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September 25, 2009
The Commitments
The Commitments is one of my all-time favorite films -- and I almost didn't go see it when it came out back in '91. I was working at the New Jersey Herald, when Stacy, a college pal, called and said it was time for us to catch a film, and she was picking some Irish flick about unemployed Dubliners trying to put together a soul band, based on the best-selling novel by Roddy Doyle.
To say I was less than interested was an understatement, but Stacy was not to be denied, so we went ... and as soon as the movie was over I walked into the Sam Goody's nearby and bought the soundtrack.
Directed by Alan Parker, The Commitments featured a cast of talented actors who had been cast as much for their musical ability as their acting chops; the director was intent on filming the performances live, not lip-synched to previously recorded tracks.
The standout is the lead singer, Declan "Deco" Cuffe, a disgusting pig, as one of the girls says, but what a voice! Even more amazing, Andrew Strong was only 16 when he played Deco. Strong's father was a voice coach working on the production; when he heard that Parker was having an open casting call, he encouraged his teenage son to try out for the part, which he handily won.
Monday morning I walked over to the entertainment editor at the paper and asked if she had the press kit for The Commitments; she did, and handed it over. It contained a glossary of Irish slang to help American critics navigate their way through the often-impenetrable working-class Dublin vocabulary.
New York Times critic A.O. Scott told why The Commitments was his St. Patrick's Day film pick (above), and I agree with his take: It's the kind of movie you want to watch when you feel a little down in the dumps. I've seen it countless times, and it never fails to make me smile and brighten my mood.
As for the performances, I think they're just great. While some might consider it heresy of the first order, I actually prefer Andrew Strong's covers over many of the original versions. And it's still mindblowing that he's only 16 in the film. In the clip above he's performing "Try a Little Tenderness," and just singing the hell out of it.
Actor Robert Arkins played the manager of the band, and, despite his musical talents (he was an established musician when he made the film), his only on-screen performance was in the music video for the movie (above).
I'm not alone in my fondness for The Commitments; it's been seen by more than 1 billion people since its release, and has been voted the most influential Irish film of all time in a 2005 poll sponsored by (who else?) Jameson Irish Whiskey.
The soundtrack has been in or near my CD player pretty much since the summer of '91, which is another indication that I'm not kidding when I tell that I really, really like this flick. Check it out.
Posted by Mike Lief at September 25, 2009 10:26 PM
Comments
Agree with you. Although I'm a musician and fortunately and unfortunately Irish, play and sing all kinds of music and was in a not-very-successful band for a while, I still was very reluctant to see this film because it sounded too familiar. But glad I did of course. If it fails to uplift, better adjust your anti-depressant dosage, or get on one immediately.
Posted by: Amy Connelly at November 20, 2010 11:15 AM