Mike B Really a Fun movie to watch.Its got energy, its got laughs – and Soul!Character interactions are Great. There's plenty of rivalry. It's a band that's starting out and trying to put itself together. The lead manager played by Robert Arkins holds the film together and is the centerpiece. Nothing ever goes smoothly with plenty of cussin' and shoving and pushing. Great dialogue but the sub-titles helped me in the understanding.The music is superb – once they get their act together.There is not a dull moment from beginning to end.

hall895 Bring a bunch of destitute Dubliners together to form a soul band. Crazy? No, brilliant. Jimmy Rabbitte is the young man with the dream. He's unemployed (who isn't?) but that's OK because he has the idea, the passion that will change everything. Drawing from the down-and-out youth of Dublin he's going to put together the world's greatest band. And he has just one type of music in mind: soul. Does this make any sense? Not to anybody else. But Jimmy's got the vision. And somehow it all begins to come together. His band, The Commitments, is on its way. But it's not a straight ride to the top. There will be struggles and conflicts and life lessons along the way. But the journey is worth it because, despite all the odds stacked against them, it turns out The Commitments are one heck of a band. Playing their wonderful, unique, rockin' Dublin soul.It's a great ensemble cast that makes up this movie's band. Robert Arkins plays Jimmy, the guy who brings it all together. And then the musicians do their thing. Never for a moment do you not buy into these performers as a real band. Their acting is fine but it's the music they play that makes the movie shine. Unlike so many other movies of this type almost all the singing and playing is actually done by the actors themselves. And when The Commitments cut loose this movie rocks. Jimmy Rabbitte might take exception to that. It's not rock, it's soul. Whatever it is it's absolutely bursting with energy. And that is thanks largely to one exceptionally talented young man. While everyone in the band plays their role well there's no way around it, Andrew Strong is the star. Unbelievably just 16 years old when the film was made, Strong plays lead singer Deco Cuffe. And he's got the voice of a singing god with the charisma and star power to match. But there's a problem. Deco is a completely insufferable jerk. Everyone else in the band hates him, and rightly so. Deco may well tear this group apart.The movie follows the band's rise, with all the drama Deco causes threatening a fall before they hit the big time. Which would be a shame because this band is awesome. When first thrown together they understandably make a stuttering start. But once they get their act together they are something to behold. The music they play is fantastic and it makes the movie so much fun. Whether performing a tender ballad or a really rocking number The Commitments hit all the right notes as they run through a soul classics songbook. Try A Little Tenderness and In The Midnight Hour are two obvious highlights but every song really works, not a musical misstep to be found. The music is so great it largely overshadows the rest of the film. The story largely takes a back seat but there are plenty of good moments in between the big musical numbers too. For as good as he is on stage Strong is also excellent portraying the boorish lout Deco offstage as well. Arkins is terrific as band manager Jimmy, holding his band of misfits together. One other standout is Johnny Murphy as Joey 'The Lips' Fagan. He's the wise old hand of the group, a trumpet-playing philosopher who's played with all the greats. Here is a man who appreciates the journey. He also appreciates the opportunity to bed the band's three lovely female backup singers. The band in this movie goes on a magical ride. And lucky us, we get to go along. This movie is a rollicking good time. Dublin soul rocks.

RResende Alan Parker is a generous filmmaker, in the sense that he allows himself to merge into the fabric of his themes, to allow the film to have its own life. That's something i wouldn't appreciate in Kar Wai or Welles, whose personal way to bend stories is the very reason why i go to their films. But Parker seems to have his biggest strength in understanding what the film needs, and allowing it to breath. That's a great quality.Here he tackles soul music appropriated by irish workers, and Dublin, as tokens for the irish spirit. The mere quality and expression in the execution of the songs justifies the cult this film as grown around it since it came out. The music is not original, everything we hear are covers of songs for the masters of soul, but the interpretations are so engaging that you can hardly not be driven by them. It worked so well, that a band composed by several actors from this film, performing under the name of the band in the film still has a career today, still performs live gigs. Among all the good things there is to say about the musical performances, i'll mention the lead singer's face. Andrew Strong's voice delivers all the passion necessary for these songs to work. But his face, apparently so unappealing, forms a series of otherworld expressions, shapes, painful phrases coming out of some upper fantastic world. Parker understood it, and that's why he frames it so often when he sings, in close-up. He engages us in ways hard to understand. Of course than we have a funny plot that surrounds the musical moments, but that's a mere support. The music is the main character, not the supporting bits to a central story.Irish jokes and the black soul of America. That has proved a powerful mix. This film deserves credit, it's a fine moment.My opinion: 4/5http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com

h_wilson92 I didn't like this movie at all! I had to do it as a film study two years ago.We couldn't pick this movie so the teacher did.Everyone hated it and I could see why.The only good bits were the swearing which was used a 1000 times.The swearing bits were pretty funny but other than that it was a poor movie.I didn't really like the characters cos they were all poor coming together to join a band.Some songs were good such as the guy that sung Mustang Sally. The friendship was bad cos they treated each other like crap. 2 stars is too high for this bad movie.I don't understand how people love this movie!