The Greatest Irish Films

Small Wonder · 18-06-2019 1:56pm #1

I would like to hear people's recommendations of the greatest Irish films.

Feel free to add anything but I'm particularly interested in films that aren't spoken about so much. We've all watched The Snapper, but are there old silent movies or other forgotten bits and pieces that are worth exploring?

They can be set in Ireland, actually made in Ireland or have some other link to the country. 'Irish' themed, basically.

Personally, I'm not interested in films like The Killing of a Sacred Deer or I am Not a Serial Killer, but again, it's up to you if you want to extend the category to include the work of Irish directors and production companies.

I'll start things off with Return to Glennascaul, the 1951 short written and directed by Hilton Edwards and produced by Micheál Mac Liammóir (the two founders of the Gate Theatre). It's a ghost story starring Orson Welles, playing himself, and was shot while Welles was on a break from shooting Othello, which of course starred Mac Liammóir as Iago.

I'm already breaking my own thread because it's not a 'great' film, but it's certainly a notable one given Welles' stature within the medium and his own storied past with Ireland and the Gate Theatre. It's one of the bonus supplements on Criterion's Othello release but I'm sure it's available online somewhere.

vriesmays · 18-06-2019 6:06pm

There are no great Irish films. Most are average and look like cheap TV movies.

Tammy! · 18-06-2019 6:16pm

I really liked Breakfast on Pluto.

xlogo · 18-06-2019 6:21pm

Adam and Paul.

leonffrench · 18-06-2019 6:23pm

The Crying Game and The Halo Effect are the only 2 "great" ones I think and the rest are "good"

is_that_so · 18-06-2019 6:23pm

While I'm not in the same negative category as some above, we don't really have world-recognised great films but all of these come in the category of extremely watchable.

The Quiet Man
Man of Arran
Barry Lyndon
The Commitments
The Crying Game
Michael Collins
Ryan's Daughter
Brooklyn

Dutchy · 18-06-2019 6:26pm

Strawberry Milkshake wrote:

*snip*

Eat the Peach

Small Wonder · 18-06-2019 6:36pm

vriesmays wrote: »

There are no great Irish films. Most are average and look like cheap TV movies.

None?

I think My Left Foot is one of the great pieces of world cinema.

is_that_so · 18-06-2019 6:38pm

Small Wonder wrote: »

None?

I think My Left Foot is one of the great pieces of world cinema.

Well Daniel Day Lewis is. The film is OK but his performance is superb.

Small Wonder · 18-06-2019 6:42pm

is_that_so wrote: »

Well Daniel Day Lewis is. The film is OK but his performance is superb.

I think the movie is too often overlooked for just his performance, which is understandable of course. Anyway...

Insect Overlord · 18-06-2019 6:47pm

Black 47 was absolutely class.

vriesmays · 18-06-2019 6:50pm

Small Wonder wrote: »

None?

I think My Left Foot is one of the great pieces of world cinema.

There's a book called Film Review 1989 and My Left Foot was one of their turkeys of the year.

mistersifter · 18-06-2019 6:50pm

Lenny Abrahamson has made some good films.

Adam and Paul , as mentioned.

What Richard Did is also very good as is Garage.

Wind That Shakes the Barley was very well received too.

westcork67 · 18-06-2019 6:51pm

Young Offenders

Insect Overlord · 18-06-2019 6:56pm

A Date For Mad Mary seemed to slip under the radar for a lot of people, lost in the hype between Sing Street and Young Offenders. That was a great year for Irish movies!

Sad Professor · 18-06-2019 6:59pm

I love Sensation, probably my favourite Irish film.

Small Wonder · 18-06-2019 7:19pm

vriesmays wrote: »

There's a book called Film Review 1989 and My Left Foot was one of their turkeys of the year.

My own personal feelings for the film must be wrong then if Film Review 1989 didn't think it worthy of praise.

johnny_ultimate · 18-06-2019 7:41pm

A couple of Irish documentary filmmakers recently have been knocking it out of the park and making works that are confidently up there with the some of the best non-fiction work out there - they don't need to be praised just on 'Irish film standards'. My personal favourite was last year's The Image You Missed - director Donal Foreman tackles the Troubles through a uniquely personal and fiercely cinematic approach. Emer Reynolds made one of the great space documentaries with The Farthest. Pat Collins has been doing tremendous, formally audacious work with his films that cross the fiction/documentary border with quite giddy abandon. Was also very fond of Tadhg O'Sullivan's The Great Wall, which is mesmerising slow cinema.

If we're counting Derry (although let's not get into all of that :P) Chris Kelly's A Cambodian Spring is also a superb, furious documentary about broken politics and injustice.

rhubarbcustard · 18-06-2019 7:41pm

Intermission gets my vote!

E mac · 18-06-2019 7:44pm

I Went Down.

sydthebeat · 18-06-2019 7:56pm

Loved date for mad Mary as well....

But my top Irish film is disco pigs.

Dark and funny, and translated to screen extremely well from the play.

Abel Ruiz · 18-06-2019 7:57pm

vriesmays wrote: »

There's a book called Film Review 1989 and My Left Foot was one of their turkeys of the year.

Well the book was wrong.
One of the greatest films ever

pixelburp · 18-06-2019 8:06pm

rhubarbcustard wrote: »

Intermission gets my vote!

That was a film that really, really wanted to be a Tarantino feature. Hasn't aged too well IMO.

I have to say I'm impressed nobody has mentioned Fatal Deviation yet

Find "Irish cinema" a tough beast to get into TBH. For me, cinema is often about escapism, so given how often Irish Film goes for gritty, domestic dramas above all else I simply stay clear of its output. If I do dabble, it's with genre outliers like Black 47, Siege of Jadotville or uh, Grabbers

gmisk · 18-06-2019 8:15pm

There are some excellent Irish films IMO

Sing street
The farthest
Brooklyn
In the name of the father

I don't think our output is too bad for a small country.

18-06-2019 8:42pm

Ken Loach's War Of Independence Movie with "The Wind that shakes the Barley", Killian Murphy is fantastic

The Van

Intermission

Collie D · 18-06-2019 8:45pm

Hotel Rwanda

tvercetti · 18-06-2019 8:47pm

My favorites would be
The Guard - I like it more and more with each viewing, there was alot of hype when it came out so maybe I had built it up too much on first viewing. Love it now.

Angelas Ashes is superb

The General and Veronica Guerin - 2 engaging stories that make for very good movies

I enjoy Intermission, Butcher Boy and Adam and Paul but find them a bit overrated by alot.

Six Shooter - only a short movie but worth a watch
Accelerator - so bad but I like it

Fr Tod Umptious · 18-06-2019 8:47pm

I think Kings is the best Irish film of all time.

banie01 · 18-06-2019 9:09pm

I have to take exception to Black 47 being on a best of Irish List.
Unless that list relates specifically to Irish Language films.
It is a disjointed Peckinpah style revenge western that is not at all special in any other way IMO.

For best movies, I suppose as "Irish" movies go...
You can go with those movies that spark nostalgia or you can go with those few movies that really stand against the best of other countries.
With that in mind, my list is a mixed bag of both.

Lamb,
I went down,
The Guard,
The crying game,
The Magdalene Sisters
The Snapper (whole barrytown trilogy really)
Calvary
Michael Collins
The Field ( Amazing casting and powerhouse performances)
Philomena,
In the name of the Father
My left foot
Waking Ned
Into the west
Angel

So many other great Irish movies without even touching on animation

We really do punch above our weight artistically IMHO.

Special mention too for the war of the buttons!
Ye tosspots!!!

Conall Cernach · 18-06-2019 9:37pm

The Butcher Boy
Odd Man Out
Shake Hands With the Devil

donegal_man · 18-06-2019 9:51pm

"It Came From Connemara" the 2014 documentary about Roger Corman's Concorde Anois studios.

mistersifter · 18-06-2019 9:59pm

funny that nobody mentioned "Once" - since it was one of the most well-known Irish films of recent years abroad. Hansard must really get on people's tits here

it's probably worth a mention in fairness.

Badabing · 18-06-2019 10:01pm

Michael inside

liam7831 · 18-06-2019 10:05pm

Accelerator

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0193701/

johnny_ultimate · 18-06-2019 10:21pm

banie01 wrote: »

So many other great Irish movies without even touching on animation

Important to flag this as well! Cartoon Saloon is a legitimately world-class animation studio. In terms of their willingness to push themselves stylistically, they're almost without equal in terms of currently active animation houses.

Insect Overlord · 18-06-2019 10:55pm

It wouldn't win any "best of" awards, but I've always had a soft spot for Cowboys And Angels. It's still the only professionally produced feature film (that I know of) to be made in Limerick City.

saabsaab · 18-06-2019 11:20pm

I liked the matchmaker and grabbers. Bothe funny and send ups.

Hangdogroad · 19-06-2019 6:20am

Clash Of The Ash.

Nekarsulm · 19-06-2019 6:32am

I really enjoyed "The man who wanted to fly".
Opening segment of "Band of Brothers" was incredible too.

Adamocovic · 19-06-2019 7:10am

Surprised some are left out.

Surely Brooklyn counts as an Irish film. Follows an Irish immigrant, played by an Irish actress, and directed by an Irish director.

What about The Boxer too. Daniel Day Lewis and Jim Sheridan team up again. Could list most of their films, not sure if In the Name of the Father has had it's mention yet.

Staying on the Jim Sheridan role what about In America.

Bloody Sunday is another top film. Hunger should get a mention too.

Moving away from the IRA and Irish immigrant themed stories I went Down may not be a "great" film for many but is a very good one.

And oh I don't know, why not say Darby O'Gill and the Little People?

run_Forrest_run · 19-06-2019 7:19am

Am I the only one to feel Garage should get a mention? Ok, wouldn't go down as a great but a good film I thought.

mightybashful · 19-06-2019 7:21am

Inside I'm Dancing

Smudger80 · 19-06-2019 7:37am

The Snapper

Tipsy McSwagger · 19-06-2019 7:50am

Smudger80 wrote: »

The Snapper

Is awful

Day Lewin · 19-06-2019 7:57am

The Crying Game

Eat the Peach

How to cheat in the Leaving Cert (obscure, unavailable but my personal favourite, extremely Irish!)

My Left Foot.

Editing to add:

The Commitments

Another Shore (1948)

19-06-2019 8:07am

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

Am I the only one to feel Garage should get a mention? Ok, wouldn't go down as a great but a good film I thought.

Yes! A great film. Pat Shorty is amazing in it.

Also, The Butcher Boy; one of my all time favourites. Beautifully filmed, scripted, acted... and that soundtrack!

Fr Tod Umptious · 19-06-2019 8:09am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Clash Of The Ash.

A late '80s cult classic

Love it.

Insect Overlord · 19-06-2019 8:13am

Just had a frightful thought.

If this thread had been posted 10 years ago, you'd have had a load of young lads insisting "Man About Dog" was the greatest thing since Citizen Kane. :pac:

rhubarbcustard · 19-06-2019 8:18am

pixelburp wrote: »

That was a film that really, really wanted to be a Tarantino feature. Hasn't aged too well IMO.

I have to say I'm impressed nobody has mentioned Fatal Deviation yet

Find "Irish cinema" a tough beast to get into TBH. For me, cinema is often about escapism, so given how often Irish Film goes for gritty, domestic dramas above all else I simply stay clear of its output. If I do dabble, it's with genre outliers like Black 47, Siege of Jadotville or uh, Grabbers

I get What you're saying about it not having aged so well, I found it very funny though, and I got the feeling the producers were not worrying about appealing to a TransAtlantic audience which was refreshing to me at that time.

I just checked youtube and I see Fatal Deviation is up there, I have to watch that Again now!!

cardwizzard · 19-06-2019 8:23am

Always loved War of the Buttons.

Del.Monte · 19-06-2019 8:32am

I don't know why there's so much negativity in this thread and judging from some of the posts people's viewing seems to be fairly limited. There have been tons of great Irish films.

Going back to early days of Irish cinema, the 1935 movie "The Informer", starring Victor McLaglen, is surely one of the most gripping films about the "Troubles" even though one can see how it's going to end from the beginning.

Several more excellent films about the Troubles include

The Night Fighters" (1960) starring Robert Mitchum.

Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) starring James Cagney.

The Odd Man Out" (1947) starring James Mason.

Harry's Game" (1982).

Other movies worth a look include:

The Blue Max (1965) starring George Peppard, James Mason.

Alfred the Great (1968).

Barry Lyndon (1975) starring Ryan O'Neal.

The First Great Train Robbery (1979) starring Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland.

There are literally hundreds of films worthy of mention as well as some major turkeys.

Of more recent interest:

Ryan's Daughter (1970)

The Field (1990)

Garage (2007) - Pat Shortt.

The Halo Effect (2004) - Stephen Rea.

The 3:10 to Claremorris (2010)

Grabbers (2012)

Whatever about being the best, The Commitments (1991) is still probably my favourite Irish film of all time, I never tire of its humour and recognise many of the stereotypes portrayed - great music too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSXGeUQc0Co

You can broaden your horizons by visiting my site here: https://irelandsmovies.wordpress.com/ and then try and track down anything that grabs your attention.

The Greatest Irish Films

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