I have to disagree...

Rating: 5/10 (25 March 2003)

I checked the video box and, yes, I did watch the same movie everyone else is raving about. I play rhythm guitar in an informal blues/jam band, so I can appreciate the subject matter of the film. However, I was unable to give The Commitments more than a 5 out of 10. My main problem with the film was the rapid fire, unintelligible dialogue. I stopped rewinding and replaying once I realized that, ***SPOILERS AHEAD** if their voices were low they were imagining how soul music would change their lives (yeah, right), or if it was loud it was the band members about get into another fight. Do Irish people really treat each other that way? The exchange of dialogue between the actors was also so rapid as to be unbelievable. The unfolding of the story and the characters were hard for me to believe, too. "Hey, I've been unemployed for 3 years, but I suddenly have a clear vision of exactly what kind of band to put together, and the motivation to do so!" Then, "Hey, here's this veteran musician that has nothing to do but answer a newspaper ad, and will join us and show us the ropes"! Then "We'll practice awhile, then sound great!" Bloooody s***e, anya upinya bullocks, fookin deadly s***e. Aye. Not trying to be a jerk, but this film looked like it was written in a day and filmed in a week. Subtitles would help, too, for those of us who speak English.