15 reviews
The acclaimed dramedy "An Irish Angel" is ostensibly a tried but true tale of the misfit high school lass who longs to ditch her dreary existence, skip this one-horse hamlet and make it in the big city, except shes been knocked up.
But as smartly written and directed by Danny Patrick the sum of these singularly familiar parts combine to take us to a place well beyond where we typically go with such fare. Taking the helm Patrick weaves an uncommonly engaging story. Deftly mixing healthy hits of both laughter and tears, he guides us on a journey every bit as eccentric as it is stirring.
Not every movie has to have an enduring message. Still, "An Irish Angel" struck me with this one. The more we may try to distance ourselves from that which has come to define us, the more we are drawn ever nearer to it.
And to appreciate the hell out of it.
But as smartly written and directed by Danny Patrick the sum of these singularly familiar parts combine to take us to a place well beyond where we typically go with such fare. Taking the helm Patrick weaves an uncommonly engaging story. Deftly mixing healthy hits of both laughter and tears, he guides us on a journey every bit as eccentric as it is stirring.
Not every movie has to have an enduring message. Still, "An Irish Angel" struck me with this one. The more we may try to distance ourselves from that which has come to define us, the more we are drawn ever nearer to it.
And to appreciate the hell out of it.
- MovieGuruEurope
- May 2, 2024
- Permalink
I thought this movie was promising, premise wise. It was refreshing in the sense that it didn't feel like your average Independent Artsy Movie; it felt more or less like a movie with something to say. Which is charming actually, the cinematography is beautiful I loved it.
To me this movie over delivered on some points, and undelivered in others. Like I said I liked the directing style, I liked how unconventional the characters looked. Mostly in films; teenagers are being physically portrayed as beauty pageant contestants or extremely good looking cheer leaders etc.. but over here they looked more realistic and believable as teenagers. I loved the way this movie represented the family unit, in that it wasn't too good to be true but wasn't too unreal either. Millions of Irish People probably grew up in such families which seems more relatable to the viewer.
I have to focus on the ways in which this film fell short for me at least. The plot was very cliche, the same as every other coming of age movie. Teen finds herself pregnant, teen fights with parent to gain her independence, parent resist teen's independence and then teen starts rebelling out of frustration and so on.
The plot was quite the cookie-cutter. It was predictable and we have seen it many times. The only difference is the setting & the characters really. I felt like the idea of the family going through "financial difficulties" was just thrown in for good measures. I kinda wished they threw that out of the plot all together, it didn't seem to actually affect the plot in anyway other than dramatic effect.
So yeah, overall pretty good film but I felt it lacked on originality and it wasn't as "deep" as I had hoped it would be.
To me this movie over delivered on some points, and undelivered in others. Like I said I liked the directing style, I liked how unconventional the characters looked. Mostly in films; teenagers are being physically portrayed as beauty pageant contestants or extremely good looking cheer leaders etc.. but over here they looked more realistic and believable as teenagers. I loved the way this movie represented the family unit, in that it wasn't too good to be true but wasn't too unreal either. Millions of Irish People probably grew up in such families which seems more relatable to the viewer.
I have to focus on the ways in which this film fell short for me at least. The plot was very cliche, the same as every other coming of age movie. Teen finds herself pregnant, teen fights with parent to gain her independence, parent resist teen's independence and then teen starts rebelling out of frustration and so on.
The plot was quite the cookie-cutter. It was predictable and we have seen it many times. The only difference is the setting & the characters really. I felt like the idea of the family going through "financial difficulties" was just thrown in for good measures. I kinda wished they threw that out of the plot all together, it didn't seem to actually affect the plot in anyway other than dramatic effect.
So yeah, overall pretty good film but I felt it lacked on originality and it wasn't as "deep" as I had hoped it would be.
- dannymccafferty-53150
- Apr 23, 2024
- Permalink
This was not your typical pregnant teenager story. The main reason being the dreams of Aine, the pregnant girl, are woven into the story. They start off as high anxiety dreams, but then become more mind searching than fearful. As the spiritual man in her dream, who looks both like Jesus and her school janitor, repeatedly tells her when she asks him questions: "This is your dream, Aine." In other words, she must find her own answers about life and death.
Her best school friend in the film is Leo, an aspiring actor who apparently has no parents, but lives with his older brother, a wanna-be robber. No, he's not the father of the baby. Todd Bell, the actor who portrays him, looked too old to me to be a teenager. Or maybe he just needed a better haircut. (He was 22 when he made the film.) Her dropped best friend is a beautiful blonde, the girlfriend of her unborn baby's father.
Aine's mother Margaret is at her wit's end about what to do about her, and her grandmother, who lives with them, has a terminal illness. (This is not a film, however, about dealing with the illness. Her grandmother looks and acts perfectly well throughout most of the film.) One wants her to keep the baby and one does not. Aine thinks she knows what will be best for her, but does she?
Surprisingly, no one who has posted a review here so far mentions another beautiful blonde in the movie--Esme, the adult daughter of Margaret's employer. She is the most intriguing person in the film, but what was her purpose? She is mute, but not deaf, unless she reads lips really well. She is a tall, slim, physically powerful woman who knows how to fight ferociously in various ways.
Esme is part of the big tragedy at the end of the film. A tragedy I am reducing a star for because I saw no reason for it. Why did that happen? Was it to show if you can't discuss a problem with others, you are more likely to resort to violence to solve it? Is this whole film about the need to talk to others and not keep secrets or hide fears? I don't know. It's an intriguing at times movie, however, especially one with the tired topic of a pregnant teenager.
Her best school friend in the film is Leo, an aspiring actor who apparently has no parents, but lives with his older brother, a wanna-be robber. No, he's not the father of the baby. Todd Bell, the actor who portrays him, looked too old to me to be a teenager. Or maybe he just needed a better haircut. (He was 22 when he made the film.) Her dropped best friend is a beautiful blonde, the girlfriend of her unborn baby's father.
Aine's mother Margaret is at her wit's end about what to do about her, and her grandmother, who lives with them, has a terminal illness. (This is not a film, however, about dealing with the illness. Her grandmother looks and acts perfectly well throughout most of the film.) One wants her to keep the baby and one does not. Aine thinks she knows what will be best for her, but does she?
Surprisingly, no one who has posted a review here so far mentions another beautiful blonde in the movie--Esme, the adult daughter of Margaret's employer. She is the most intriguing person in the film, but what was her purpose? She is mute, but not deaf, unless she reads lips really well. She is a tall, slim, physically powerful woman who knows how to fight ferociously in various ways.
Esme is part of the big tragedy at the end of the film. A tragedy I am reducing a star for because I saw no reason for it. Why did that happen? Was it to show if you can't discuss a problem with others, you are more likely to resort to violence to solve it? Is this whole film about the need to talk to others and not keep secrets or hide fears? I don't know. It's an intriguing at times movie, however, especially one with the tired topic of a pregnant teenager.
- sundayatdusk-97859
- Jan 25, 2025
- Permalink
I kind of like films like 'An Irish Angel'. Coming of age, teenage dramas where the characters have infinite charm and deal with things we all remember fondly (or not so) from our adolescence. Even though I was never a rebellious teenage girl at a catholic school in Portrush, Northern Ireland, I still found myself relating to this quirky movie.
An Irish Angel captures the essence of what it's like to be a teenager. And while Niamh James 'Aine' and Amanda Doherty 'Margaret' really shine, each cast member adds something to the film, especially the seasoned Jaime Winstone 'Ellie' who hasn't been on this kind of form since her debut in Kidulthood.
I would describe 'An Irish Angel' as a solid, well made, well acted film with wonderful performances from the cast, there's a lot to love about An Irish Angel.
An Irish Angel captures the essence of what it's like to be a teenager. And while Niamh James 'Aine' and Amanda Doherty 'Margaret' really shine, each cast member adds something to the film, especially the seasoned Jaime Winstone 'Ellie' who hasn't been on this kind of form since her debut in Kidulthood.
I would describe 'An Irish Angel' as a solid, well made, well acted film with wonderful performances from the cast, there's a lot to love about An Irish Angel.
- gillianhirani
- Apr 14, 2024
- Permalink
The plot is muddled and keeps throwing in random irrelevant characters and plot lines. The main plot line of a Catholic teenage girl getting pregnant feels both unoriginal and preachy, but mainly a poor script makes it hard for the actors to engage fully. Some great actors - Jaime Winstone is charismatic and luminous, Niamh James, Julian Glover, Baz Black all give great performances hindered by a ponderous plot and script so their best efforts cannot raise this film from the C division where it belongs. Mainly it is confusing and hard to follow the different plot lines which don't have a purpose and result in an incredibly boring experience. Definitely don't waste your time unless you have insomnia.
- fionawillxxx
- May 7, 2024
- Permalink
This engaging dramatic-comedy from Danny Patrick is an absolute gem and one of the best independent films that has come out for a while. There are a number of divergent plot lines intricately woven, which culminate together in a highly climactic way, but the film still manages to maintain its charm and simplicity throughout. An Irish Angel works on a number of different levels, but foremost as an entertaining rites-of-passage teen movie, with numerous sophisticated elements that raise the movie well above its situated genre - especially the very cleverly conceived dream sequences that lend the movie an interesting art house feel.
The main story thread follows teenager Aine, expertly played by newcomer Niamh James, who is struggling to come to terms with what exactly she is going to do about her unplanned pregnancy - which resulted from an unwise short-term fling with her school's "King of Cool" (who happens to be the boyfriend of her best friend, Corinna). She finds that the people in her life, including those she turns to for help, have confusingly different perspectives on what she should do, which only adds to her anxiety; but an encounter with an old priest, Fr Reital (warmly played by veteran English actor Julian Glover) triggers her entrance into a spiritual dreamscape where she explores her life dilemmas with a mysterious Christ-like figure - who just happens to look uncannily like her grumpy school caretaker, who everyone calls "The Strap" (brilliantly played by Shane Robinson). It's an example of how Patrick mixes kitchen sink drama with off-the-wall artistic vision in a combination which always intrigues.
What really steals the show, however, is the exuberant performance of another young newcomer, Todd Bell, as Aine's school-friend and sidekick, Leo - a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who aspires to be a famous actor. He gains the lead role as "Pulcinella" in the school play of the same name, directed by the school's liberal drama teacher, Ellie (Jamie Winstone - who seems made the part), and "Pulcinella" provides the movie with a number of apt thematic tropes as we go on. As the various plotlines develop, we follow the school rehearsals of the play, which constitutes an amusing parody of an Elizabethan drama (based on a 18th century Italian ballet), whose pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue seems to have been expressly created for the purpose by Patrick. Much of the comedy comes from Leo's wide-eyed aspirations for fame, and to make it with the play's leading lady (Aine's good-looking best-friend Corinna), which conflicts with the gritty reality of his life - especially as he becomes embroiled in the crazy schemes of an incompetent band of local wannabe gangsters, led by his brother Padraig (the gloriously tattooed Baz Back). This latter plotline ultimately leads to high drama, tragedy and pathos, and is important to the life-affirming conclusion to the movie.
Altogether this is a funny, dramatic, and, at times, emotively profound movie, that punches far above its weight and is well worth taking a chance on.
The main story thread follows teenager Aine, expertly played by newcomer Niamh James, who is struggling to come to terms with what exactly she is going to do about her unplanned pregnancy - which resulted from an unwise short-term fling with her school's "King of Cool" (who happens to be the boyfriend of her best friend, Corinna). She finds that the people in her life, including those she turns to for help, have confusingly different perspectives on what she should do, which only adds to her anxiety; but an encounter with an old priest, Fr Reital (warmly played by veteran English actor Julian Glover) triggers her entrance into a spiritual dreamscape where she explores her life dilemmas with a mysterious Christ-like figure - who just happens to look uncannily like her grumpy school caretaker, who everyone calls "The Strap" (brilliantly played by Shane Robinson). It's an example of how Patrick mixes kitchen sink drama with off-the-wall artistic vision in a combination which always intrigues.
What really steals the show, however, is the exuberant performance of another young newcomer, Todd Bell, as Aine's school-friend and sidekick, Leo - a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who aspires to be a famous actor. He gains the lead role as "Pulcinella" in the school play of the same name, directed by the school's liberal drama teacher, Ellie (Jamie Winstone - who seems made the part), and "Pulcinella" provides the movie with a number of apt thematic tropes as we go on. As the various plotlines develop, we follow the school rehearsals of the play, which constitutes an amusing parody of an Elizabethan drama (based on a 18th century Italian ballet), whose pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue seems to have been expressly created for the purpose by Patrick. Much of the comedy comes from Leo's wide-eyed aspirations for fame, and to make it with the play's leading lady (Aine's good-looking best-friend Corinna), which conflicts with the gritty reality of his life - especially as he becomes embroiled in the crazy schemes of an incompetent band of local wannabe gangsters, led by his brother Padraig (the gloriously tattooed Baz Back). This latter plotline ultimately leads to high drama, tragedy and pathos, and is important to the life-affirming conclusion to the movie.
Altogether this is a funny, dramatic, and, at times, emotively profound movie, that punches far above its weight and is well worth taking a chance on.
- tom-rogers-564-42136
- May 16, 2024
- Permalink
'An Irish Angel' is a tale of angst, stress and a strive for acceptance. The themes in 'Angel' are common ones that many young adults can identify with during the confusing, competitive high school years. At the center of the film is Niamh James 'Aine' title character (pronounced Onya), who struggles with her inner demons now that she's pregnant, whilst hiding the fact from her mother, Margaret (Amanda Doherty). This secret dominates the entire film and even when its out, helps us understand how one's environment growing up can have a major impact on their choices in life.
The premise offers director Danny Patrick a lot to work with, and his signature comedic, dramedy tone is a constant throughout 'Angel.' Everything from the way scenes are shot to the quirky music are dripping with proverbial eye rolls, and they all work. Sure, there are a few moments that could cause general audiences gasp, but most of them are done in a way that is not mean-spirited or in poor taste. Aside from Niamh's A+ performance, others in the supporting cast don't disappoint, from Jaime Winstone to Julian Glover's priest.
'An Irish Angel' has the building blocks to become a cult classic for this generation.
The premise offers director Danny Patrick a lot to work with, and his signature comedic, dramedy tone is a constant throughout 'Angel.' Everything from the way scenes are shot to the quirky music are dripping with proverbial eye rolls, and they all work. Sure, there are a few moments that could cause general audiences gasp, but most of them are done in a way that is not mean-spirited or in poor taste. Aside from Niamh's A+ performance, others in the supporting cast don't disappoint, from Jaime Winstone to Julian Glover's priest.
'An Irish Angel' has the building blocks to become a cult classic for this generation.
- TibieriusKirk
- Apr 14, 2024
- Permalink
Aine (Niamh James) is in her senior year in a Catholic school in Portush, Northern Ireland and desperately wants to go travel the world, but she's just found out she's pregnant. This causes conflict with her widowed mother Margaret (Amanda Doherty).
Aine is someone who can be inconsiderate, selfish, insecure, good-hearted, ambitious beyond her abilities, naïve, fun, and able to redeem herself. In other words, she is a confused teenager on the cusp of adulthood and Niamh James plays the part superbly.
It has sharp directing by Danny Patrick who also wrote the screenplay. There are also engaging sidebar stories including other characters that add greatly to the main mother-daughter conflict: the despair of losing a job later in life; financial burdens; periodic depression; the inner-conflict of being young and Catholic; the futility of social climbing; the belief that "there" is better than "here".
The coming-of-age genre is so common that it's difficult to raise the bar. "An Irish Angel" at least meets the standard and then some though it could have been more. In fairness, the two lead performances do stand out especially that of Amanda Doherty. She shows so much push-pull with her daughter while trying to come to grips that her daughter has made the same mistake she did in getting pregnant young. She also has the brilliant ability to let the emotions build gradually and then attempt (as we do in real life) to resist them until the attempt is futile. No wonder Amanda Doherty is winning so many awards and award nominations. While she gives a rich performance, I believe the film would have been greater if she had been given even more screen time.
Aine is someone who can be inconsiderate, selfish, insecure, good-hearted, ambitious beyond her abilities, naïve, fun, and able to redeem herself. In other words, she is a confused teenager on the cusp of adulthood and Niamh James plays the part superbly.
It has sharp directing by Danny Patrick who also wrote the screenplay. There are also engaging sidebar stories including other characters that add greatly to the main mother-daughter conflict: the despair of losing a job later in life; financial burdens; periodic depression; the inner-conflict of being young and Catholic; the futility of social climbing; the belief that "there" is better than "here".
The coming-of-age genre is so common that it's difficult to raise the bar. "An Irish Angel" at least meets the standard and then some though it could have been more. In fairness, the two lead performances do stand out especially that of Amanda Doherty. She shows so much push-pull with her daughter while trying to come to grips that her daughter has made the same mistake she did in getting pregnant young. She also has the brilliant ability to let the emotions build gradually and then attempt (as we do in real life) to resist them until the attempt is futile. No wonder Amanda Doherty is winning so many awards and award nominations. While she gives a rich performance, I believe the film would have been greater if she had been given even more screen time.
- garethrocks
- May 4, 2024
- Permalink
One of the things this film does exceptionally well is give us a snapshot of the experiences Aine 'Niamh James' has, while still filling each moment with so much meaning and emotion. This is not a film about a teenager actively going through the world, it is about being in your 30's and looking back at your teenage youth. An Irish Angel does not rest on any single experience for very long and this is because when we remember our youth, we don't remember everything, and we don't remember all the sides to the story, we just remember how the door slammed and everything went silent or how we used to stare longingly at the dream house a few streets away, wishing it were ours. The criticism that this film touches on too much and discusses too little, is a misconception that this is a play by play of a young woman forced into being an adult. This is how life is remembered, in moments, slivers, glances. More over, Danny Patrick creates a female lead character that is at once self-conscious and determined. She does not wilt or waver in her goals even despite the mistakes she's made. Aine is a new female lead that does not ask "what will I do now?" when something goes wrong. She simply keeps going, until she arrives.
- FunsunshineGal
- Apr 18, 2024
- Permalink
Life can get difficult when you're a teenager from a poor, Catholic background in Northern Ireland. The film depicts these difficulties in a novel way as Aine, (pronounced Onya) the teenager in question, tries to cope with and make sense of the fallout from her life choices and friends. The characters are down to earth and relatable and several storylines are woven in. How many of us would remember a character at school akin to the 'King of Cool' and the pretty girl who always gets her man? Niamh James plays the part of Aine extremely well. This is an entertaining and thought-provoking take on an old tale.
- chrishud-04574
- Apr 25, 2024
- Permalink
As far as coming of age movies go. I most certainly feel like this is a complete and total winner. The acting and performances especially from Todd Bell as Leo and the lead Aine was wonderful.
The Story line whilst familiar was handled incredibly well, should I say fantastic! I fell that I just had to give it the kudos it deserves. Thanks to the people who made this possible, for an independent movie it took a lot of risks which paid off.
It felt so real and so satisfying to see the all of the story threads coming together. Very Emotional at times and occasionally silly. Loved it!
Thanks again to the creators.
The Story line whilst familiar was handled incredibly well, should I say fantastic! I fell that I just had to give it the kudos it deserves. Thanks to the people who made this possible, for an independent movie it took a lot of risks which paid off.
It felt so real and so satisfying to see the all of the story threads coming together. Very Emotional at times and occasionally silly. Loved it!
Thanks again to the creators.
- Dougal-26559
- May 3, 2024
- Permalink
I love how this film shows the social dynamics impacting the lives of teenagers - how they are influenced by family, friends, teachers, and spirituality - and how peer pressures cause huge problems for this age group. It must be challenging to represent teenagers facing contemporary problems, and, consequently, I thought the acting was amazing. That too for the other characters, who also show how our children can change the opinions we form from our own experiences. This film highlights how love can truly conquer both our hearts and our views. It's a highly recommended watch, which offers a depth of talent.
- leannerogersuk
- May 28, 2024
- Permalink
I found An Irish Angel to be a sweet, charming coming-of-age film. It is a serious film, but with flashes of humor. Danny Patrick wrote and directed the film which seemed to be partly autobiographical in that he grew up in Ireland about the same time as her character. The film is a meditation on what it means to be from some place and what that idea of home means in shaping who you become.
Aine 'Niamh James' has a love-hate relationship with her town, her family and her place in both. It is also very much a story of young girl struggling with her own and her mother's expectations for herself. The script is really charming with the best scenes being those of Aine and her mother played by 'Amanda Doherty'.
Aine is struggling with her secret pregnancy, family, friendship, religion all at the same time. Like all of us, she is trying to find her place in the world. Niamh James is excellent as Ained as is Amanda Doherty in the role of her haggard struggling mother trying to hold her family together through difficult times. Recommended to those who like drama, particularly coming-of-age films.
Aine 'Niamh James' has a love-hate relationship with her town, her family and her place in both. It is also very much a story of young girl struggling with her own and her mother's expectations for herself. The script is really charming with the best scenes being those of Aine and her mother played by 'Amanda Doherty'.
Aine is struggling with her secret pregnancy, family, friendship, religion all at the same time. Like all of us, she is trying to find her place in the world. Niamh James is excellent as Ained as is Amanda Doherty in the role of her haggard struggling mother trying to hold her family together through difficult times. Recommended to those who like drama, particularly coming-of-age films.
- Taylorismygal
- Apr 15, 2024
- Permalink
An Irish Angel is a lot like the time in which it takes place. The film has a lot of note to say, but you get the sense that it has a good time just being there. By 2017, The Good Friday Agreement was in the rear-view mirror, as were much of the struggles of the previous decades. It was almost like people were sick and tired of caring about trauma.
Our film shows us the trials and tribulations of Aine just looking to navigate the world of a teenage girl. There are plenty of familiar faces in this cast with Jaime Winstone and Julian Glover, but nobody really outshines the leads Niamh James and Todd Bell. The film is paced in a manner that lets us know about the characters. The most memorable scenes in the film are more painful than funny with Aine's Nightmares.
Danny Patrick's films the action is from a completely neutral vantage point. There is nothing at all pretentious or preachy about any of the subject matter. The film ramps up the humor of other Teen fare, but shadows that with the tragic desperation that modern teenagers face, this film is worth taking a look at.
Our film shows us the trials and tribulations of Aine just looking to navigate the world of a teenage girl. There are plenty of familiar faces in this cast with Jaime Winstone and Julian Glover, but nobody really outshines the leads Niamh James and Todd Bell. The film is paced in a manner that lets us know about the characters. The most memorable scenes in the film are more painful than funny with Aine's Nightmares.
Danny Patrick's films the action is from a completely neutral vantage point. There is nothing at all pretentious or preachy about any of the subject matter. The film ramps up the humor of other Teen fare, but shadows that with the tragic desperation that modern teenagers face, this film is worth taking a look at.
- balrogSunshine
- Nov 3, 2024
- Permalink
I really loved this movie! The acting was brilliant. The film was very touching but humorous at the same time. The cinematography was beautiful and I enjoyed the dream/nightmare scenes which gave a profound insight into how the main character, Aine, was feeling as she faced an unexpected pregnancy at a young age. The film reminded me of being back in high school - the main characters did a great job of portraying what it is like to be a teenager. The family dynamic was explored beautifully as you can see how much Aine's
mother worries about and cares for her daughter. If you are not used to the Northern Irish accent, you may need to put the subtitles on!