Likable drama (spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (25 August 2004)

Spawning a cult of imitations, and a highly memorable theme tune in "Mustang Sally", "The Commitments" is written by Ian Le Frenais, Dick Clement and Roddy Doyle, working from Doyle's novel of the same name. Director Alan Parker has worked with this sort of story before, in the film "Fame" released 11 years earlier. That film saw kids from bleak, unforgiving backgrounds hotly pursue stardom in downtown New York. So it is here, with a rough-and-ready Irish soul band from working class Dublin.
Local music salesman Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) is disenchanted with the local music scene in his home town of Dublin. He decides to reinject some passion and soul into downtown life, and places an ad in the local newspaper saying "Have You Got Soul? If so the World's Hardest-Working Band is looking for you." A lot of door-slamming and lousy auditions later, he assembles his soul band. The group includes Decko (Andrew Strong), the pig-headed but gifted lead singer; the mad, veteran trumpet player Joey The Lips (Johnny Murphy), the group's mentor; and Bernie, Imelda and Natalie (Bronagh Gallagher, Angelina Ball and Maria Doyle), the group's feisty backing vocalists. Together, they form 'The Commitments', and set about redefining soul for modern-day Ireland...
In true Parker style, "The Commitments" is well shot, and captures the environment perfectly: the downtown skyscrapers, cracked, puddled pavements, run-down tenement blocks and noisy, boozy nightclubs are all filmed with uncompromising realism. The music overall isn't too bad, but "Mustang Sally" is the standout. There are few who won't be humming "Ride, Sally, Ride" when this movie is over.
The plot is unconventional and thankfully does not fall into the clichéd, against-the-odds success story. Unfortunately the story careens around hopelessly but regains control in time for the ending, which is, as one character puts it, 'poetry'. The script captures the inflections and accent of working class Ireland but contains only one or two memorable lines and even then they're in the mouth of only one character.
This limits the range of depth developed by the acting, which is very good nonetheless. Arkins is very much at home in as Jimmy Babitte, and Johnny Murphy imbues Joey with an earthy, mad relish that is a joy to watch. Bronagh Gallagher, Angelina Ball and Maria Doyle are tough and sexy as the three female singers. The cast also includes "Star Trek" actor Colm Meaney as Jimmy's dad, and Andrea Corr (of Irish band 'The Corrs') as Jimmy's sister.
Likable drama, and worth a look.