Hear My Song (1991)

The greatest movie ever made..!

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Beautiful, moving film.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The owner of a low rent English music hall finds himself in hot water after booking a legendary (but fraudulent) Irish tenor, prompting a desperate visit to the Emerald Isle in search of the genuine article, not an easy assignment since no one has seen the man in 25 years. Maybe it makes a difference that the film was made on the far side of the Atlantic Ocean, but it succeeds as a genuinely charming and disarming romantic comedy without the expected formula plotting or trendy visual hype, and (perhaps not surprisingly) without the box office benefit of brand name stars. The climax is somewhat overwrought, but by then director Peter Chelsum is working from a surplus of good-natured blarney and local brogue, with some gorgeous Irish scenery added almost as an afterthought. And where else can you expect to see a movie hero declare his love to a girl while clutching a whippet?

When I listened to the wireless in the 1940s and 50s Mr Locke was a regular on the Light Programme,constantly appearing as a guest of such luminaries as Henry Hall or Vic Oliver on their radio shows.He topped the bill at Variety Theatres all over the country for years then disappeared off the radar - "Got some girl in trouble I'll be bound",was my father's comment which went a bit above my head at the age of 13.So clearly his reputation had reached even the leafy lanes of Surrey by that time,if not the real reason for his vanishing.My mother was inconsolable until she discovered Mario Lanza who was Italian and much more exciting. "Hear my song" tells of the search by a cut- price impresario for the elusive Irish tenor.Like "The Commitments" it presents the Irish as they really are rather than how the Americans choose to portray them - as refugees from a John Ford movie. Ned Beatty is splendid as the reluctant recluse, a man still capable of charming the birds out of the trees.He has the voice of an angel - so he does.My personal favourite Miss Shirley Anne Field makes a very welcome appearance,and the circle is closed by Mr Harold Behrens in a small role rounding off the connection to post - war BBC radio where he was a regular on "Ignorance is Bliss". Appearing unheralded on the horizon out of nowhere - as it were - "Hear my Song" is a beautifully crafted little film,a masterpiece in miniature and anyone whose love for movies is more than skin deep will adore it.

This movie never got the attention or box office it deserved, but it's one of my all-time favorites. Ned Beatty is wonderful as Joe Locke, the exiled Irish singer returned to the stage by impresario Adrian Dunbar. A little movie with heart, wit, and charm, definitely worth repeat viewings.

I saw this film at the Toronto International Film Festival and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I screeched with laughter, and cried real tears. The audience reception was rapturous, one of the most responsive I've ever witnessed at the festival. Director Peter Chelsom was reduced to tears, and when Ned Beatty made a surprise appearance in his Joseph Locke fedora and cloak the crowd went crazy. Since then, I make a point of watching this wonderful film in the dark days of February, the dreariest part of a Toronto winter. It never fails to restore my spirit. As a final note, I think Chelsom is a very talented director. Who can ever forget the image of those Irish lady owners crammed onto one couch? The film is filled with glorious visuals like this one. I've liked every movie Chelsom has made since, but he seems to get a bum rap from the press. Nonetheless, he will always be remembered for giving us this treasure.