A young man struggles to grow up with principles as his family begins to self-destruct around him in this coming of age drama. Cole McKay (Michael Angarano) is a boy in his middle-teens growing up in an Irish-Catholic family in Boston. While Cole has dreams of playing major league baseball some day, his parents Desmond (Brendan Gleeson) and Margaret (Melissa Leo) are blind to his ambitions, and his older brother Terry (Tom Guiry) is a petty criminal who is unwittingly drawing Cole into his
orbit. While Margaret is obsessed with projecting an image that the McKay family are happy and God-fearing folk, Desmond has been sinking deeper into depression ever since he lost his job, and his marriage is slowly but surely falling apart. The family's pride takes a body blow when Cole's teenage sister Kathleen (Emily Van Camp) discovers she's pregnant, but Cole decides it's time he took on some adult responsibilities, and gets himself a part-time job at a restaurant. Black Irish was the first directorial effort for screenwriter Brad Gann. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Black Irish boasts many memorable scenes and fine characterizations but ultimately plays more like a series of snapshots come to life than as an organically satisfying story.
It's too sincere and thoughtful to be immediately dismissed. But it is terribly frustrating viewing: so much time and creative energy spent making a movie that, in one form or another, the audience has already seen.
Writer-director-producer Brad Gann's tale of growing up in blue-collar South Boston features a strong central performance, but it doesn't miss a cliche of hardscrabble adolescence.
Michael Angarano, Brendan Gleeson, Tom Gulry, Melissa Leo, Emily VanCamp, Michael Rispoli, Francis Capra
DIRECTED BY BRAD GANN
Wow. This movie was not at all what I was expecting. it was much better then what I had anticipated. I thought it was just going to be based around baseball and I was really wrong. Although
baseball is always there, the story takes on much more. This is about a family that has had many misfortunes, two parents who are in a loveless marriage and who blame each other for their mishaps. An older son who is well on his way to being in and out of prison and who believes his parents don't care for him. A daughter being forced into doing what her mother believes is morally right even when her daughter doesn't agree with it. A younger son who is just desperately trying to connect with his father only to be shut down at every opportunity. Great performances all around, but Angarano and Guiry stand out for me in this movie, They really give there all in this film. It's at times funny, intense and heart breaking. Just really good and I hope more people see it.
February 1, 2010
♥˩ƳИИ ƜѲѲƉƧ♥
Super Reviewer
Bravo! Loved it!!! Michael Angarano was great in here. This movie made me laugh and cry...lovely film.
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