Accelerator

It's a British mainland stereotype that everyone in Belfast has a criminal record , wears a balaclava and carries a gun . So how does film from the Republic Of Ireland begin ? With a character driving a car being chased by a couple of hooded men carrying baseball bats . Never mind the Good Friday Agreement if ACCELERATOR doesn't unite everyone in Britain and Ireland in to Belfast stereotypes nothing will

I didn't understand the opening scene . It's obvious the men after the protagonist Johnny are paramilitaries , probably loyalists ones judging by the colours the railings are painted as Johnny runs to his home but feels the need to burn the car he has stolen . Hmmmm if you're getting pursued by a kneecapping squad of the UFF why bother to burn the car . I mean it's not like the UFF are going to send out a forensic team to take fingerprints is it ? I guess the RUC might but wouldn't an experienced car thief like Johnny be wearing gloves ? I suppose the logic of this scene is that the film wants to get off with a bang literally

After setting up this scene the film meanders around . Characters come and go and say " What about ya ? " and " what about ya ? " and " what about ya ? " which is the only comprehensible dialogue in most of the film . Since it's produced in Dublin I often thought the characters were talking in Irish Gaelic

The rest of the film is a rather uneasy mix of GONE IN 60 SECOMDS and TRAINSPOTTING but lacks the star charisma of a Robert Carlyle . That said it does portray lower working class alcohol obsessed Celtic culture relatively well , but of course being set in Ireland someone has to pull out a gun some point . What about ya ?

I saw this movie last Saturday at the UGC cinema, Dublin (as part of the Dublin Film Festival).

My comments?? Probably the best 87 minutes of movie-making magic in the past twenty years. Storyline, script, camera work, cast, inter-play of characters, production, directorship...and music.

Vinnie and Gang - you've done the Irish proud. If you haven't seen it yet - don't delay....you're in for the ride of you're life.

When I saw this film, I was blown away - the young actors catch the realism of the characters perfectly, and the setting/location and influence of the environment on the characters is exactly what the harsher areas of Dublin and Belfast are like. A chase/race movie on a budget that puts Hollywood to shame - it's out on DVD rental in Ireland, but not available to buy (someday please!!) Top marks, a great film.

When I saw this movie, I had never heard anything about it before. Often that's the best way to see a film, and have an objective look at it. This movie starts of promising with a car chase scene, accompanied by loud drum and bass-like music. The tone is set: another movie about young people in the slums of some Anglo- Irish city ( compare Trainspotting), with lots of modern music. The music in fact is the only thing that remained interesting during the whole movie. For the rest, it's nothing more than a sympathetic effort to make a film about these youngsters, their boredom and the illegal race it results in. Oh, and there's something about the problems in Northern Ireland as well! Most of the characters are quiet flat and the acting often is well meant, but very poor. And the race, witch takes up most of the time of the movie, is in fact a bit boring. There are much more interesting films about illegal car races, like for example the classics "Two-Lane Backtop" and "Vanishing Point" ( I bet you the makers were influenced by these movies!) Finally, I recently saw a much more interesting and natural film about youngsters and their problems, with no car chases at all, and hardly any loud, modern music. That was the recent Swedish picture "Fucking Åmål". Now there's a movie I'd really recommend!

"Accelerator" is an enjoyable and competently directed movie. The plot has been touched on by other reviewers but what disappointed me was the director's insistence on character development rather than concentrating fully on the race and having a winner. I suppose that would have been too predictable.

As for the characters the statuesque Sharon and myopic Anto are probably the most likeable. Sharon (Mary Murray) has the most sensual screen presence I have seen in the last ten years.

Negatives - the smug, patronising, irritating and condescending Ripley and Spock played by the extremely overrated and arrogant pair that is Mary Ellen McCartan and Philip Richey.

Overall I'd say 5/10