5 Star

Urban-Decay, Aspirations and Soul.

BAFTA winner and Oscar nominated film by Alan Parker (Evita, Mississippi Burning, Angel Heart), The Commitments comes of age as it hits 25 years since it hit the silver screen. This film changed the way we look at a musical film and was so fresh and hard hitting as the soul comes from the grime of the urban squalor in the early 1990’s.

Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins, The Silent City) dreams of making it big and being interviewed by the mythical Terry, but how is he going to make it big?

He wants to put a band together with him as their manager. So he puts an advert in the local Dublin newspaper. This brings a great deal of various artists and musicians, but none of them has what he wants ‘Soul’ (James Brown ‘Soul’), much to the chagrin of his father (Colm Meaney, Con Air, Star Trek Deep Space 9).

Slowly he manages to find friends who have the talent and the Soul he wants to portray.

When veteran horn player Joey ‘The Lips’ Fagan (Johnny Murphy, Into the West) turns up with tales of playing with the greats all over the world the lineup is complete.
(Andrew Strong) as Declan “Deco” Cuffe – lead vocals
(Angeline Ball, My Girl 2) as Imelda Quirke – backing vocals (The Commitmentettes)
(Maria Doyle, Jupiter Ascending) as Natalie Murphy – backing vocals (The Commitmentettes)
(Bronagh Gallagher, Pulp Fiction) as Bernie McGloughlin – backing vocals (The Commitmentettes)
(Glen Hansard) as “Outspan” Foster – lead guitar
(Kenneth McCluskey) as Derek Scully – bass player
(Félim Gormley, Poison Pern) as Dean Fay – alto saxophone
(Michael Aherne) as Steven Clifford – pianist
(Dick Massey) as Billy Mooney – drums
(Dave Finnegan,The Spirit of Edradour)  as Mickah Wallace – security and drums.

Being all on the dole or low paid they have a problem getting gear until Jimmy does a deal with Duffy, (Liam Carney, Braveheart) a black market dealer for all the kit with promises of money from gigs, but first they have to practice and they get the loan of the second floor above a pool hall.

After many hours practising they are ready to perform and they manage to get a gig for the local church.

The rest is history as the band takes on the role of Soul in Dublin and each others personalities clash. Will the Commitments rise to the meteoric heights that they dream of?

The Commitments Special Edition, featuring a host of bonus features, including brand new interviews with Alan Parker and cast members and much much more.

“There many Music films and then there is The Commitments”

Available to Order Online Now.