The Commitments Video

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starring: Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball directed by: Alan Parker

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Customer Reviews
Average Rating: Rating: - The one and only music film The film "The Commitments" is the story about young Irish musicians who declare themselves a soul band. All of them are very dedicated and you really feel it. The original Irish atmosphere is very well shown and so it's real fun to watch this film, especially when you know Ireland. Director Alan Parker did a really good job in transferring the novel, written by Roddy Doyle, into a film. The best thing about the film is the music! Forget "A Chorus Line" and "Saturday Night Fever". This film has the best music ever. The music has got real soul and that's what the Commitments want to bring to the working class of Dublin. My favourite songs are "Mustang Sally" and "Try a little tenderness". Andrew Strong, the actor who plays Deco, sings most of the songs. This boy has an incredible voice and it's hard to believe that he was just 16 when this movie was filmed. The second best thing about this film is the actors. They are all unknowns, mostly from Ireland, and because of this they are quite genuine and authentic. You notice this when you hear their strong accents, but don`t worry: At the beginning it is a little bit tricky, but then you get used to it. The character I like best is Joey "The Lips" Fagan, hilariously played by Johnny Murphy. Joey is the most interesting character because he is so crazy and weird. All in all, "The Commitments" is the best music film I have ever seen. The music, the actors as well as the Dublin setting are great; the camera work and direction are pretty good as well. Watching the film never gets boring and you can watch it over and over again. Rating: - DVD: Disappointing Video Disk "The Commitments" is an exceptional movie that holds up very well through repeated viewings. It is exactly the kind of film you would want to own in your DVD collection, because you could enjoy it for many years. That's why I was very disappointed that the DVD version is available only as pan and scan (1.33:1 aspect ratio). This is the equivalent of taking a 5-channel audio theatrical release and making a DVD that's available only in mono sound. As much as I like this film, I will not buy a DVD that has been degraded from the original theatrical release. Apparently the film companies don't yet understand what motivates buyers to pay extra for DVD quality and home theater systems. I hope that "The Commitments" will be available soon as a re-released DVD in its original 1.85:1 widescreen theatrical version. Rating: - Working class heroes For me, this is one of those "stop the remote" movies. When I'm tooling around the TV dial, and I see that "The Commitments" is on, I... well... you can figure out the rest. Anyway, I just watched it again recently, for the umpteenth time, and I realized something, something that makes me appreciate the damn thing that much more: its story is very similar to the original "Blues Brothers" movie. A charismatic and ambitious music lover assembles a working class, blue-eyed soul band, on a mission from God. Their trials and tribulations are documented ad nauseam, in between passionate but less-than-skillful performances of soul classics. Throw in an appearance by James Brown (okay, he only appears on a black and white TV here, but it's still him!) and you've got your movie. So what's the difference between the two? Well, Jake and Elwood Blues toiled their trade in Chicago, the centre of the blues. The Commitments turf is a run down North Dublin. Jake and Elwood were backed up by a crack band, including most of Booker T's MGs (ringers!). The Commitments are a bunch of no-name ne'er-do-wells, just trying to stay off the dole. And the Blues Brothers had all those ludicrous car chases, while the nearest thing to traffic mayhem here is a Suzuki moped following a Fish and Chips truck. I've always liked the "Blues Brothers", but it's these charming differences that make me love "The Commitments". Director Alan Parker, who previously made "Fame" (which, while terribly dated at this point, is also a "stop the remote" movie), scores again with another piece about the passion folks feel for their music. And again he works a no name cast (except for Colm Meaney as an Elvis-worshipping father) around a tight and funny script, that keeps you rooting for the characters' dreams to come true.

The Commitments Video

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