THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. BUT THEY WERE WILLING TO RISK IT ALL.Â
In northern Dublin, Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) has a dream of starting a band that plays American 1960s soul; the rise of The Commitments becomes a wild ride… Director Alan Parker made a hit out of Fame (1980), a celebration of music and youth, so it’s not a surprise to see this one work even better. The cast is full of musically gifted amateurs and a few actors who all had to learn each other’s craft. The film has great enthusiasm and joy, colorful working-class locations and focuses more on atmosphere and the rowdy bonds between the band members than a fleshed out story. Very engaging music, dynamically performed by everybody involved; the soundtrack was a huge hit.
1991-Britain-Ireland. 117 min. Color. Produced by Lynda Myles, Roger Randall-Cutler. Directed by Alan Parker. Screenplay: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Roddy Doyle. Novel: Roddy Doyle. Editing: Gerry Hambling. Cast: Robert Arkins (Jimmy Rabbitte), Michael Aherne (Steven Clifford), Angeline Ball (Imelda Quirke), Maria Doyle, Dave Finnegan, Bronagh Gallagher… Colm Meaney.
Trivia: The members of The Corrs have small parts. Meaney reprised his part in The Snapper (1993) and The Van (1996), which are also based on novels by Doyle.
BAFTA: Best Film, Direction, Adapted Screenplay, Editing.
Last word: “We had an unusually long five-week rehearsal period, with dramatic rehearsals in the mornings and musical ones in the afternoons. Because we were so well prepared, the shoot ran smoothly. When you’re filming music, it lifts everyone. The cast were tantrum-free, and every day was a joy. But because most of the actors were working musicians – or more often out-of-work musicians – they lived rather nomadic, dubious lifestyles. None of them had phones; some relied on a granny taking messages. We gave them all mobiles – a novelty in 1990 – so we could keep tabs on them.” (Parker, The Guardian)
