A wonderful film

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2017)

One of Alan Parker's strengths is capturing young unknown actors performing music. Another is portraying everyday people's stories in an exciting way. And I guess, because they're not big-time actors, the acting in roles in The Commitments has an unforced, fresh appeal. Dublin's grey tones and the locals' dry wit is used to great effect - for example, a drab train is used as an exciting vehicle, for the soul song Destination Anywhere. Parker is good at trusting that the grittiness of each location, be it a shopping mall or a suburban back yard or a chip van, can be lyrical - many Hollywood directors would have to glam it up, and create something artificial. He also is not afraid to show how terribly people can stuff up their own opportunities. Here is an immensely talented and energetic group of young people, yet they throw it away because they can't get along. There is no cute ending, and I really like that. For me the spirit of this film is summed up by the veteran muso character Johnny Murphy's assurance to Jimmy Rabbite towards the end of the film, after the blues band Jimmy founded, The Commitments, has fallen apart due to in-fighting. "You raised their expectations of life!" says Johnny. He's saying that Jimmy's mad dream - to create a smash hit soul music band from a ragtag band of poor Dubliners - was worth pursuing, even though it failed. Young people - who otherwise would have gone on to be buskers, or bus drivers or be unemployed - now have a whole other world opened up for them. It sounds corny, but that's what music can do. Or if not music, then someone who gets young people involve in a big project, that allows their individual talents to shine.