Waste of time

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

A movie that does not come out with huge aspirations. Which is fine. It just wants to tell its little story. Set in and filmed in the working class (or lower) neighborhoods of Dublin, it tells the story of a young entrepreneur who starts a band. Instead of heavy metal or poisonous rap, he/they want to do Sixties soul music, despite their Irishness and whiteness. There is a fair amount of subtle humor. I had neither seen nor heard of any of the actors, but then again, I rarely saw much Irish cinema. I was especially impressed by Angeline Ball, one of the back-up singers. The movie was, well, charming is the word that most comes to mind. You probably have to like that sort of music to like the movie, but if you do, check it out.

Jimmy Rabbitte Jr., who lives on small gimmicks in a proletarian district of Dublin, has put her mind to organize a musical band for greening the glories of rhythm blues and soul &. Thanks to an ad in the newspaper, Rabbitte Jr. begins to select young people from precarious work but full of talent: Dean, Fay, 595, the bespectacled Steven Clifford, Deco, the fat one without good manners but with a great voice, Billy drummer and Joey "The lips", a bizarre and mature senior trumpet player who prides himself on having played with famous soul singers. Aggregates also Natalie, Imelda and Bernie, three plucky girls, excellent singers and very sexy. Procuratisi on credit instruments, begin trials, exhausting, that engage everyone. He began playing in public, in sheds and social festivities: the Group seems pervaded by music fire and ambition. The band, though amateurish and provincial, looks towards the Summit launched and ends in failure: friction, jealousies and small human and artistic disagreements, the Group flaking. Jimmy's dream evaporates into thin air and that great wealth of energy and skill that could yield money and success: siPL dissipates into nothingness.

Bring a bunch of destitute Dubliners together to form a soul band. Crazy? No, brilliant. Jimmy Rabbitte is the young man with the dream. He's unemployed (who isn't?) but that's OK because he has the idea, the passion that will change everything. Drawing from the down-and-out youth of Dublin he's going to put together the world's greatest band. And he has just one type of music in mind: soul. Does this make any sense? Not to anybody else. But Jimmy's got the vision. And somehow it all begins to come together. His band, The Commitments, is on its way. But it's not a straight ride to the top. There will be struggles and conflicts and life lessons along the way. But the journey is worth it because, despite all the odds stacked against them, it turns out The Commitments are one heck of a band. Playing their wonderful, unique, rockin' Dublin soul.It's a great ensemble cast that makes up this movie's band. Robert Arkins plays Jimmy, the guy who brings it all together. And then the musicians do their thing. Never for a moment do you not buy into these performers as a real band. Their acting is fine but it's the music they play that makes the movie shine. Unlike so many other movies of this type almost all the singing and playing is actually done by the actors themselves. And when The Commitments cut loose this movie rocks. Jimmy Rabbitte might take exception to that. It's not rock, it's soul. Whatever it is it's absolutely bursting with energy. And that is thanks largely to one exceptionally talented young man. While everyone in the band plays their role well there's no way around it, Andrew Strong is the star. Unbelievably just 16 years old when the film was made, Strong plays lead singer Deco Cuffe. And he's got the voice of a singing god with the charisma and star power to match. But there's a problem. Deco is a completely insufferable jerk. Everyone else in the band hates him, and rightly so. Deco may well tear this group apart.The movie follows the band's rise, with all the drama Deco causes threatening a fall before they hit the big time. Which would be a shame because this band is awesome. When first thrown together they understandably make a stuttering start. But once they get their act together they are something to behold. The music they play is fantastic and it makes the movie so much fun. Whether performing a tender ballad or a really rocking number The Commitments hit all the right notes as they run through a soul classics songbook. Try A Little Tenderness and In The Midnight Hour are two obvious highlights but every song really works, not a musical misstep to be found. The music is so great it largely overshadows the rest of the film. The story largely takes a back seat but there are plenty of good moments in between the big musical numbers too. For as good as he is on stage Strong is also excellent portraying the boorish lout Deco offstage as well. Arkins is terrific as band manager Jimmy, holding his band of misfits together. One other standout is Johnny Murphy as Joey 'The Lips' Fagan. He's the wise old hand of the group, a trumpet-playing philosopher who's played with all the greats. Here is a man who appreciates the journey. He also appreciates the opportunity to bed the band's three lovely female backup singers. The band in this movie goes on a magical ride. And lucky us, we get to go along. This movie is a rollicking good time. Dublin soul rocks.

I didn't like this movie at all! I had to do it as a film study two years ago.We couldn't pick this movie so the teacher did.Everyone hated it and I could see why.The only good bits were the swearing which was used a 1000 times.The swearing bits were pretty funny but other than that it was a poor movie.I didn't really like the characters cos they were all poor coming together to join a band.Some songs were good such as the guy that sung Mustang Sally. The friendship was bad cos they treated each other like crap. 2 stars is too high for this bad movie.I don't understand how people love this movie!