I Went Down

Plot synopsis:
After serving an eight month sentence for breaking and entering, Git Hynes, (Peter McDonald) walks into trouble on the day of his release from jail.
He goes to meet his ex-girlfriend Sabrina Bradley, (Antoine Byrne), who has dumped him for his best friend Anto (David Wilmot). When Git goes to confront Anto about this, he learns that the latter's gambling addiction has left him heavily in debt to the bookies, who are about to take his fingers as collateral. Git jumps in and saves his friend from a beating, but uses a broken bottle to permanently disfigure the ringleader, who happens to be the nephew of mob boss, Tom French (Tony Doyle).
At a sit-down, Tom French decrees that Git must work off Anto's debt as punishment for his interference. He is ordered to drive to Cork to find French's associate Frank Grogan (Peter Caffrey), and bring him back to Dublin. Holding Anto as a hostage, French pairs the reluctant Git with half-wit and heavy-handed mobster, Bunny Kelly (Brendan Gleeson).
After robbing a petrol station and dumping their stolen car, Bunny and Git steal another car and continue on their journey. They drive the extremely old and decrepit car to a remote bog area, where they are to rendezvous with a so-called "Friendly Face". However, they arrive late, and the "Friendly Face" has left. With no other option, the duo drive to Cork. They check out the last known hotel that Grogan was registered in, only to find that he has already left.
Following a tip, they then drive to The Black & Amber Inn, a pub that Grogan is known to frequent. However, Git is attacked by some mobsters who break his nose. Bunny painfully re-sets Git's nose for him. Returning at night to the pub, they follow the mobsters to a secluded house in the middle of a forest. After surveying the house, Bunny and Git conclude that Frank Grogan is being held against his will by the mobsters and they decide to rescue him.
The following morning, Bunny provides Git with a pistol. The two then enter the house, find Grogan, and flee the scene. They engage in a gunfight with the mobsters. During the escape, Grogan demands to know where he is being taken. When he is informed that he is being taken to Tom French, he reacts in horror and attempts to flee. Grogan is then knocked unconscious by Bunny and bundled into the boot of the stolen car.
After phoning Tom French's associates, Bunny and Git are informed that the "Friendly Face" will be at the bogs again the following day, and they can pass Grogan over there. Bunny and Git then release Grogan from the boot. They drive along, heading back towards the rendezvous with the "Friendly Face". Grogan's incessant and self-aggrandizing chatter deeply irritates Bunny, who eventually abandons the car and steals a far newer and more plush Mercedes-Benz saloon.
After arriving at the rendezvous point, Bunny refuses to leave the car. Grogan and Git walk across the marshes to get to the barn to meet the "Friendly Face" (Donal O'Kelly). Grogan, afraid he will be killed, begs Git not to leave him alone. Git agrees. At the rendezvous, Grogan does not recognise the man and is fearful for his life. Git refuses to leave Grogan alone with the stranger. The "Friendly Face" then pulls a gun on the two and forces them to kneel on a tarp, preparing to execute them both. Grogan, eager to save his own skin, offers the "Friendly Face" £50,000 in exchange for his release. Grogan also instructs the "Friendly Face" to kill Git, who has no money to offer. Before the "Friendly Face" can kill Git, Bunny arrives and holds the "Friendly Face" at gunpoint and saves Git. After stuffing the "Friendly Face" into the boot of his own car, Git and Bunny drag Grogan back to the Mercedes, and begin to interrogate him for the truth.
Grogan reveals that he and Tom French were once business partners, along with a man named Sonny Mulligan (Johnny Murphy). Grogan reveals that he once came into possession of one side of a plate to print $20-dollar bills. Without the other half, it was useless. French later comes into possession of the other side of the plates. Eager to get both plates, French offers Grogan £5,000 for his half. Grogan refuses, instead opting to sell his half for £10,000 to a criminal from London. French, however, counter-offers. He has found a buyer for both plates, the buyer offering £100,000. French agrees to a 50-50 deal with Grogan, and offers him £25,000 up-front as good-faith money. French's wife is to deliver this money. However, the deal fell through as French's wife never shows up.
Phoning French again, a meeting is arranged for the following day. Anto will be released and the deal will be closed.
The trio check into a nearby hotel, The Ambassador. Bunny and Git tie Grogan to the bed in the room, so they can go and enjoy the swimming pool and the bar of the hotel in peace. Both Bunny and Git have one-night stands with women they meet in the hotel. Git reveals to his partner through pillow-talk that he took the fall for his father and went to prison so his father could go free.
When Bunny and Git return to the hotel room, they find that Grogan has escaped. Before leaving, Grogan made three phone calls; one to a Cork number, one to a taxi company, and one to the nearby Slieve na Vogue Hotel. Bunny and Git head to the Slieve na Vogue. Grogan has checked into the Slieve na Vogue under a false name, but Bunny recognises his deception. Grogan's associates from Cork arrive soon after, forcing Bunny and Git to flee again, with Frank in the boot of the car.
The trio then head for the rendezvous with Tom French. Leaving Grogan with Bunny, Git and French head into the woods to dig up a package. The package contains one of the printing plates. French, Git, Grogan, and Bunny then head to another area of the woods, where French instructs them to dig another area. It is here that the skeletal remains of their former associate, Sonny Mulligan, is uncovered.
French and Grogan then reveal what happened all those years ago. Sonny had "borrowed" the plates from an American criminal gang, on the condition that he would not print more than $50,000. This was to be Sonny's retirement money. French married Sonny's niece (and Grogan proceeded to have an extramarital affair with her). French wanted Sonny to print more than the agreed $50,000. But Sonny refused and the pair had a blazing argument at French's wedding.
Grogan and French decide to steal the plates from Sonny, print their own batch of counterfeit money, and then return the plates to their hiding place without Sonny ever knowing. Sonny, however, always kept one of the plates in his possession at all times. French spied on Sonny and saw where he had buried the other plate. Grogan murdered Sonny in the woods to get the other plate. Burying Sonny in the woods, Grogan and French narrowly avoid being killed by Sonny's relatives and by the American gang who want their plates back. The situation is further soured when French learns of the affair Grogan is having with his wife. They then part and never speak again.
Back in the present, Grogan insults the memory of Sonny Mulligan. It is revealed that French's wife has absconded, with the £25,000 of French's money. Infuriated, French uses a gun that was buried with Sonny to shoot Grogan twice in the chest, killing him. French then turns his attention to Bunny and Git. French shoots Bunny in the arm, before Git uses his own gun to shoot French twice, killing him. Bunny and Git then bury Grogan and French, alongside the remains of Sonny Mulligan. The duo then leave, taking the plates with them.
Several months later, Bunny meets with Git's ex-girlfriend, Sabrina, in a pool hall and gives her an envelope with several thousand pounds in it; a gift from Git. Bunny claims that Git has left and gone to America. Bunny states his intentions to also head to the USA. When Sabrina raises the possibility that Git had something to do with Tom French's disappearance, Bunny denies it and states that French pulled an insurance scam and fled the country.
It is then revealed that Git is waiting outside the pool hall for Bunny. After a short conversation, Bunny and Git head to the airport.

Tags: revenge, murder, flashback

Review:
I went to see this movie and was enjoying it, and then it came to the bit where they were rescuing the hostage from the house.
I do however think you need to have a certain understanding of the Irish psyche and way of life to get full value from the hilarious script.
One of the earlier set of well-made Irish films with not a shamrock or a leprechaun in sight.
The film, which was shot in various locations within Dublin (posing as Cork) is in my opinion one of the best movies to come out of Ireland, Its a great tale of two guys thrown together to complete a task which neither of them want to do.
Git (McDonald), the novice to the world of shady dealings and gangsters and Bunny Kelly (Gleeson), a man who has been there, done that and shot the gun, according to him anyway.The movie moves at a fairly quick pace, we are given glimses at Bunny and Gits life and why they are both in the predicament they are in.
The situation humor is spot on with some funny set pieces, with great dialogue between the two.
The story has twists and turns much like the travelled roads the guys are on, the twists and turns are nicely explained by the films end.
Music is by Dario Marianelli and cinematography by Cian de Buitlear.Fresh out of prison, Git Hynes (McDonald) runs into trouble with local mob boss Tom French (Doyle) and finds himself having to work off a debt to him.
He's to accompany Bunny Kelly (Gleeson) to Cork and locate Frank Grogan (Caffrey) and bring him back to Dublin.
There's some murky history at the core of this request, but for now Bunny and Git must survive each other and a host of life challenges before they begin to worry about Tom French's motives.Hugely popular in Ireland for a number of years, this independent comedy/drama is finally starting to get noticed by a wider home viewing audience.
The actors are ever watchable (especially Gleeson and Caffrey), while the fact that the story focuses on a different Ireland to the one that's often tainted by "The Troubles", gives the film a freshness that off sets the standard buddy buddy road movie formula of the plot.Director Breathnach goes for the slow burn approach, choosing to let McPherson's script dominate the picture.
Yes there's some action, and good sequences flit in and out of the narrative, but the director is mostly about letting his characters breath, fully forming them with each passage of play during the guy's journey/mission.
There's a most interesting side issue involving the women in Git's and Bunny's lives, two men just about traversing the path on the wrong side of the law, both with gal trouble that gnaws away at their masculinity.It's not the Irish Midnight Run, as I was personally led to believe it was, and any expectation of a violent fun fest will only lead to disappointment.
"I Went Down" is a droll, sometime monotonous, sometimes clever comedy about a couple of guys who run an errand for a small time gangster and end up embroiled an underworld scheme of very limited proportions.
The film spends most of its time studying the characters involved as its mildly humorous story unfolds leading to an eventful conclusion which may or may not be worth the wait depending on individual taste.
"I Went Down", the title, is a double entendre representative of the very subtle humor the film embodies.
Excellent film with a mix of action, comedy, and even a little passion..
Peter McDonald and Brendan Gleeson's chemistry together reminded me of much better known and consequently higher cost Samuel L.
If they are good actors, the script will make the movie, and effectively promote the careers of the actors.The script did an excellent job of portraying the relationships between the characters involved.Again this was one of the best movies I have seen in a while..
When I saw this movie, and after I had stopped laughing, I realised that it wasn't a film which was going to travel well.
This movie doesn't hold back when it comes to Irish accents, figures of speech and wit.
Brendan and Peter play the two out-of-their-depth ex-cons brilliantly, in fact they play them so well that I find it hard to watch them in other roles, to me they are Bunny and Git. Conor Mcpherson transfers his stage writing skills well to the big screen and doesn't lose any of his humour.Paddy Breathnach directs the action well but it is slower paced than some may expect, or want, in their gangster comedies but I think it makes perfect Sunday afternoon hangover viewing, so sit down with the hair of the dog and a big fat fry up and prepare to love this film!.
A gem of a movie; action, humour and fast-pace.
I Went Down is a gem of a movie.
Although it has been fairly overlooked, it in my opinion is one of the best Irish movies to date.
Before films like 'Lock, Stock...' and 'Intermission' made these colloquial crime-capers the fashion, this fast-paced, funny and thoroughly enjoyable action movie hit the big screens.
Brendan Gleeson, as ever, is outstanding in his role as Bunny Kelly, but he's not on his own by any means.
Much like the aforementioned 'Lock, stock...' the dialogue is what steals the show, but it's also well shot, and plot is great.
'I Went Down' is a great movie.Ok, I'm Irish, I would say that.However, most English-speaking people would actually have no problem in understanding and appreciating most of the wit, humour and language in the movie, despite all the 'scare-mongering' on the web.
The film contains a good measure of violence mixed with humour that isn't forced.
The situations presented in the movie, while being out of the ordinary, are presented in a way people can relate to, more-so than many American movies of a similar vein.(I'm talking about the usual mob based story involving million dollar drugs deals, corrupt FBI agents, rogue-turned-hero and the like.
That just doesn't happen too regularly outside the confines of script-writer's minds and movie theatres.) 'I Went Down', by not being over-ambitious with either its villains or heroes, creates more believable characters and a situation that could happen anywhere.(It probably won't, but then again it could...groovy, huh?)I must admit, I didn't enjoy this movie very much when I saw it in the cinema.
The humour got to me and its one of the few movies I laugh out loud to.I urge anyone who didn't enjoy it first time 'round, give it a second chance.
Here's the teaser that'll bug you until you do see it (and that'll make those of you have seen it smile smugly to yourselves ;^) - Think about the balaclava scene, think about the gun that Bunny gives Git and you're thinking about cinematic comedy classics..
The dialogue, which is the movies strongest point, is not only hilarious, it's totally real.This film is like a trip to a rough Dublin pub.
'I Went Down' however, really does sound like two regular Dublin lads having a 90 minute argument.By the way, the title refers to the two characters driving down to Cork, not what you may think..
The best Irish film ever, bar none.
I Went Down is simply a masterpiece of Irish cinema, and by all accounts it stands up superbly anywhere in the world as a hilarious, dark, suspenseful film with more twists than either side of Princess Leia's head.
The two main leads, Brendan Gleeson and Peter McDonald, are both new to starring roles (McDonald is in his first role in films) but it never shows in either performance.
When one watches Irish films, one expects that the dialog is going to be so much more important than any action sequences.
Bunny (Gleeson) gets to accompany Git (Peter McDonald) on a job.
Along the way, we come across interesting characters like Frank Grogan (Peter Caffrey), and interesting locales with their own special stories.But, like we saw in In Bruges, it it McDonald and Gleeson that carry the film..
Hi guys, Can someone please tell me the last exchanges of Git and Gleeson in the car on their way to the airport?
also any other great IRISh recommends please do tell meits like not getting the last bit of the movie and feeling incomplete...so if someone understands this nagging feeling...and i don't want to talk so much but i have got to fill my ten lines for this comment to be up...so if u can find the time...just read the first three lines, they constitute the entire essence...now i am just filling space ...an.
I just couldn't stop laughing at this film.It was so funny.I don't agree with the guy who says that it is the best Irish film ever made.Watch The General with Brendan Gleeson.You'll love it as well.Or Sweety Barrett.Or The Craic..
If you can get past your fear of hearing the English language with a totally undiluted Irish accent (which you should get used to, if this movie is an indication of things to come), you'll find an odd little gem.
Quirky characters leading the charge into unknown situations.If for no other reason than the scene descriptions, you should see this movie..
When watching this movie for the first time on the Trio network, I felt a little iffy about it.
I've never seen an Irish film prior to this--unless you count the "Leprechaun" movies...lol.
But as I watched the film more and more, I better understood the dialogue.
I've seen Brendan Gleeson in other movies, though.
It's good to watch a movie that actually gets BETTER the more times you watch it.
There are some very beautiful women in this movie, including Git's ex-girlfriend and the blondie he sleeps with later in the story.
Most excellent Irish movie.
I watched this film in two sittings.
As a young lad at school in Southern London in the 1950s I found myself inculcated with the idea of the supremacy of being English, and that the Irish were so silly they only knew how to plant potatoes............Years later, from my friendly enclave retreat, hidden in the depths of peaceful Spain, I have noted how over the last twenty years the Emerald Isle has been doing some wonderful things in all spheres of life, especially with its valuable contribution as a member of the European Union.So I would prefer to do without trivial stupidities which are supposed to be some kind of comedy but which are no more than comical in bad taste, such as this pointless film `I Went Down', which, for some reason beyond me, seems bent on reaffirming those indoctrinations with which I was fed half a century ago..
I thought thought we'd be seeing a bio-pic on Monica Lewinsky I seriously did but instead found myself watching a black comedy road movie This is a co-production between the BBC and the Irish film council made at the same time when British film production was picking up thanks to TRAINSPOTTING and THE FULL MONTY .
There's aspects that give a vague nod British production premise of having a couple of losers in the shape of Git Hynes and Bunny Kelly make an unlikely journey but the Irish influence adds a lot of charm to the story that was missing in say THE FULL MONTYThere are a few problems though .
It's like the director went out of his way not to show any serious violence .
There's also a few unlikely occurrences throughout the movie usually involving Bunny .
You'll know them when you see them I'm sure Having said that I WENT DOWN is a lot better than many other movies that were funded by public bodies in the British Isles round about the same time .
It's by no means a great movie but is far more entertaining than say THE LIFE OF STUFF and THE SLAB BOYS.
What a find 1997 Irish film I Went Down turned out to be; a film that greatly reminded me of Stephen Frears' 1984 film entitled The Hit and one that packs in just about everything from crime to comedy; from the gangster genre to the road movie arc and from the buddy sub-genre to the sorting out of romances with loved ones.
The film is a balanced buddy comedy, veering off into scenes of great disturbance and wrong-doing in a timely and tasteful manner but retaining a certain 'feel' to it; a certain heart.Some of the central themes to I Went Down revolve around relationships between human beings.
The placement of I Went Down in the 'road movie' narrative arc enables the two central protagonists and a third character, who's being transported, to bond for long periods in a lone location as they physically travel together.
The leads are Git Hynes (McDonald), a young man just out of prison, and Bunny Kelly (Gleeson), a rough and ready if somewhat clumsy criminal that has his own way in which to see that the job's done.
They are charged by a certain criminal boss named Tom French (Doyle) to travel to Cork and recover Frank Grogan (Caffrey) before taking him to a remote, rural location (always a dangerous place in these noir-infused tales) for supposed judgement.The film recalls 1984's The Hit as a film about two men, of rather unbalanced 'types' transport a third, seemingly more helpless man, to his supposed death.
Whereas John Hurt's silent and experienced gangster was in direct comparison to Tim Roth's younger and more scociopathic up-coming criminal; Gleeson and McDonald's two leads are explored more physically; as one exhibits short, wiry and somewhat soft-bodied characteristics as opposed to a much larger, clumsy and more 'involving' individual that likes the attention and action.
In both The Hit and I Went Down, the supposedly hapless victim wears a face of acceptance; he sits in the rear of the car and seems cool with his dangerous predicament; and while Terrance Stamp will forever be better known, Peter Caffrey's performance as the upbeat and talkative soon-to-be-in-mortal-danger individual goes down rather well.Some of the things I noticed early on included an amusing dig at BSkyB, probably on behalf of the BBC who co-funded this, when it appears some gangsters have it in mind that taking a man out back, sitting him down in front of the TV and tuning into a Sky Sports channel is a dreadful punishment.
I also got the sense that Git, the lead, wasn't imposing enough or rugged enough to carry the sort of character he was playing, although this was sort of the point in the sense his partner, Bunny, took on the necessary conventions.
By the end, we've met some pretty rough and ready characters; those that are involved in murder and criminal activity whereas Git, as this alienated young man more-so a gangster, just seems to share this space with these people in an out-of-his-depth predicament.
The symbolism here works better than it should, because we've built up a connection of some sort with these people who are, essentially, criminals but bumbling and down-to-earth people caught up in something far meaner.One of the film's other ideas that it sort of touches on here and there is the connection the men make as they undergo their journey.
I Went Down is a darkly comic, somewhat disturbing at times, but very engrossing film that comes complete with a broad atmosphere and a respectable attitude to some rather intimate ideas.
A generally enjoyable film, but why would a good-looking woman in a bar pick up and sleep w/a guy who fell in a bog, has been wearing the same clothes since, and who has a broken nose?I guess so the film can have a sex scene (not that I don't like to see naked women as much as the next guy)....
An unusual Irish road movie with lots of comic touches..
WARNING - POSSIBLE SPOILER DETAILS INCLUDEDThis is a cool Irish road movie with brilliant performances from the two lead actors.
Brendan Gleeson is a master of these Irish rogue type roles, and his comic timing is impeccable.
His charisma jumps off the screen and I'm sure he will go from strength to strength.Peter McDonald gives an understated performance as Git, and acts as a perfect foil to the exuberant Gleeson.
The supporting cast of villains and ne'er do wells is also very convincing, particularly Peter Caffrey as Frank Grogan, whose brand of Irish Blarney and dirty tricks is wonderful to watch.All in all this is a very enjoyable film both for the splendid acting, non-fussy directing, and a storyline that is tight while still allowing plenty of time for the comic antics to run their course.Please see this film if you get the chance..
Where other movies attempt to tailor their image and dialogue to suit an American or British market this independent gem from Paddy Breathnach and Conor McPherson depicts believable characters acting and talking in a way that real Irish people would ...a great example being how seriously the lead duo consider the handling of a gun (guns are still not very easy to come across in Irish society and having one is a big deal.
The screenplay has echoes of Tarantino and the Coen brothers while not being a slavish rip-off of either and essentially plays as a buddy, road movie; it even manages to include a scene in an Irish bog without seeming twee!
Brendan Gleeson's star turn as bunny provides the perfect foil to McDonald's shy, pent-up lead and the movie manages to evoke laughter, sympathy and ultimately happiness as it winds it's way to a satisfactory, yet not overly sugar-coated, ending.Be warned ...I watched this film with my old Canadian flatmate and had to explain a lot of the 'Irish-ism's' in the dialogue as it went along so some of the humour may go over the heads of non Irish-viewers.