The Commitments - a band with a mission

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2005)

Alan Parkers masterpiece mixes superb acting performances from a largely unknown, but talented cast,(notable exception being Colm Meaney of Star trek and Con Air fame) with a soundtrack that will be in the viewers psyche long after the final credits roll. The Commitments is unique in its subject matter, set against the urban backdrop of Dublin in the 90s, it follows the trials and tribulations of some of the city's more colourful characters, and the efforts of one Jimmy Rabbit (Robert Arkin) to escape the life of monotony by forming and managing a band with "soul". Whilst the synopsis might not sound anything extraordinary, the results are truly comical, especially when he auditions for band members. The resultant throng encompasses every musical taste (or lack of it) including one Boy George look alike, and a guy who thought the queue he was in, was to buy drugs. The scriptwriting is right at the top end of the scale, with the cast and crew deserving full marks in breathing life into the characters that make this heartwarming film sparkle. The genius of this film is very subtle, and its clear that a lot of homework was done researching the project before a frame of film was shot. The Commitments is peppered with great one liners, and scene after scene show snapshots of Irish people and their "real" lives. There are too many to mention here, but amongst my favourites are the scene where a young lad is standing in a tower-block basement, waiting for the lift with a large horse. When Jimmy Rabbit (who is visiting Bernie the backup singer) exclaims "your not taking that horse into the lift?", the lad replies " I'll have to , the stairs will kill him" -if you have ever been to Dublin and seen the horses grazing by the roadside, and on every bit of green, you will know that this is not beyond possibility, a fact that makes the scene all the more comical. Another is the band auditions mentioned earlier,and Mr Rabbits (Colm Meaney)obsession with Elvis. The viewer gets a real affinity for the characters right from the outset, and I defy anyone to sit and watch this film without cheering the Commitments on. The musical performances are quite simply superb, and as a band they really deliver the goods, making this a film that you could watch for the musical aspect alone.The directing is slick, the acting is gritty,and so believable by every single cast member, that I could never visit Dublin without looking for Outspan & Derek busking in Grafton Street. All in all,If you like to laugh, and watch a film with characters larger than life that jump off the TV screen, then this films for you -one of my all time top 5 films.