Hmmm this is a real mess of a film, maybe from a novel not sure. Seems to have some Irish loyalty inn the 4 star reviews maybe.
It falls between 2 stools - sometimes it tries to be a comedy, but is lame and very cartoon character caper, like Scooby Do in parts, just silly scenes, utterly unbelievable. At other times it is a violent revenge thriller.
The voiceover supposed twist is not clever, it is pathetic - voiceovers are often a sign of desperation to clarify a confusing film.
Great cast. No idea what they are doing in this dross which I note is state-funded by Irish govt and FilmFour (a UK-Irish coproduction) But maybe should have been a cartoon.
1. 5 stars rounded up.
Irish comedy, charming without being too stereotypical. Great performance from Cillian Murphy as Michael McCrea the unfortunate, slightly misanthropic loser who gets himself in deeper than he expected with Perrier the gangster. Jim Broadbent, as ever, steals the show with an excellent comic-yet-straight performance as Michael's (Cillian Murphy) father - along with the expected comedy he gives a poigniancy and seriousness to the role that is rarely seen in this sort of movie. The pace of the film is fast enough to keep you interested but not too much that it is stressful. The violence is brutal, but not unnecessarily so and well-placed humour brings enough relief until the next onslaught. There is a steady theme of death and a nice (albeit slightly semi-skimmed) ending but enough of a twist to be worthwhile. The semi-skimmed nature of the film is the only let down - Perrier's Bounty isn't a low-fat comedy film or a full-fat action movie, on occasion it can't make its mind up and so stumbles a little. Definitely worth a rental, I'd watch it again but I think the comedy plays to my slightly twisted sense of humour - an excellent movie after a couple of drinks.
The worst thing about this film is Jim Broadbent's Irish accent, the best his acting of someone who hasn't slept for a while. It is exhausting to watch. This is the funniest genuinely violent film I have seen. Some nasty scenes of clubbing with baseball bats and some tender ones, but mainly comedy in violence. A brutal gangster who refers to a pack of fighting dog handlers with a grudge as insouciant made me smile (and reach for my dictionary).