Between the Canals (2011)

Too much of everything

ridiculous rating

good back-story, and good acting

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

One of the funniest pieces of television ever produced was the episode of I'M ALAN PARTRIDGE where the title character is networking with a couple of Irish TV producers and Patridge is convinced they're members of the IRA because that's what Ireland is famous for along with every stereotype of the Emerald Isle . Watching BETWEEN THE CANALS one gets the impression it was directed by Alan Partridge Should I be honest or should I be politically correct ? Well I am the sort of guy who says things like "I didn't recognise you with your clothes on" to a female colleague at work only to find her boyfriend is sitting just outside of earshot in her car so I'll just revert to type You see this is very small budget film making and is no doubt a labour of love and I don't want to hurt anyones feelings so if you worked on this film and don't like honesty then stop reading at this point please From the opening titles every cliché is dug up quicker than an Irish potato field . Michael Collins , black and tans , slums etc etc appear in a photo montage and that gives a hint we're going to be watching the oxymoron of "stereotypical realism" . Stereotypical in that all Dubliners are likable rascals who enjoy a drink interspersed with the occasional gangland murder and realism in that the acting style is mainly down to adlibbing by people who couldn't act their way out of a wet paper bag . This technique never really works and is a distraction . Somewhat fortunate then that there's little in the way of substance to distract this audience member from what's happening on screen . The story is very weak and with the exception of the F and C words I couldn't make out a word that was being spoken Apologies if I've hurt any feelings with my brutal honesty but if it's any consolation I look forward to a sequel which will no doubt be called MONKEY TENNIS

I really tried watching this, but I could not understand most of the dialect, sure the swear words sounded like English, but most times it sounded like I was watching a foreign film. sort of sounded like the Swedish chef from the Muppet Show! But not funny at all.It really needed English sub titles, as I lost what this mess of film was all about with in 5 minutes! But if you like watching a bunch of toothless not so pleasing to eye want to be actors, and don't forget that drink before hand then yeah I could see the appeal if you were Irish.Do your self a favor, do get that whiskey, but don't waste your time and money on this paddy film.A solid 1 out of 10!

It actually could have been a half decent movie if it had actually gone with what it started with.Instead after about 1 hour it turned to the usual ridiculous RUBBISH we see about Ireland.Who makes this rubbish? are they self bent on portraying the Irish as STUPID violent drunks?It isn't "Trainspotting" that was done 30 years ago, it lacks originality, it lacks quality, it could have been so much more but the t@at that put it together seemed hell bent on trying to make the Irish look like some sort of trendy Gangster types, in the end he portrayed them as nothing more than drunken retards!Shame, a possibly good movie ruined by a twonk that wanted to pay some sad sort of "Homage" to better movies from 30 years ago!

This....'movie'...was recommended to me by a friend. I wanted to like it, I really did. A young director trying to do something authentic....this was said to be Mean Streets with a Tarantino twist. This is film making of the poorest level, its simply drivel.The writer/director Mark O Connor substitutes character development with the idea that calling your embarrassingly amateur cast names like Limbo and Foot and Mouth can somehow make this 90 minutes of torture seem raw and powerful....this is a truly terrible...film..for the want of a better word. Its on youtube in its awful entirety because it, thankfully, never made it to mainstream distribution....the one positive of this sorry mess.