Hard Times

Somehow this film just never got into its stride.

There was nothing to identify with.

The village had no shape. The camera just shuffled between walls and around random doorways as did the cast, where the charm of the village was constantly referred to.

It got off to a really slow start with a stilted script worthy of a 6th form play.

The cast seemed awkward as if they had only been together for a week or so, with no chemistry between them all at all.

The Irish famously blend humour with charm and great timing. This film had none of this.

It could have been a bit of a gem given hard work, dedication, self reflexive humour and actual comic timing. Very disappointing.

This is a great movie for a rainy Tuesday evening. It's not a masterpiece and the storyline has no great dept but the actors are putting in a great effort to make this movie enjoyable.

It does start a bit slow but picks up speed towards the end. If you however are one for bold American comedies, this is not for you. It's more a giggle here and there. That fact that there is a happy ending (no pun intended) that is rather unbelievable but wholesome nonetheless helps. It did rush through the last bit though and after the slow start in the beginning I sort of expected more. Good bit of fun though.

In a sleepy Irish village, nothing much is happening and the only exciting part of everyone's week is when the local band play in the pub. Then with job cuts and no prospects of financial security, local postman, Podger Burns (Cornelius Clarke), hatches a plan to hijack a shipment of Viagra and together with his band-mates (John Lynch, Lochlainn O Mearin, Cian Barry), the heist is set in motion. This is a fun film. It reminded me a little of A Fish Called Wanda, Waking Ned and many of the old Ealing Comedies. Full of Irish character actors, bursting with charm, good performances, this is an ideal way to spend 90 minutes. There are some truly comic moments and the dialogue cracks along. There's something for everyone here.

It's been a long time since I saw an Irish film, so when I came across this, I thought I'd give it a go.

I was however, underwhelmed. I didn't laugh once. The characters' plan and execution was just too ridiculous to believe (think Allo Allo), and the main characters seemed a bit over acted. It's a shame, because I think the entire storyline could have been done so much better! I don't think it was a complete waste of time though, and would recommend if you want to turn off your brain for the evening and just want something a bit different.

I saw this film in London when it was release in February and was surprised when I read some negative reviews. Some sour-faced reviewer said there were no laughs in it. He must have seen a different film. But what annoyed me about the naysayers most was their insistence that it wasn't a good film because it was not filmed in Ireland, but in Devon and therefore not authentic and therefore no good! I can't see the logic to this argument at all. It's not a documentary, it's a comedy that happens to take place in Ireland with Irish characters. In fact all the Irish characters in the film are played by Irish actors(I have lots of free time to comb the net). I got some news for those who disliked this film for daring to be filmed not in Ireland; Gone with the Wind was not filmed in the "Deep South", but in Hollywood. The Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films were not filmed in India or Africa, but in Hollywood. The Wizard of Oz was not filmed in the Land of Oz or even in Australia, but in Hollywood. WAKING NED (Irish film with a Scot playing one of the main leads) was filmed in the Isle of Man, not Ireland. Mary Poppins was not filmed in London, but in Hollywood.Okay, Seven Samuraii was filmed in Japan, but did the film-makers go back in time to the 1600s? No!NOT AUTHENTIC! Most of Titanic was filmed in a water tank in Mexico, not the North Atlantic. Casablanca was not film in Morrocco, but in ... you guessed it. Does it make any of those films less enjoyable knowing they are not "authentic"? If you answered yes, then go and write crappy reviews of films that are trying nothing more than to entertain you. How dare they? I WILL NOT FEEL GOOD AND POSITIVE BECAUSE I HATE HATE HATE. I WANTED TO WRITE NOVELS INSTEAD OF THREE COLUMNS IN A NEWSPAPER!!!! Anyway, I thought Holy WAter was a good film. Okay, it could have been better, but as far as I know it is a low-budget independent film that probably needed a break. But the school bullies have grown up and now write film reviews!"Let's kick it before it has a chance to get up"!