VividSimon Simply Perfect

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

SimonJack Two estranged brothers who haven't seen each other for 20 years meet up for the annual Irish music festival. They both have ceili bands and will compete for top honors in a traditional Irish music venue. The younger brother has been living in England where he has succeeded in business, while the older brother stayed home on the family farmstead. Colm Meaney plays Jimmy, the younger brother. A romance develops between a boy and girl from either band. There's more to the story, as well. The film has a fine cast, all of whom do well. Bernard Hill was especially good as John Joe, the older of the two brothers. Shooting was on the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, The scenery and pictures of the town and people gathered for the music competitions gives the film a real down-to-earth feel. "The Boys & Girl from County Clare" is a good light comedy drama with some very good doses of music. The ending is a surprise but very good and appropriate. But for some unnecessary nudity of a young woman going for a swim, and frequent use of vulgar language, this would be a good film for the whole family. Here are some favorite lines from the film. John Joe, "It's better to gain a musician than lose a daughter, I always say."On the ferry across to Ireland, Jimmy tells the band that if they don't win, they will have to walk home. Later, one of the boys asks, "Is he serious?" Another boy asks, "About what?" The first lad says, "About us walking home if we lose." The other boy replies, "Didn't you bring your swimming trunks?"

cheetah_baby Without giving too much away (I put spoiler just in case), this was just a really sweet movie. Good cinematography, an interesting plot without too much heavy drama, and excellent music. The acting, of course, was great although it did irk my mother and I (both violinists, among other types of musician) that it didn't seem everyone was playing their instruments (see Goofs). That was a small goof compared to how good the movie was. I particularly enjoyed the (from what I remember) absence of music unless they were playing. It made the performances more pronounced and didn't give away clues to the audiences like so many other soundtracks do. I also liked the family dynamics between the brothers and how it all worked out in the end. Definitely recommend to anyone, especially of Irish heritage like me Da.

TxMike It is the 1960s, and the Beetles' music is sweeping the world. There is an annual competition in Dublin, the type of music has a name but is unfamiliar to most of the world. The local favorite band is getting ready for it, with the boys of County Clare, and one very cute and very talented girl.At the same time a band based in Liverpool is getting ready for the same competition, and its leader is the brother of the leader of the Irish band. So much of the movie involves heated competition between the brothers, including some antics to try to delay each one enough to miss the registration deadline of 8PM.Things get more complicated when the young girl in the Irish band begins to fall for a nice young boy in the Liverpool band. Her mother is unusually upset by this, and warns her daughter not to run off to Liverpool. "Let him come to you."SPOILERS. The young daughter happens to also be the daughter of the Liverpool brother, a womanizer who had had a short fling with her mother years earlier. At first it seemed that the girl would go back to Liverpool with the band, but she changed her mind and statued home. But eventually the boy from Liverpool showed up for her, as her mother had suggested. Also, a dark horse won the competition, a band put together by the 3rd of the violin playing brothers, now a missionary priest who had brought along a group of black musicians he had taught to play the Irish music.

mcmahon4 I think the other reviews did not give this film enough credit. My wife and I, as well as everyone in the theatre we were in, enjoyed this film immensely. First of all, it is a beautiful film to look at as its views in Ireland are simply breathtaking. Second, it is a wonderful touching story, particularly the relationships between the two brothers and Andrea Corr and her mother. Andrea Corr, by the way is stunning, and I think she will be doing more films. Perhaps you need a bit of understanding growing up as an Irish Catholic to fully appreciate it, but the overall writing was very clever and fun. I did want to know a bit more about the back story, of how these people got to the point that they are, but I wonder whether I lost a bit, because sometimes the Irish speak so quickly, that important lines go right past you. I want to see it again.