"The Irish are the
blacks of Europe," says Jimmy Rabbitte. "Dubliners are the blacks of
Ireland. North Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin."
North Dublin is a ghetto just as rife with hopelessness as
Harlem or the Barrio; the only ways out being sports, music, or death.
Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) chooses music, and he chooses American
Soul, the only music that comes close to nailing down the travail of
northern Dubliners foundering on a backdrop of Irish working class
realism. Jimmy puts together the most improbable group of talented
misfits; feeds them a diet of Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and other soul
giants; cajoles and maneuvers bartenders, criminals, journalists and
priests to provide instruments, practice space, gigs and publicity; and he
ends up with nothing.
But what a sublime, hilarious and thought-provoking trip
to nowhere, except maybe a world of spiritual enlightenment and, of
course, a "found" treasure of real-world ghetto talent as dazzling as the
cream of any bona fide acting school.
Director Alan Parker took a chance on uncut gems and
molded them into crown jewels. The only recognizable name in the movie is
Colm Meaney in a minor but humorous role of Jimmy’s father, Jimmy Sr. The
band, The Commitments, consists of Deco Cuffe (Andrew Strong) as lead male
vocal, Steve (Michael Aherne) on piano, Billy (Dick Massey) on drums, Dean
(Felim Gormley) on sax, Outspan (Glen Hansard) on lead guitar, Derek
(Kenneth McCluskey) on bass, Joey "The Lips" Fagan (Johnny Murphy) on
trumpet, and backup singers Natalie (Maria Doyle), Bernie (Bronagh
Gallagher), and Imelda (Angeline Ball).
Before auditioning for their roles, the actors in this
movie were all completely unknown. Like Commitments, the band,
Commitments, the movie, brings together a bunch of nobodies (though in
real life they’re culled from over 12,000 auditions of No Name musicians
and actors in the Dublin area), and pitches them directly into an
extraordinary world of music and mayhem.
The band practices in an attic above a pool hall. They
study soul music. They practice some more. They argue. Joey "The Lips"
seduces all three female backup singers. Deco (who, in real life, is only
16) grosses out every member of the band, eventually forcing the drummer
to leave (replaced by Dave Finnegan as Mikah) or beat the crap out of him.
They practice some more. They do their first, free gig in a church hall
and become an instant success. The gigs get bigger and the crowds go
wilder, until, finally, they get paid. Then they hit the big time in a big
club, for big money. They put on a spellbinding performance and drive the
crowd into hysterics. They’re on their way to the top, on the fast track
to superstardom. Nothing can stop them now.
Except themselves.
They argue. They beat the crap out of each other. They
cry and they scream and they go their separate ways. And here is where the
magic comes in. As sad as the band’s demise may be, it’s the trip there
that makes this movie so compelling. The destination is irrelevant. These
are people who had nothing. As Bernie tells Jimmy, fearing that he’ll drop
her from the band for missing practices: "I need something to look forward
to." And for as long as the band lasts, she has that hope.
Hope is what Commitments is all about. Or at
least, that’s its special meaning for me: that anyone, even a
white-skinned European black from the North Dublin ghetto, can reach out
and rise above the desperate crowd, even if only for a short while. Joey
"The Lips" tells a distraught Jimmy after the band implodes on its own
talent and tension: "You raised their expectations of life. You lifted
their horizons."
Sometimes, in some places, people can only find a brief
glimpse of their better selves before the vibrating hatreds, fears, and
doubts that provide the artistic drive to excel collide into
irreconcilable conflicts. Sometimes, though, a glimpse is all one needs.
And did I mention the music?
Did I mention the riveting performances of songs like
Mustang Sally, Try A Little Tenderness, Midnight Hour and other classics?
Did I mention the killer stage performances: the action and the dynamism
of a gang of hardheaded Irish nobodies who transform under the Fresnel
lights into a well-oiled music machine? This is one of those movies that
sticks to the inside of your head like cinnamon syrup. Every time I watch
it, the music and the mood stay with me for days. Ever tried to shake the
Rock ‘n Roll out of your head right after watching Rocky Horror Picture
Show? Can’t do it, can ya? And you’ll have just as much luck trying to
shake the soul and the Dublin ghettos out of your head anytime soon after
watching The Commitments.
DVD
The DVD is stingy on outtakes and behind the scenes
materials, but it contains a full-length video with a surprise singer
(watch the movie first).
Contributing reviewer Biff Mitchell is the author of:
WAR BUG
They have his family. He has their secret. Their world is collapsing.
He has just hours before he looses everything. He has only one friend and
ally, the computer virus that started the whole thing in
the first place.
Order your copy of War Bug from
Double Dragon Publishing.
THE BATON
Ever thought about getting back at all those people who bug you? Watch
out! Some day, you just might.
The Baton is now a Dollar Download from
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Find out more about Biff Mitchell at:
www.biffmitchell.com.
