Béatrice Coron's "St. Patrick's Day" paper cutout
If you’re having a rough post-St. Patrick’s Day Sunday, what better way to recover than with a day of movies that celebrate the Emerald Isle? Here’s 10 to get you going:
The Butcher Boy (Neil Jordan, 1997)
Black comedy of the blackest sort. The sardonic humor of the film, even the heavy subject matter, the acting, the script, the quaint narrative devices, and sense of menace cloaked in charming small town Irish life make this a thoroughly original and engaging character study. Sinead O’Connor is a scream as the Virgin Mary.
State of Grace (Phil Joanou, 1990)
OK so this is an American movie shot on location in NYC nonetheless it’s chock full of such traditional Irish themes of love, brotherhood and betrayal. And it’s Gary Oldman at his best… need I say more?
The Crying Game (Neil Jordan, 1992)
By now you probably know the big twist, which admittedly takes a bit away from the “Crying Game” experience. But even with that knowledge, “The Crying Game” is an exceptional psychological thriller worth revisiting. Starring Stephen Rea, Miranda Richardson, Forest Whitaker and Jaye Davidson, the film follows a IRA member who becomes romantically intertwined with the girlfriend of one of his prisoners. One of Harvey Weinstein’s earliest Oscar triumphs, the old Miramax turned this into a sleeper hit and best picture nominee via a very clever campaign revolving around the film’s big reveal.
Intermission (John Crowley, 2003)
What would an Irish-themed film list be without something starring Colin Farrell? Alongside Cillian Murphy, Kelly MacDonald, Shirley Henderson and the aforementioned Colm Meaney, Farrell leads an exceptional ensemble in this dark comic gem. Set in Dublin, it follows the lives of a group of mostly nasty people whose lives interwine via both romance and crime. It’s wickedly suited for some St. Patrick’s Day weekend debauchery.
Once (John Carney, 2007)
A sweet film starring Glen Hansard as a Dublin busker and Marketa Irglova as the young Czech immigrant flower seller he falls in love with. If uplifting Irish musical romances are what gets your black and tan floating, look no further.
Waking Ned Devine (Kirk Jones, 1998)
Quirky, off-beat, delightful and hilarious comedy set in a small Irish village. Good fun for the whole family despite the 70 year old naked man riding around on a motorcycle.
The Guard (John Michael McDonagh, 2011)
A dark comedy of cocaine drug smugglers vs. rural Irish police. Another Brendan Gleeson tour de force performance!
The Boondock Saints (Troy Duffy, 1999)
A truly entertaining movie when you’re in the mood to see a lot of kick-ass gratuitous violence with some humor thrown in… real Irish hangover material.
The Magdalene Sisters (Peter Mullan, 2002)
A fictionalized account of “the Magdalene Laundries,” women who were labelled as “fallen” by their families or society (for flirting with boys, getting pregnant out of wedlock or even being raped) set in 1960s Ireland. Exploring institutional cruelty placed on women via the Catholic Church of Ireland, this winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival gives us yet another glimpse into Ireland’s dark history.
The General (John Boorman, 1998)
Perhaps Boorman’s finest work in his portrayal of Northern Irish criminal Martin Cahill as the perfect anti-hero, the b&w film displays an uncanny insight into humanity and the strange bonds that may come about. Surely deserves to be regarded alongside Scorsese, Coppola and Kubrik.
Have a safe and happy St. Paddy’s Day! Here’s a pint on me.
(iStockphoto)
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