Best Irish films of all time

Balfa

What are the top five or so best Irish films of all time?

Colonel Kurtz

Interesting thread.

Here are a few of my favs

Adam and Paul, Intermission, The Field, In the Name of the Father, The Crying Game, Disco Pigs, Michael Collins, My Left Foot.

Diogenes

Adam and Paul, The Commitments, I went down, The Snapper, Micheal Collins.

If we include documentaries, the state we are in, and the revolution will not be televised.

If we include shorts, before I sleep, and white.

admiralofthefleet

my favourites are:

1. the butcher boy
2. michael collins
3. i went down
4. the van
5. wind that shakes the barley

Time Magazine

Michael Collins, When Brendan Met Trudy, My Left Foot, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, The Butcher Boy.

Here's something useful from Trinity.

ciaran76

The Butcher Boy , I went down, Wind that shakes the barley, My left foot.

Kojak

1. Michael Collins.
2. The Butcher Boy.
3. I Went Down.
4. The Genral.
5. My Left Foot.

is_that_so

Like all listing of this kind it would be nice to get some reasons. There is also the question of what actually constitutes an "Irish" film . Many films these days are international when you follow the money trail. I suppose it is one that is set in an Irish context.

My own preferences and in no particular (with reasons) are.


Adam and Paul - just saw this very recently. Wonderfully told and thought provoking.

The Commitments - Very uplifting film and fabulous music.

The Quiet Man - Oirish maybe but a lot of fun.

Man of Arran - Excellent documentary film from the 1930s. Captures teh period superbly.

Michael Collins - Great film-making even allowing for the need to include Julie Roberts to sell the film.

My Left Foot - Brilliant performances about a difficult life.

The Crying Game - Still a powerful film

Honourable mention to

Poitín- Excellent Bob Quinn film from the 70s in Irish with a great performance from Cyril Cusack.
Eat The Peach - Gentle comedy also from the 80s
Intermission - Good Ensemble Performance
The Butcher Boy - Super performance from Eamonn Owens but not as good as the stage play

I haven't seen Wind that Shakes the Barley so left that out.

seand333

1. The Butcher Boy
2. The commitments
3. My left foot
4. Adam and Paul
5. Inside im dancing

bluto63

The Commitments
Michael Collins

Only two I know that I thought were any good:(

Vikings

Can't beleive nobody has mentioned Into the West... tayto!!

shane86

Cant believe no mention of Some Mothers Son. Brilliant film

Loved The Van, mainly because it reminds me of Italia 90 (I wasnt even 4 at the time but it brought the odd memory back. And who didnt feel like roaring mid film or have the neck hair standing as O`Leary takes his penalty )

Loved the Butcher Boy, Angelas Ashes was good, Intermission great, thought Adam and Paul was somewhat overrated.

re Into the West/kids films, anyone recall a film about kids from two country towns who had big gang wars with each other. Best line I remember is when they catch a kid from a neighbouring town and one of them roars "lets cut off his mickey!"

Honestly, how many UK or US kids would daere say that

Vokes

shane86 wrote:

re Into the West/kids films, anyone recall a film about kids from two country towns who had big gang wars with each other. Best line I remember is when they catch a kid from a neighbouring town and one of them roars "lets cut off his mickey!"

Honestly, how many UK or US kids would daere say that

War of the Buttons?

Pigman II

The Book That Wrote Itself is the best Irish movie of all time (and possibly the precursor for the Borat movie).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289670/

bluto63

SofaKing wrote:

War of the Buttons?

Oh yea, forgot about that movie. That was fairly good

Dysart

My top 5 would be:

1. The Field
2. Intermission
2. Into the West
4. The Commitments
5. Butcher Boy

Kevo.Parisyan

The Commitments, My Left Foot, I went Down.

Collie D

In no particular order

The Commitments...very funny, great music and filmed where I grew up, remember bunking off school to watch them filming it

Michael Collins...Oscar would have been in the bag if anyone bar Julia Roberts was in it

Some Mother's Son...remember renting it out and forgetting to bring it back, cost me more than it would to have bought it, bloody video shop closed the next day and was on TV the following week

Angela's Ashes...but probably just because I loved the book, must watch again to see if I actually like it that much

In the Name of the Father...good movie but probably only included it cos I'm runing out of films

Hated the Butcher Boy by the way, just could't get into it

Pighead

is_that_so wrote:

Like all listing of this kind it would be nice to get some reasons. There is also the question of what actually constitutes an "Irish" film . Many films these days are international when you follow the money trail. I suppose it is one that is set in an Irish context.

My own preferences and in no particular (with reasons) are.


Adam and Paul - just saw this very recently. Wonderfully told and thought provoking.

The Commitments - Very uplifting film and fabulous music.

The Quiet Man - Oirish maybe but a lot of fun.

Man of Arran - Excellent documentary film from the 1930s. Captures teh period superbly.

Michael Collins - Great film-making even allowing for the need to include Julie Roberts to sell the film.

My Left Foot - Brilliant performances about a difficult life.

The Crying Game - Still a powerful film

Honourable mention to

Poitín- Excellent Bob Quinn film from the 70s in Irish with a great performance from Cyril Cusack.
Eat The Peach - Gentle comedy also from the 80s
Intermission - Good Ensemble Performance
The Butcher Boy - Super performance from Eamonn Owens but not as good as the stage play

I haven't seen Wind that Shakes the Barley so left that out.

Wow, seems like you've managed to squeeze every single Irish produced film into one single post. Mighty impressive!

Pigheads all time favourite Irish Film is probably In The Name of the Father. Although this would rate quite lowly in my World Favourite list!

Holsten

Adam and Paul, Intermission, and Michael Collins.

Love the first two especially, nothing makes me laugh like the scang accent.

Nea

Breakfast on Pluto
Into the West
Song for a Raggy Boy
This is My father
The Snapper

6th

Intermission is fantastic ... was war of the buttons Irish made?

Also Waking Ned is great even if just for the Motorbike scene!

Soby

lads,whats that film with this man who goes to work in a boys boarding school and teaches them to read and write and all and they all love him and he has this be fued with one of the preist there and theres a big wall dividing the big boys from the small and all and at the end he [spolier]goes off to fight in WW2[/spolier]

Vokes

You mean Aidan Quinn in Song for a Raggy Boy. Fantastic film.

c - 13

Is that not song for a raggy boy ? /\/\/\

Edit: Beat me to it

Soby

oh ye thats it...lol bout posted at 1.00..lol couldnt think of the name of it for the life of me..thanks lads..brillant film

Gillie

my favourites are:

1. In the name of the father
2. wind that shakes the barley
3. michael collins
4. The commitments
5. Intermission

samo

Have been looking for The Butcher Boy on dvd for a while and it looks like its finally getting a release as up for pre-order with DVD Pacific/Amazon etc on
R1

Other that that, The Field, Michael Collins and The Snapper would be my favourites.

Galvasean

Butcher Boy
the Commitments
I Went Down
the Tiger's Tale
are particular favourites of mine, albeit for different reasons.

garred

Lamb - always remeber this from my childhood. Strong performances, emotional and a very good ending.
The Snapper - just for the one-liners and witt.
The Commitments - never really liked sole but the music in this was outstanding. Also good to look at a Dublin that you grew up in. Not there anymore.
My Left Foot - two acting Oscars and well deserved.
Excalibur - not sure if you could call it an Irish film but what a great movie.

BopNiblets

I'd say enjoyed Intermission the most.

But has anyone ever seen Crush Proof?
It's a bit mental and it's about scumbags, watch for the hanging scene!

Gillie

BopNiblets wrote:

I'd say enjoyed Intermission the most.

But has anyone ever seen Crush Proof?
It's a bit mental and it's about scumbags, watch for the hanging scene!

Great movie! Not a "nice" movie though!

plugitplayit

In the Name of the Father - Brilliant acting great story (although factually not accurate, they never shared a cell or even the same prison i think)

Michael Collins - Just made you hate the Brits.

Disco Pigs - anybody seen it? Thought it was pretty good but maybe not top 5.

The Commitments/The Snapper/The Van - can I count these as one, The Barrytown Trilogy. Colm Meaney is a legend.

The Butcher Boy - How he managed to turn that book into a film was class.

And Far and away the worst - Far and Away (I know this doesn't count as an Irish Film).

I am about to do research into the history of the Irish Film Industry - looking forward to it.

Livvie

IncredibleBulk wrote:

Can't beleive nobody has mentioned Into the West... tayto!!

I just watched this and I loved it - it's one of the nicest, least self-pretentious, and charming films I've ever seen.

The child stars were wonderful - so natural. Gabriel Byrne has been a favourite of mine since Glenroe, and can do no wrong for me. I did think Ellen Barkin was a bit superfluous to be honest. A bit of nepotism there maybe?

plugitplayit wrote:

Michael Collins - Just made you hate the Brits.

As a Brit who is shortly to see The Wind That Shakes the Barley, I've seen things that have made me hate us too.

But we're not all bad, honest.

Gonzo_Reporter

Crash proof-- was great if not a little disturbing
Cowboys and Angels-- Just pure excellent my favourite by far
The Van, Commitments, The Snapper-- enough said
When Harry became a tree-- Very weird.
Accelerator-- pure class
The General
Honeymooners--qurky off beat comedy (sometimes comes free with the Sunday paper!!!!)
and finally
My Left Foot-- (thank God for Leaving Cert English)

faceman

Jaysus could this thread be any more cliched!!

I dont have a top 5 cos im sick of stereotypical irish flicks but i do like in no particular order:
The Committments
The Field
I Went Down
Lamb
Braveheart

Exit

In The Name Of The Father
My Left Foot
The Field
Michael Collins
Bloody Sunday

Lirange

1. Boys and Girl from County Clare
2. The Commitments
3. Michael Collins Ay nevermind ... Andrea Corr wasn't in it.