Cardboard Gangsters.

byrnem31

Watching this now.

It's unintentionally the funniest film I've ever seen. A pile of ****e that is about as realistic as a star wars movie.

The bit were it shows someone injecting heroin and they just jab it in their arm without even finding a vein was comical. Simple little details like that trying to show authentic drug use isn't even done right.

There is no gang in dublin that go on like that.

gargargar

Saw this on Netflix. The story has been done better so many times, and this adds nothing new. The acting was patchy at best. As people have said the mouthy mate was terrible, but to be fair to the actor, the part was just a caricature. The "crew" as such were 2 dimensional with no time given to their motivations.

Also, the ending was terrible. It just didn't make an sense.

John Connors was great though.

johnny_ultimate

The film does represent a few cautious step forwards in O'Connor's ability as a filmmaker. There are a few ideas - the repeated motifs of the river / plane (as familiar as the latter is), for example, and some of the scene-setting - that show a director getting a little bit more confident in telling his stories visually. I'd put it a notch above King of The Travellers and Between the Canals in that respect if nothing else.

Sadly, those steps forward are harshly countered by O'Connor's continued obsession with telling the most unoriginal gangster stories imaginable. The writing is weak, the acting - despite clear passion from the lads - not up to the task of elevating said writing, the treatment of female characters appalling (I hesitate to use this criticism, but it really is eye-rollingly bad here), and the valuable portrayal of an underrepresented community undermined by the film's adherence to old crime film cliches. Even some of the better ideas - like the use of Irish rap on the soundtrack - are undermined by haphazard execution.

The recent Michael Inside isn't a masterpiece or anything, but it's a much more effective film in terms of capturing the social context many young people in some Dublin estates such as Darndale find themselves in and the humanity of the characters. Cardboard Gangsters is one of those films that would have benefited by truly bringing the setting to the forefront rather than this tired old gangster story.

Just to note, I don't begrudge the film's success - in fact, I'm happy that it became the hit it did if only to see Irish independent films getting such a chance. I just wish it was better than it is.

endacl

If you're watching on Netflix leave the subtitles on. Not because you won't understand the accents. Because whoever typed them clearly didn't!

Comical.

gargargar

endacl wrote: »

If you're watching on Netflix leave the subtitles on. Not because you won't understand the accents. Because whoever typed them clearly didn't!

Comical.

Yes I noticed that too

soiseztomabel

Finally got around to watching it, personally thought it was the drizzling ****s. John Connors should just go full on activist because he's already typecast himself after this.

Dr Brown

John Connors says he can't get an agent to represent him.

Wheeliebin30

Dr Brown wrote: »

John Connors says he can't get an agent to represent him.

Cry me a river.

Maybe if he stopped blaming the gubbement and media for travellers problems he might get somewhere.

Dr Brown

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Cry me a river.

Maybe if he stopped blaming the gubbement and media for travellers problems he might get somewhere.

Connors seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder.

HandsomeBob

Also watched it on Netflix.....it's held back by production constraints but was enjoyable and zipped by. Predictable and cliched but made unique to the Irish setting. Darndale only 15 minutes away from me so I could feel the authenticity.

You could feel the constraints in the first scene with them as adults where Dano is talking about murdering a boss and taking over. I mean talk about going from naught to 100 in the blink of an eye! That's at least 10 minutes of plot and character development ignored or dropped.

Speaking of Dano, unfortunately for that actor he represented the dodgier aspects of the acting as others have said. Will give the guy the benefit of the doubt and assume he was asked to play it like that. Otherwise the casting director should be shot.

I did enjoy the performance of the more level headed friend, would be very interested to see him in another role so I can establish whether he was just well cast or if he's a new potential Irish talent.

Always good to see the guy who played Noelie Hughes get work.....SHUT YOUR MOUTH YE BLEEDING YOKE YE

Half way through this and while it's a step up from King of the Travellers that's hardly a glowing recommendation. The acting, including Connor is poor, visually it's drab, the script is familiar and worst of all it's identical to a thousand others. It feels like one of those low budget English gangster films that is ten a penny, the kind of cheap trash the fills the bottom shelf of Dealz.

It's always nice to see an Irish film do well, just a shame that it's so uninspired. The English have been doing this since Lock Stock and doing it far better.

Finished it up and meh, it's so generic that its hard to be impressed by any of it. Sure it looks nice and has some nice visual motifs but its a soulless endeavour that does absolutely nothing that thousands of others haven't. You can find the exact same film littering up Netflix and bargain bins around the world.

Connors isn't much of an actor, he's about adequate and how anyone thought his performance was superior to Colin Farrel in Killing of a Sacred Deer is ridiculous. I guess it is true that all you have to do to win an IFTA is show up.

Fair play to them for making a film and as I said it's always nice to see an Irish film reach an audience, it's just a shame that the film is so poor.

StupidLikeAFox

gargargar wrote: »

The "crew" as such were 2 dimensional

Maybe they misunderstood the title of the film and went full on method

pixelburp

I find this film does nothing but reaffirm my own blindspot & prejudice when it comes to the Irish film industry, whose output seems to exist somewhere between Angela's Ashes and Love|Hate - Cardboard Gangsters obviously leaning more towards the latter. I try my best to be openminded, but more often than not the words 'Irish Film' make me run a mile. I recall some tattle - on this site IIRC - that the Irish Film Board look more favourably on scripts laced with domestic / inner-city misery and given what comes out, I could well believe it.

Like I said, I acknowledge it's a prejudice on my part, and I'm sure plenty of these films have their merits & I'm missing out on some gems, but if the movies offers some element of escapism then what amounts to Irish Film often comes off like the total opposite of that - a reverse comfort blanket of despair if you will, and how dreadful life in Ireland can be. Any 'Irish' films that counter that notion then tend to come via expats working with British studios, while our internal output is couched in depression.

MilesMorales1

pixelburp wrote: »

I find this film does nothing but reaffirm my own blindspot & prejudice when it comes to the Irish film industry, whose output seems to exist somewhere between Angela's Ashes and Love|Hate - Cardboard Gangsters obviously leaning more towards the latter. I try my best to be openminded, but more often than not the words 'Irish Film' make me run a mile. I recall some tattle - on this site IIRC - that the Irish Film Board look more favourably on scripts laced with domestic / inner-city misery and given what comes out, I could well believe it.

Like I said, I acknowledge it's a prejudice on my part, and I'm sure plenty of these films have their merits & I'm missing out on some gems, but if the movies offers some element of escapism then what amounts to Irish Film often comes off like the total opposite of that - a reverse comfort blanket of despair if you will, and how dreadful life in Ireland can be. Any 'Irish' films that counter that notion then tend to come via expats working with British studios, while our internal output is couched in depression.

Have you seen A Date for Mad Mary? It’s really very good.

pixelburp

pixelburp wrote: »

I find this film does nothing but reaffirm my own blindspot & prejudice when it comes to the Irish film industry, whose output seems to exist somewhere between Angela's Ashes and Love|Hate - Cardboard Gangsters obviously leaning more towards the latter. I try my best to be openminded, but more often than not the words 'Irish Film' make me run a mile. I recall some tattle - on this site IIRC - that the Irish Film Board look more favourably on scripts laced with domestic / inner-city misery and given what comes out, I could well believe it.

Like I said, I acknowledge it's a prejudice on my part, and I'm sure plenty of these films have their merits & I'm missing out on some gems, but if the movies offers some element of escapism then what amounts to Irish Film often comes off like the total opposite of that - a reverse comfort blanket of despair if you will, and how dreadful life in Ireland can be. Any 'Irish' films that counter that notion then tend to come via expats working with British studios, while our internal output is couched in depression.

I think a huge issue is the simple fact that the film board and Irish film, in general, is less interested in telling Irish stories than they are apeing what others are doing. Sure we get the odd gem but by and large Irish cinema is a byline for misery, nothing wrong with that if you have an interesting story to tell but most don't. Cardboard Gangsters is a great example, it's a film that has been made a thousand times before and beyond the accents is identical to the kind of cheap tat that Paul Tanter has turned into a cottage industry in the UK. It's cinema without a soul, listening to Connors talk about the film you'd swear they'd crafted the next Goodfellas or Godfather rather than a trashy geezers with guns film.

As for the Film Board, I was turned down but told that if I relocated the action to an area known for it's social and economic issues and dialled up the misery then I'd be in a better chance of getting funding. Nl

pixelburp

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

Have you seen A Date for Mad Mary? It’s really very good.

I'd seen a fair bit of buzz about it all right, and the trailer did look like something a bit different - I'm guessing it bucks the trend of Irish Misery(™) ?

I agree with Darko's assertion above, that Irish Film seems uninterested / unwilling to forge its own creative path. Now, to be fair there are outliers such as Cartoon Saloon, showing distinctively Irish chops with 'Book of Kells' and 'Song of the Sea', but they seem very much the exception proving the rule. Animation tends to play by its own rules anyway.

yourdeadwright

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Dr Brown wrote: »

John Connors says he can't get an agent to represent him.

Cry me a river.

Maybe if he stopped blaming the gubbement and media for travellers problems he might get somewhere.

This is the same bloke you can youtube and he's in real life bare knuckle fights and then complains about Travellers being stereo typed
I also think he has probably got more jobs from being a traveller than he would if he wasn't one, He's not exactly a fantastic actor , He started acting late in life and in fairness has done well for himself and fair play to him but I don't think he need to go back to the poor us every time he is on TV.

MilesMorales1

pixelburp wrote: »

I'd seen a fair bit of buzz about it all right, and the trailer did look like something a bit different - I'm guessing it bucks the trend of Irish Misery(™) ?

I agree with Darko's assertion above, that Irish Film seems uninterested / unwilling to forge its own creative path. Now, to be fair there are outliers such as Cartoon Saloon, showing distinctively Irish chops with 'Book of Kells' and 'Song of the Sea', but they seem very much the exception proving the rule. Animation tends to play by its own rules anyway.

I don't know if its that optimistic, I suppose its definitely funnier and got a lot more heart and soul than something like Cardboard Gangsters though.

I feel like everyone is being pretty harsh on this film. I enjoyed it, and aside from the black guy knew characters like all the other 3 lads with the same mannerisms and carry on growing up. The chap that is getting hammered by everyone for his crappy acting, people are saying no one goes on like that, but I've met people that go on like that. I don't feel like any of those characters were pushing the boat out too far at all.

Its not like the story was spectacular or anything in terms of originality, but for me it was a pretty accurate depiction of what goes on and thats why it has done well.

Connors obviously struggles with depression, and to have your father kill himself would be an awful thing to have to go through, and would scar you for life I'm fairly sure. Your own self worth is going to be seriously affected, and probably why he contemplated suicide himself. Growing up in the traveller environment as well is hardly going to be rounded and in any way healthy. So I'd be a bit more restrained before having a go at him. I say congrats for doing something with his life, that probably no other traveller has been able to do.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

I feel like everyone is being pretty harsh on this film. I enjoyed it, and aside from the black guy knew characters like all the other 3 lads with the same mannerisms and carry on growing up. The chap that is getting hammered by everyone for his crappy acting, people are saying no one goes on like that, but I've met people that go on like that. I don't feel like any of those characters were pushing the boat out too far at all.

Its not like the story was spectacular or anything in terms of originality, but for me it was a pretty accurate depiction of what goes on and thats why it has done well.

Connors obviously struggles with depression, and to have your father kill himself would be an awful thing to have to go through, and would scar you for life I'm fairly sure. Your own self worth is going to be seriously affected, and probably why he contemplated suicide himself. Growing up in the traveller environment as well is hardly going to be rounded and in any way healthy. So I'd be a bit more restrained before having a go at him. I say congrats for doing something with his life, that probably no other traveller has been able to do.

I don't think anyone is having a go at him, just that he isn't much of an actor and a lot of his deep insights are that of a moody teenager. It's all well and good to hear him talking about how stereotyping of travellers is a bad thing but there's ample evidence of him partaking in activities for which travellers are stereotyped. I glanced over his speech at the weekend and it read like a "poor me" rant, as he was being given an award he was complaining about how difficult it is for him. He starts by having a go at the film board for not supporting the film, a film that is amongst the most unoriginal in years. The film board shouldn't be handing out money to something as generic as Cardboard Gangsters, money should be going to projects with something to say.

He then goes on about "Our reptilian, psychopathic government.” Does he believe in lizard people or he just trying to sound like he knows what he's on about.

Awhile back was harking on about how Ireland needs a great leader like Castro awhile back, you know Castro the dictator who conservative estimates believe had between 30,000 to 40,000 people executed or allowed die in jail.

yourdeadwright

Deleted User wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

I feel like everyone is being pretty harsh on this film. I enjoyed it, and aside from the black guy knew characters like all the other 3 lads with the same mannerisms and carry on growing up.  The chap that is getting hammered by everyone for his crappy acting, people are saying no one goes on like that, but I've met people that go on like that. I don't feel like any of those characters were pushing the boat out too far at all.

Its not like the story was spectacular or anything in terms of originality, but for me it was a pretty accurate depiction of what goes on and thats why it has done well.

Connors obviously struggles with depression, and to have your father kill himself would be an awful thing to have to go through, and would scar you for life I'm fairly sure. Your own self worth is going to be seriously affected, and probably why he contemplated suicide himself. Growing up in the traveller environment as well is hardly going to be rounded and in any way healthy. So I'd be a bit more restrained before having a go at him. I say congrats for doing something with his life, that probably no other traveller has been able to do.

I don't think anyone is having a go at him, just that he isn't much of an actor and a lot of his deep insights are that of a moody teenager. It's all well and good to hear him talking about how stereotyping of travellers is a bad thing but there's ample evidence of him partaking in activities for which travellers are stereotyped. I glanced over his speech at the weekend and it read like a "poor me" rant, as he was being given an award he was complaining about how difficult it is for him. He starts by having a go at the film board for not supporting the film, a film that is amongst the most unoriginal in years. The film board shouldn't be handing out money to something as generic as Cardboard Gangsters, money should be going to projects with something to say.

He then goes on about "Our reptilian, psychopathic government.” Does he believe in lizard people or he just trying to sound like he knows what he's on about.

Awhile back was harking on about how Ireland needs a great leader like Castro awhile back, you know Castro the dictator who conservative estimates believe had between 30,000 to 40,000 people executed or allowed die in jail.

Its crazy how can a man expect any credibility at all when he utters the line about the government being reptilian,
The second the word is said you just turn off , its not a episode of V ,
I'm sure his video got a thousand share's on facebook with people saying he's right to make a stand but if you listen to what he say's he make no sense,
He thinks its his place to come across at every chance as a fighter for Travellers rights even when it makes no sense or is totally out of context, Thus making people not listen to anything he may say that is valid in future ,

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

pixelburp wrote: »

I'd seen a fair bit of buzz about it all right, and the trailer did look like something a bit different - I'm guessing it bucks the trend of Irish Misery(™) ?

I agree with Darko's assertion above, that Irish Film seems uninterested / unwilling to forge its own creative path. Now, to be fair there are outliers such as Cartoon Saloon, showing distinctively Irish chops with 'Book of Kells' and 'Song of the Sea', but they seem very much the exception proving the rule. Animation tends to play by its own rules anyway.

There are some decent Irish films from the past few years but yeah, the ones that get the biggest hype are usually ones that are ripping off someone else. Everyone raves about The Guard but for me it was like watching a poor knock off of a Tarantino film and Tarantino films are a load of balls anyway.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't think anyone is having a go at him, just that he isn't much of an actor and a lot of his deep insights are that of a moody teenager. It's all well and good to hear him talking about how stereotyping of travellers is a bad thing but there's ample evidence of him partaking in activities for which travellers are stereotyped. I glanced over his speech at the weekend and it read like a "poor me" rant, as he was being given an award he was complaining about how difficult it is for him. He starts by having a go at the film board for not supporting the film, a film that is amongst the most unoriginal in years. The film board shouldn't be handing out money to something as generic as Cardboard Gangsters, money should be going to projects with something to say.

He then goes on about "Our reptilian, psychopathic government.” Does he believe in lizard people or he just trying to sound like he knows what he's on about.

Awhile back was harking on about how Ireland needs a great leader like Castro awhile back, you know Castro the dictator who conservative estimates believe had between 30,000 to 40,000 people executed or allowed die in jail.

I just think he's clearly got a lot of issues, so whatever he says is going to have to be taken with a good layer of salt and really not to be taken seriously. Most people in the industry as spouting nonsense these days anyways so let him off I say!

Effects

yourdeadwright wrote: »

This is the same bloke you can youtube and he's in real life bare knuckle fights and then complains about Travellers being stereo typed

No, you can't see him bare knuckle fighting on Youtube.
You pretending you can, that's stereotyping in action.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Effects wrote: »

No, you can't see him bare knuckle fighting on Youtube.
You pretending you can, that's stereotyping in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwTs--P99Bg

DavidLyons_

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Effects wrote: »

No, you can't see him bare knuckle fighting on Youtube.
You pretending you can, that's stereotyping in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwTs--P99Bg

Culture Boss.

Dr Brown

DavidLyons_ wrote: »

Culture Boss.

This so called "Culture" should be abolished.

weldoninhio

Effects has left the building.

yourdeadwright

Effects wrote: »

yourdeadwright wrote: »

This is the same bloke you can youtube and he's in real life bare knuckle fights and then complains about Travellers being stereo typed

No, you can't see him bare knuckle fighting on Youtube.
You pretending you can, that's stereotyping in action.

No you really can ,
Look someone posted it above ,