The Commitments [1991]

See Larger Image	List Price: £12.99 Our Price: £4.98 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Starring: Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dave Finnegan Directed By: Alan Parker Average Customer Rating:


Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 5039036003032 Format: Full Screen Label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Number Of Discs: 1 Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2003-07-28 Running Time: 113 Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: 1991
Related Items The Commitments The Van [1996] The Blues Brothers [1980] The Blues Brothers The Snapper [1993] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Editorial Reviews: An irresistible, comic drama from director Alan Parker (Evita, Mississippi Burning), overflowing and alive with passion, humor and music, The Commitments showcases some old R&B standards in a new light. A headstrong, fast-talking, ambitious young Dubliner (Robert Arkins) fancies himself a promoter of talent, and sets about assembling and packaging a local Irish R&B band. His group of self-absorbed, backbiting, but stunningly talented individuals begin to succeed beyond his wildest dreams, until petty jealousies and recrimination threaten to scuttle the whole deal. A moody, vivid and soulful exploration of the Dublin club scene as well as a showcase for some wonderful unknown actors, the film (and its wonderful soundtrack) also features the actual band covering classic soul tunes from the likes of Otis Redding and Sam and Dave. It's that combination of soul and soul music that makes The Commitments a special little film. --Robert Lane, Amazon.com --This text refers to the VHS edition of this video
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: Great music, not so good acting Comment: I picked this up cheaply from the supermarket this week, having been keen to see it for some time. I liked the idea of the story, and the musical performances were excellent, but I thought the acting and script didn't come up to the same standard. In particular, I thought Robert Arkins as the lead character (Jimmy Rabbitte) gave a very wooden performance - it seemed at times as if he was reading his lines off a cue card. And I thought the dialogue, while funny in places, was so over-laced with swearing that its impact became ineffective, even on the level of poetry. I know that most of the (hitherto unknown) cast were assembled on the basis of their musical skills first and any acting ability second, which is probably why so much screentime is devoted to the band playing. This pays off - their performances are terrifically authentic, and convey an excitement that makes joining a band look like a really good idea. Customer Rating: Summary: What a community! Comment: The film shows a grim looking landscape of high-rise flats, dismal areas of waste and squalor, high unemployment and few prospects for young people - but growing out of this unpromising soil, the most vibrant, colourful, fun community imaginable. The sense of neighbourhood, shared experience and follow-feeling alone, could make you wish you were an North Dubliner yourself. And that's even before the music's added to the mix. It shows a community of lively, intelligent, witty kids and young adults who are finding ways to keep themselves entertained and entertain the rest of the town - with the long-term aim of also making a good living and getting famous. It's fun while it lasts. The humour should keep you laughing and grinning between classic soul numbers, where you may feel constrained to adopt a more serious attitude and sing along. The group swing up through the learning curve pretty quickly, starting off out of tune and out of time and ending up belting out the numbers like pros. Just wonderful. I was surprised to learn the boy who plays Deco (Andrew Strong) was only 16 when this film was made. What an incredible voice! (Since then Joss Stone has also shown that young lungs and larynx can produce amazing sounds, but it's still a surprise.) In any case, the whole thing: the story, the music and the acting are just superb. The only faces I recognised were Colm Meaney (playing Jimmy Rabbitte senior) and Sean Hughes (playing Dave of "Eejit Records"), because most of the actors were found by auditioning locals. What a talented bunch of locals! Excellent film - the sort you'll want to watch again and again. Customer Rating: Summary: THE Commitments Comment: This film is one of the classics in the music business of films, gripping funny and you cant stop singing along, if you love the album then youll really love the film, buy it you wont be sorry. Customer Rating: Summary: The Irish Blues Brothers? Comment: When this film first came out, a friend urged me to see it and described it as the Irish equivalent of the Blues Brothers. Lets just think about that for a moment and compare the two: There are no car chases in The Commitments, gritty realism instead of surrealism, lots of very bad language, and no endless parade of big stars in cameo roles(just a brief appearance from Sean Hughes) . In spite of all that, I still think its a good way to sum up the film because the essential ingredients are there - humour, likeable characters and above all, good earthy music. The film is a pleasure to watch and the band are a pleasure to listen to. Andrew Strong is an absolute revelation and I still can't believe that someone so young can have such a mature and soulful voice. The music is 100% soul/R&B classics performed in a straightforward and extremely competent way with a couple of the songs comparing very favourably to the originals. The adaptation from Roddy Doyle's novel is accurate without being slavish, and captures the spirit of the book perfectly. The other two books in the 'Barrytown Trilogy' have also been turned into films but never had the impact of this one. (The Van and The Snapper) The actual screenplay is well-enough written that it will bear repeated viewings: even if you put the film on again just for the music, you are not tempted to skip through the dialogue. The Commitments may not be on a mission from God, but they can give the Blues Brothers a run for their money any day! Customer Rating: Summary: all for glen Comment: the commitments captures the true essence of north dublin; the factories, housing estates, drug problems, musical ambition... but one stand out figure in this film who everyone else has over looked... irish cult hero, the lead singer of the best irish band in history (The Frames) and all round gentleman; the eclectic and wonderful mr.Glen Hansard. he plays the ginger lead guitarist. someone mentioned that some characters have went on to great things, but you forget glen. if none of you have heard the frames, which is appears you havnt, shame on you. they may not have had the publicity of front pae coverage of the corrs, but searh for them and i promise you wont regret it. the frames represent the message at the core of the commitments, charm, colour, honesty and good music. More Reviews