Between the Canals

Well i've been a big contributor to the IMDb forum for a few years now and finally i get to comment on a film directed by my brother Mark.

I may be a little biased but Mark has done a great job here, it's very gritty and realistic - it makes the commercial 'gangster' films like the general and intermission seem real artificial because you can tell with those films that they are actors.

Mark used almost all non-actors who lived in those areas of the inner city we rarely see on the big screen. Mark's film entered the IFI cinema in Dublin two days ago and it will run for another 5 days.

It will then be decided if it moves to the multiplexes. Check it out, it's great.

This is Barry Keoghan's first film and Peter Coogans early days. Hes the staple of the film. Bad acting overall, but lots of the cast were not actors and inner city locals. So I assume director was going for realism.

Its basically a day in the life of several Dublin north inner city scumbags. Messy story but most of the dialogue is genuine of the characters.

One of the funniest pieces of television ever produced was the episode of I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE where the title character is networking with a couple of Irish TV producers and Patridge is convinced they're members of the IRA because that's what Ireland is famous for along with every stereotype of the Emerald Isle . Watching BETWEEN THE CANALS one gets the impression it was directed by Alan Partridge

Should I be honest or should I be politically correct ? Well I am the sort of guy who says things like "I didn't recognise you with your clothes on" to a female colleague at work only to find her boyfriend is sitting just outside of earshot in her car so I'll just revert to type You see this is very small budget film making and is no doubt a labour of love and I don't want to hurt anyones feelings so if you worked on this film and don't like honesty then stop reading at this point please

From the opening titles every cliché is dug up quicker than an Irish potato field . Michael Collins , black and tans , slums etc etc appear in a photo montage and that gives a hint we're going to be watching the oxymoron of "stereotypical realism" . Stereotypical in that all Dubliners are likable rascals who enjoy a drink interspersed with the occasional gangland murder and realism in that the acting style is mainly down to adlibbing by people who couldn't act their way out of a wet paper bag . This technique never really works and is a distraction . Somewhat fortunate then that there's little in the way of substance to distract this audience member from what's happening on screen . The story is very weak and with the exception of the F and C words I couldn't make out a word that was being spoken

Apologies if I've hurt any feelings with my brutal honesty but if it's any consolation I look forward to a sequel which will no doubt be called MONKEY TENNIS

It actually could have been a half decent movie if it had actually gone with what it started with.

Instead after about 1 hour it turned to the usual ridiculous RUBBISH we see about Ireland.

Who makes this rubbish? are they self bent on portraying the Irish as STUPID violent drunks?

It isn't "Trainspotting" that was done 30 years ago, it lacks originality, it lacks quality, it could have been so much more but the t@at that put it together seemed hell bent on trying to make the Irish look like some sort of trendy Gangster types, in the end he portrayed them as nothing more than drunken retards!

Shame, a possibly good movie ruined by a twonk that wanted to pay some sad sort of "Homage" to better movies from 30 years ago!

I watched this film before reading any reviews, and was immediately suspicious after the first set piece of Jonny and the dustbin.

The main character made an enviable mirror image and obviously studied the Jonny from Meanstreets Character in detail.

The film I think would have reaped benefits from a more subtle influence rather than a direct ape.

The main Character in particular compels empathy, and the bleak environment will seem all too familiar to UK Towns and Cities not just Irish.

The dialect is difficult to comprehend at times, but is authentic and worth the effort to understand.

All the same, I found the film compelling and enjoyed the characters.