White Irish Drinkers

So few films today provide such a rich and gritty study of both human frailty and human spirit and redemption. White Irish Drinkers is definitely one of them.

I loved it. I saw it last night and I have thought about it several times since - a mark of a good film.

I am going to act like I didn't see it and watch it again with my husband tonight. Don't think you can get a better endorsement than that.

Only very minor issues:

It is a coming of age story. All the characters are tremendously real with Karen Allen the exception. She was too cliché and wasn't able to pull off enough suffering commensurate with what she was actually going through

Ha....can't believe I actually did see a blooper. It is set in 1975 and in the opening credits scenes, there is a picture of a molded white plastic chair...which didn't exist back them. I am surprised no one noticed...especially 3 minutes into the movie.

There were times where this movie was a little bit predictable and a little bit slow, but I still liked it. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Danny and Shauna. It seemed both genuine and touching. Some of the other acting seemed a slightly wooden at times, but when viewed as a whole and not picked apart piece by piece it was still a good movie.

(I wanted to give 9.5 because almost nothing is a 10, but fractions are not allowed ...)

Invited by a friend of a friend, I saw a preview and was prepared to politely praise the film even if I didn't like it. But I was surprised. This film is sincere, unpretentious, extremely well written and well acted. The story captured my interest from beginning to end. High marks go to all of the actors -- Karen Allen, Peter Riegert, Nick Thurston at an existential crossroads, Geoffrey Wigdor as his older brother who is already lost to the streets, and especially Stephen Lang (the baddie from Avatar), a formidable actor who digs his fingers into your heart. I saw grown men in our audience surreptitiously wiping their eyes!

I don't know much about film-making, but I know what holds me. Whatever the makers did, they did right. Good luck!

At the beginning of this movie, I had a bit of a negative predisposition towards it. However, the longer I watched it, the more I became emotionally involved (I'm not someone who typically cries during movies; I'll occasionally tear up, but nothing like this). The characters develop, the plot improves, everything about it just gets better. This movie is definitely under appreciated by critics and the people who have given it low scores. There were times when things happened so unexpectedly and intensely that I could feel my adrenaline rushing like I was personally involved. I highly recommend White Irish Drinkers. It's a gritty, emotional, and extremely engaging story with a dark, twisted sense of humor providing occasional comic relief.

I was invited to an advanced screening of White Irish Drinkers with no expectations of the film, and I must say I was truly impressed.

From the acting of Steven Lang, who, as always - was extraordinary, to the under-appreciated Karen Allen in one of her best roles. And finally to Nick Thurston who delivered a strong, measured performance that anchors the story.

In addition, Seamus Tierney provided some exceptional cinematography shot on location in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn - rarely seen on film since Saturday Night Fever in 1977, which coincidentally is the roughly the year when Drinkers is set.

But it is the director/writer/producer John Gray who's long career of solid work has served him well in bringing this powerful story to life.