS
A small island off the coast of Ireland is invaded by blood sucking monsters, and the heroes discover that their only vulnerability is… alcohol.
The story of ‘Grabebrs’ came about when writer Kevin Lehane was bitten by mosquitoes and wondered whether they got drunk from the alcohol in a person’s blood stream. As such, the story is simple; get hammered and the ball of tentacles won’t want to eat you, but it leads to some funny results. The characters get stinking drunk and their senses are impaired, which means that they are in as much danger as they are sober. There are some great one-liners, plenty of humour, scary monsters and a love story that develops the characters just a little bit further.
Lehane has created a script full of fool mouthed characters that Irish audiences will enjoy, and Wright’s direction is fast paced while making use of the beautiful Irish countryside. In all, ‘Grabbers’ is a whole heap of silly fun and hopefully will herald the start of a new Irish film making style; the monster movie.
BROOKLYN
In the 1950s, Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) emigrates from Enniscorthy to Brooklyn. Initially homesick, Eilis struggles to make friends in the big city, until she meets Tony (Emory Cohen), a young Italian man who she quickly falls for. When tragedy strikes and Eilis returns home for a visit, she is forced to choose between the life she left behind and her new one at the other side of the world.
The film for which Saoirse Ronan was Oscar nominated – the first Irish woman to be nominated in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category – ‘Brooklyn’ is based on the novel of the same name by Colm Toibín, and written for the screen by Nick Horby. The screenplay deals with the concept of homesickness, and the conflict within Eilis as she tries to reconcile her feelings at wanting to get away and live her own life with her loyalty to her mother.
All of these great Irish films – as well as many others – are available on Netflix right now.
Words: Brogen Hayes