Back To Barrytown

The Commitments is probably the best movie by far from a neutral point of view but watching the snapper or the van as an Irish person is like watching a time capsule. The clothes, attitudes even down to the cycling obsessed kid is a real perfect snapshot of the time

So Alan Parker thought Glen Hansard was a @*@*z. Now there’s a surprise .

Very enjoyable programme. I remember going to see the film it when it came out and was running continuously for 24hrs in the Carlton (I think) on O’Connell Street.

The Commitments is the best film in the Barrytown Trilogy but I think The Van is the best book.

Between the Paddy Power ad and this, Colm Meaney can't be doing much work during the pandemic. He is a much beloved character and I thought he did a very good job at the narration along with Roddy Doyle. Interviews with Robert Arkin and Angleine Ball were good, they didn't hold anything back. I would have liked to see more of the cast though. Especially Andrew Strong, maybe he's an even bigger prick now!

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Imagine Meaney on Line of Duty as a dirty copper against Hastings Dunbar

I enjoy all Doyle's adaptations

He played a decent villian on Under Siege and a real bollocks of a DEA agent on Con Air.

California Dreamer wrote: »

He played a decent villian on Under Siege and a real bollocks of a DEA agent on Con Air.

Was the only part of Intermission that I liked too when he was the kinda dodgy Clannad loving cop

silliussoddius wrote: »

He was also very good in Kings, not necessarily a baddie but a complex character.

Great movie. Tried to find it recently and couldn't get it with subtitles which to my shame I need

I really enjoyed this first episode, although I though Robert Arkins didn't seem happy after the whole experience. I thought he played a great part in the film and along with his actual music experience, he should have done better out of it. His rendition of Treat Her Right, is one of my favourites on the soundtrack and I loved his remix of The Late Late theme in 1999. It was sad to hear of the cast breakups and fallouts, kind of took the gloss off it.

At the time the film was released, I was doing occasional work in Sweden and remember when a group of Swedish colleagues went to see it. They came to work the next day with a phrase book leaflet they had been given at the cinema to understand the Dublin references.... they still had to enquire off me what 'Ask me Boll*x' meant.

Looking forward to the other episodes...

Some great lines in the movie that I had forgotten about! Strange that a few of the cast were missing- maybe they weren't interested in taking part. Roddie Doyle was a miserable fecker as a teacher and he doesn't seem to have changed!

One of the backing singers seems to have had a good career since then.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Doyle_Kennedy

breezy1985 wrote: »

Was the only part of Intermission that I liked too when he was the kinda dodgy Clannad loving cop

His banter offs with Colin Farrell's character, run ins were funny

He is a decent actor, can do both comedy and drama, maybe underrated

He was good in Hell on Wheels

breezy1985 wrote: »

He doesn't get a lot of credit compared to a lot of other Irish actors out there maybe it's cause he is rarely a leading man in the Hollywood sense. His Snapper buddy Brendan Gleeson was the same but Harry Potter and the McDonagh movies got him the recognition finally

Some times the supporting roles can out shine the leading roles

Just Watched this on the rte player as I forgot to record it and shocking the player worked which took me a second to recover from.

Anyway it was a well done show and Colm Meaney is an actor I’ve always liked. It was nice to see some of the other actors that we hadn’t heard from before. Some nice behind the scenes footage which was good. The actor who played Jimmy rabbite the manager of the band, seemed a bit less than nostalgic about the film at the end when sitting next to a window compared to the others. Also, the two bits of religion that were in the film were hardly that bad but roddy Doyle didn’t like them.

The snapper next Sunday should brilliant. While the commitments had some classic lines, the snapper tops it IMO.

California Dreamer wrote: »

Between the Paddy Power ad and this, Colm Meaney can't be doing much work during the pandemic. He is a much beloved character and I thought he did a very good job at the narration along with Roddy Doyle. Interviews with Robert Arkin and Angleine Ball were good, they didn't hold anything back. I would have liked to see more of the cast though. Especially Andrew Strong, maybe he's an even bigger prick now!

What's your name? Decco,is that decco the bus conductor or top deck or bottom deck lol

Billy and the bollocks lol lol Yar a ****e drummer anyways lol

silliussoddius wrote: »

Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.:
What did Evel Knievel want?

Jimmy Rabbitte:
God sent him.

Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.:
What?

Jimmy Rabbitte:
God sent him.

Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.:
On a f***ing Suzuki?

Everytime I think of the Commitments, I think of this one line. Never fails to make me smile.:D


Along with:

It's ride, Sally ride, not roid, Sally roid

I was really looking forward to this but it honestly felt a bit flat to me. Felt like a bit of a missed opportunity really to make something really special on it.

Somewhat enjoyable but didnt find it that engaging.

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I kind of get what you mean even though I enjoyed it. I felt that some of them had plenty to say.

I woudered why a lot of the cast were missing from the programme. Maybe not everyone had positive things to say.

I never watched the Commitments so did not really care much for this but have the seen "The Snapper"and "The Van" and am looking forward to them two parts.

S.M.B. wrote: »

Anyone know if this is/will be viewable outside of Ireland?

Not unless you have a VPN.

I see "The Commitments" is on tonight on RTE 1 after Eurovision.
No intention of watching it but I might record it if I can.

clickhere wrote: »

Is there any particular reason why you have never watched the commitments. I think it's up in the top 10 of the best Irish pictures ever made. I loved the Snapper as well but not so much the Van. Looking forward to the next 2 episodes. A big thumbs up to RTE for doing something right.

Personally,i always liked the Barrytown trilogy. But I can see why others do not like it.
It is very 'Dub centric' and I am a Dub so I probably relate to it more. I look out for areas I know well where it was filmed stuff like that.

I actually think the Commitments taught me how to curse properly as a young fella. Plus I remember wearing a commitments T-Shirt with commitments curses on it such as 'tosser' and 'ask me bolix'

If I was to rate the three films in order it would have to be

1) The Van - nice tidy story and always love the bit where Jimmy Rabbitte Senior bites a chunk out of the burger because a fella was short a few pence.

2) The Snapper - seemed very authentic - but I always felt sorry for annoy named Sharon. 'A1' or 'A1 Sharon' was a 'go to' phrase as it was after that film.

3) The Commitments - while having good bits in it - always felt it was bit long and could have been tidied up a bit more.

jimmymack wrote: »

The Snapper is on next Saturday, I don't think they're showing The Van at all

Thanks, that is pity not having the Van it is like a three legged stool missing a leg.

It’s true that some of the lines from the snapper are still used today. Big baby, small turkey.

Has that footbridge always had that curved part at the end ?