Rent The Commitments (1991)

Hilarious Comedy Drama - The Commitments review by GI

The Commitments is one of those social comedies that always entertains regardless of how many times you've seen it. Hilariously funny and yet it manages to reveal the grime and deprivation of the working class estates of Dublin where wheeler dealer Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) puts together a soul band made up of locals who nearly make it big. It's in the scenes of everyday life from the auditions Jimmy holds in his parents house (Colm Meaney as Jimmy's Dad is a riot) to his walking around the city where we get to see life going on (including a boy putting a horse into the lifts in a block of flats) that the little gems of comedy and social drama are seen. But its when the band, who gradually fall out with one another for various reasons, start performing that the film adds it's real magic because they are really good putting on their covers of such classic as Dark End Of The Street and Try A Little Tenderness. Director Alan Parker mostly used unknown actors, many of whom went onto careers in TV and film, which gives the film it's mock documentary style. With it's very colourful language courtesy of a great script by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais ( famous in the UK for TV comedy such as The Likely Lads and Porridge) and Roddy Doyle from whose novel the film is adapted, this is a riot. A wonderful film, it'll have you laughing out loud, singing and dancing. It's a sheer joy.