Irish films that give a good representation of how Ireland is today

JanaMay

Hi,

I'd like to ask your advice/recommendations of any good Irish films that give a fairly accurate picture of Irish society today. I'm especially interested in ones about Dublin, but I'd like any recommendations you have.

I've been living away from Ireland for years and friends here have been asking me to recommend something. It all started after they watched 'The General' and took it as gospel, and I've been trying to tell them that all was not as it was portrayed in the film! I recommended Veronoca Guerin for a bit of balance to that story, but even then, it's not exactly 100% representative.

I suggested classics like 'The Snapper', 'The commitments' etc which, though outdated, gave a nice snapshot of certain contexts at that time. Also 'The Magdalene Sisters', 'Philomena', 'Song for a Raggy Boy' etc. But looking for something more up-to-date and representative of daily life. TBH, the only one I can think to recommend now is 'Once', which I really enjoyed.

Can anybody advise me? I feel so ignorant about my own culture! :eek:

valoren

What Richard Did.

Harry Palmr

The Guard.

dobman88

War of the buttons.

Zombienosh

Adam & Paul

tayto lover

Adam and Paul. They are everywhere now.

JanaMay

Thanks to all! Of the films mentioned, I've only seen The Guard! Enjoyed it. I'll look into the others.

Cork boy 55

Haywire

CPSW

You should give Intermission a watch. Not entirely sure about giving a good snapshot, but a good Irish film regardless!

Mike Litoris

I suppose it depends on what part of society. The Snapper, though over 20 years old now, is still a decent representation of working class Dublin.....well, except maybe for Georgie Burgess

The Strawman Argument

Been a while since I saw it, but Garage done a pretty good job of capturing what some of the small towns in my home area were like.

Pilgrim Hill also done an okay job but I really think that's more down to it being incredibly untapped area than the film itself being especially good. Needed to be made either way so good job, I've recommended it to some people on that basis too.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

They've already been mentioned but all 3 of Lenny Abrahamson's pre Frank films are the most representative of Irish life, in my opinion. Each one focuses on a fairly specific section of Irish society but they're possibly the first Irish films I've ever seen where I felt like they were really portraying the Ireland that I knew.

Personally I don't like The Guard as to me it's stereotypical cut outs of Irish characters. Not to say it's a good or a bad film but I didn't find it to be all that realistic in it's representation of Ireland.

db97

Crushproof, accelerator and headrush are the best

JanaMay

Thanks for all the suggestions!

sh1tstirrer

Mike Litoris wrote: »

I suppose it depends on what part of society. The Snapper, though over 20 years old now, is still a decent representation of working class Dublin.....well, except maybe for Georgie Burgess

Meaney is after developing a very strange accent since.

Mike Litoris

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

Meaney is after developing a very strange accent since.

He was grand in Intermission.

db97

Crushproof is abou a group of friends from finglas who get into trouble its me favourite funny but sad too

charlie_says

valoren wrote: »

What Richard Did.

I'd agree with this, although it certainly represents a small subset of Irish people.

agent graves

the stag.. I think thats an irish film anyway

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

eh i dunno

Man about dog is an entertaining Irish film. Well worth a watch

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Kisses from a few years ago is a really good one actually. Set in Dublin it focuses on two young kids who run away from home and head into Dublin City. It focuses on the kids but their experiences throughout give a pretty good reflection of modern Ireland.

sh1tstirrer

Mike Litoris wrote: »

He was grand in Intermission.

Just listen to any of his recent interviews, he would give anyone with a D4 accent a run for their money.

Fortyball

Pilgrim Hill by Gerard Barrett

It's a stark depiction of life in rural Ireland, well worth a watch.

exiledelbows

Calvary. Good representation of Ireland's updated relationship with the church

happysunnydays

The Guard

Drugs, ghoulbags, republican alliances, corruption, thick ignorant rough don't give a fack attitudes, wild west ride-em cowboy gun fetish, in your non pc-ness poker face and anti-yank stick it up your ass sentiment. Excellent representation of something!

Sideshow Mark

exiledelbows wrote: »

Calvary. Good representation of Ireland's updated relationship with the church

Was going to say this myself. One of the few films that deals with the personal cost of the Celtic Tiger years.

Arsemageddon

The only film I can think of that actually set out to represent 'Ireland as it is now' was John Boorman's The Tiger's Tail.

Truly one of the worst films I have ever seen, it's only redeeming feature was the belly laughs I got from Kim Cattrell's Oirish accent (indeedin' to be shure!)

errlloyd

The Stag isn't a brilliant film, but it's characters are the most real depictions of Irish people (or at least a snapshot of the working middle class). It really demonstrated some of the insecurities and issues faced by many in the post celtic tiger.

Bigus

Inside I'm dancing is very funny and serious at the same time modern Dublin setting ,

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Surprised Garage hasn't been mentioned as much as the other Abrahamson films.

HonestCry

Just visit a Youthreach Center lol

JanaMay

There are loads I have to watch, thanks for all the suggestions. I haven't seen most of these. I'll try to get my hands on them and report back!

TCDStudent1

Bigus wrote: »

Inside I'm dancing is very funny and serious at the same time modern Dublin setting ,

Good call. A really under-rated film.

hidinginthebush

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Personally I don't like The Guard as to me it's stereotypical cut outs of Irish characters. Not to say it's a good or a bad film but I didn't find it to be all that realistic in it's representation of Ireland.

Couldn't agree more. Gets way too much love. From what I've seen on other places like reddit, non-Irish seem to love it. Was never a fan at all myself.

db97 wrote: »

Crushproof, accelerator and headrush are the best

I've only seen the first two of those, but thought they were incredibly bad

Skerries

not a representative film but I went down is a class film

maximoose

exiledelbows wrote: »

Calvary. Good representation of Ireland's updated relationship with the church

OP should just read up on the relationship with the church and spare himself the pain and agony of witnessing Aiden Gillen in Calvalry.

folan

Grabbers.

Skerries

folan wrote: »

Grabbers.

it's an allegorical film about the government trying to squeeze the life out of us so we have to turn to alcohol, but after today's announcement it looks like it needs a sequel where the people are fúcked due to them not being able to afford alcohol to ward off the grabbers.

happysunnydays

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Personally I don't like The Guard as to me it's stereotypical cut outs of Irish characters.

You felt embarrassed? As an Irish person you feel more complicated than a 'stereotypical cutout' representation? Your a sophisticated suave international person of travel now? ..... you have more in common with NY and OC California with your middle of the road accent than the bogs of Galway?
You wear the brands, you got the look, the designer sunglasses, the leather laptop bag swinging from your shoulder, the confident strut through high street Dublin.
How dare JM Mc Donagh represent Irish people like a bunch of savages with their thick accents and rural backward capers..... next he'll have us all wearing twee aran jumpers living in smoky thatch cottages sucking on clay pipes?!?

AnonoBoy

happysunnydays wrote: »

You felt embarrassed? As an Irish person you feel more complicated than a 'stereotypical cutout' representation? Your a sophisticated suave international person of travel now?

He never said he felt embarrassed.

But obviously you feel offended that someone would not like your precious JM McDonagh's mediocre film. For what it's worth - I don't care for his films either. He'll be lingering in the shadow of his younger brother for some time I think. He has neither the originality nor flare of Martin but can't help but try to imitate him.

My recommendation would be Out of Here - a film about a young emigrant returning home and not being able to fit in.
It's available on Vimeo on demand and Volta I think.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

happysunnydays wrote: »

You felt embarrassed? As an Irish person you feel more complicated than a 'stereotypical cutout' representation? Your a sophisticated suave international person of travel now? ..... you have more in common with NY and OC California with your middle of the road accent than the bogs of Galway?
You wear the brands, you got the look, the designer sunglasses, the leather laptop bag swinging from your shoulder, the confident strut through high street Dublin.
How dare JM Mc Donagh represent Irish people like a bunch of savages with their thick accents and rural backward capers..... next he'll have us all wearing twee aran jumpers living in smoky thatch cottages sucking on clay pipes?!?

I genuinely can't tell if you're being serious or making a joke?

The series "Prosperity" is very good, albeit gloomy.

happysunnydays

AnonoBoy wrote: »

He never said he felt embarrassed.

But obviously you feel offended that someone would not like your precious JM McDonagh's mediocre film. For what it's worth - I don't care for his films either. He'll be lingering in the shadow of his younger brother for some time I think. He has neither the originality nor flare of Martin but can't help but try to imitate him.
.

...and so a sparring partner steps to the plate, to complete a double act!
Pistols at the dawn, ready, firing on all cylinders ......... a dynamic duo forms or an hilarious double act bumbles blindly? Who is the no sweats Batman? who is the petulant chirping Robin? Or is it a Laurel & Hardy showcase?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I genuinely can't tell if you're being serious or making a joke?

Nothings but the 'haha' & humble observations of a regular dude, alls cool!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

happysunnydays wrote: »

...and so a sparring partner steps to the plate, to complete a double act!
Pistols at the dawn, ready, firing on all cylinders ......... a dynamic duo forms or an hilarious double act bumbles blindly? Who is the no sweats Batman? who is the petulant chirping Robin? Or is it a Laurel & Hardy showcase?

I'm actually a girl so maybe more... Sonny and Cher?

AnonoBoy

happysunnydays wrote: »

...and so a sparring partner steps to the plate, to complete a double act!

Your mixed sporting metaphors have saved you once again!

folan

Skerries wrote: »

it's an allegorical film about the government trying to squeeze the life out of us so we have to turn to alcohol, but after today's announcement it looks like it needs a sequel where the people are fúcked due to them not being able to afford alcohol to ward off the grabbers.

i dont know about all that. I was more thinking of the interactions between the pub and the local population in rural ireland, how it can often be a place of solstice and security.

Also the fear of something coming from outside and ripping apart the local way of life.

and tenticles

goose2005

Fatal Deviation

MaceFace

Once

folan

MaceFace wrote: »

Once

1 flaw.

He gets a loan from the bank.

Maybe at the time, but next to impossible without surrendering naming rights of your children these days

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

For what it's worth, I also thought The Guard was complete muck.