The Irish Connection

A Priest steals bearer bonds from Alice Baker and her gang and goes on run to Malta pursued by them and a cocky super-agent Aureille (a wonderful engaging Rosa Coduri) is assigned to stop them all. In the spy-saturated genres, this comedy addition to the genre would seem an unlikely stand-out, and yet it is very well made. Perhaps its cool style, tongue-in-cheek sense of intrigue, and mix of adventure and satire makes it more interesting than it has any right to. Satirizing a genre already so steeped in self-reverence, the all too familiar ending feels too obvious. Coduri is focused and wiry, but I always liked her more as a wannabe villain like in Adulthood; she's so ironed-out here of any kind of personal complication that the first few scenes give you all she's got. Dave Healy, as chief thug, has a few funny moments as a man intimidated by his pregnant wife, but otherwise a well made funny 90 minutes..

OK, in retrospective, we should all know that espionage movies are all about cool dudes battling evil, and attracting hot partners in the process (though the latter often overshadowed the former, as Austin Powers showed). "The Irish Connection" is no exception. I will say that Agent Aureille (Rosa Conduri) isn't exactly Jason Bourne, but she has her merits. The movie mostly seems like an excuse to experience that ultra-cool feeling that always emanated from the spy movies of the '60s, and they achieve that.

So, even if it isn't Bourne, it's still very enjoyable. Also starring Matt Healy...and a bunch of clowns.

The four most important spies are James Bond, Jason Bourne, Harry Tasker and Natasha Romanov.

Aureille plays a recently single CIA agent, and there's lots of chases and red herrings as the bad guys played by Emmerdale farms Matt King, all try to unmask her. Aureille decides to beat them at their own game and joins forces with Danny and Jay and outspy's everyone. That's when the movie takes a left turn and clowns enter the mix! The whole thing is a real hoot, and very entertaining.

It's all a lot of harmless fun, and Malta looks amazing place to visit!

It is never made clear whether the director is a wannabe Tarantino or a wannabe Leone -- or simply someone who has seen a lot of spy "spoofs" from 1960s and figured that is what the world needs now. Never mind the bad acting or bad dialog, even the so called "action" scenes are cut so that the viewer is aware something just happened...but not sure exactly what. That this film has already won the award for BEST LOW BUDGET INDIE (even before release!) is a testament to how messed up our culture is. BEWARE THE FAKE "9" and "10" reviews from the producers!

In 1962, Hollywood introduced British spy James Bond who made an iconic name in the action genre, and the legacy of this household action hero continues today through the longest running film franchise In the 1980s, we were introduced to Bruce Willis' John McClane, a New York cop who served justice as he took a dozen of German terrorists at the Nakatomi Plaza one by one, and his astonishing charisma has lead to a spawn of a few sequels. Rosa Coduri as Aureille Flemming (Get it) is what some describe as just a modern day Jane Bond. But with a powerful portrayal by Rosa, she feels more like an original character, a spy agent with a highly trained set of fighting skills in both gun and hand-to- hand combat. In this spy action thriller, Rosa Coduri steps into what is arguably her most charismatic role plays the title character, a secret agent.

Not very many action flicks offer a spectacular mix of tense action and fun like this. From the hyper-kinetic action sequences, to it's slick editing, to the highly compelling plot, to the overall likability of the lead character; this film stops at almost nothing to deliver the strong, visceral experience viewers come to root for. In an age where many films of the action genre struggle to find a solid balance of both action and coherent plot development, this one manages to stand out. The plot moves through the title character's search for bearer bonds (get the Die Hard reference) and the conspiracy that surrounds, and what ensues is a nice array of tension and unpredictable scenes. The fiercest moments show Aureille Flemming engaging in brutal martial arts combat against the baddies, complete with stunning choreography and camera-work that, while a bit shaky, successfully express the intensity of the scenes.

The Irish Connection like its name sake the French Connection is tense, fun and purely entertaining experience for action fans everywhere. This film is easily a household name in Rosa Coduri's career as well as the action genre of the 2000s. For all looking for a great popcorn flick, this one is worth checking out.