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I saw "The Closer You Get" at a school screening recently and I must say that it didn't surprise or challenge me. I wasn't expecting "Citizen Cane" in Ireland but I was hoping for some genuine moments of humanity and of course some silly banter. But the comic moments seemed perfunctory and forced and the dramatic moments didn't quite have the gravity that they needed. The story takes place in a small sea side town in Ireland where the male inhabitants decide to invite beautiful women from America over to their town so they can get some foreign variety in their lives. The women get a hold of this news and cleverly play off the men's futile effort.

Sadly "The Closer You Get" only a few minutes to introduce the plot then we have to sit through over an hour and a half for the bland execution. I really wanted to get to know these colorful characters better in the first act so that I could follow them through this silly plot.

It's official now. We have this Irish small town comedy genre on our hands and there's no end in sight. It was fresh at first but come on people we need some variety in plot structure by now. I guess these Irish films are more sincere and have their hearts in all the right places, which is more than I can say for those pesky teen flicks. But when you've watched "The Commitments," "The Matchmaker," "The Full Monty," and "Waking Ned Divine," there innocuous charm quickly becomes annoying. I give "The Closer You Get" a six out of ten.

This is a quaint and charming little comedy about life and love in rural northwestern Ireland. The question remains, how many rural Irish comedies can we watch before the material starts to get stale. The story begins with the single men of this little town complaining that the women are substandard and there are no marriage prospects. After downing far too many pints, they decide to place an advertisement in the Miami Herald to see if they can induce some American women to come to Ireland to the big town dance. When the townswomen get wind of the scheme, they invite some Spanish fishermen to the same dance. The result is a succession of comical situations where everyone makes fools of themselves in anticipation of the big day. The net result of all this is the lesson Dorothy learned when she left Kansas; that when you are looking for your heart's desire, you don't have to look any further than your own backyard.

Aileen Ritchie's directorial debut was marked by some nice photography of well-selected locations and an alluring portrayal of the local color and appeal. The characters all seemed very genuine and unaffected; the way country folks generally are regardless of national origin. The scenes leading up to the dance work well, but the film bogs down after the dance as the tone changes from mirthful to dramatic.

The acting was generally good with a couple of standouts. Ian Hart stole the show as Kieran the headstrong town butcher. He was simultaneously affable and obnoxious. His character's complete obliviousness to how ridiculous he was gave Hart ample opportunity to become a laugh magnet. Niahm Cusack was also enchanting as Kate, mixing mischievousness with romantic appeal to create a delightful character.

I rated this film a 7/10. It is very light fare, silly enough that it will get a chuckle or two out of almost everyone.

I liked it...kind of Waking Ned Devine part two..not heavy but worth while if you're into Irish films. The accents are sometimes hard for Americans to understand but not a big problem. Maybe a little predictable but good character developement, and there are some characters!!

This is a wonderfully sensitive and human film, well scripted, well acted, superbly directed. And so what if the women come out as the winners. It's a delightful story of sexual awakening, done in a charming, cheeky Irish style. Provocative yet tasteful. Funny yet serious. One of those rare films in which everything works!

This is a film that is very easy to relate to for somebody who grew up living in a small Australian town. Overall, the film is quite a clever play on a simple story line, and it makes you wonder why this theme wasn't explored or performed years ago. The only character in the film who seems oddly out of place is "Pat" (Ewan Stewart). You have to ask why a former Scottish Football Star would end up running a pub in an out of the way Irish fishing village? Again the character "Pat" provides the only sad note in the film as he splits from his screen wife as a result of his filandering ways. His wife played by Niamh Cussack, plays a lead in the film, but is not without some blame for the split in the marriage. Through the film there is the suggestion of romantic interest in another of the lead characters.

Other notable moments in the film that tickled my funny bone are when "Ollie" describes his desire to local Post Mistress to, "take a woman to the celestial heavens and worship her", and those "Church Bells". Overall, I had a really good kack when I saw this film in the cinema. Comedy films aren't generally meant to make you think, they are more meant to entertain. "American Women" or "The Closer You Get" definately entertains. I've certainly seen a lot worse low budget comedies, and for that matter, I've certainly seen some real shockers that have been made on a high budget. The "Closer You Get" is definately good value for money.