Gets weighed down by the constant film-referencing and the strained credibility of the odd couple's relationship.
When Brendan Met Trudy (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:59
Fresh:37
Rotten:22
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: The references to other films are rather overdone, and the direction is uneven.
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Mar 9, 2001 Limited
Synopsis: Acclaimed author Roddy Doyle teams up with first-time feature director Kieron J. Walsh for WHEN BRENDAN MET TRUDY, a charming romantic comedy about an unlikely relationship that forms between a... Acclaimed author Roddy Doyle teams up with first-time feature director Kieron J. Walsh for WHEN BRENDAN MET TRUDY, a charming romantic comedy about an unlikely relationship that forms between a Dublin schoolteacher and a free-spirited woman with a hidden profession. Brendan (Peter McDonald) spends his off hours watching old movies and singing in a local choir. One night, he meets Trudy (Flora Montgomery) in a pub, and they agree to meet at the cinema later that week. When Trudy stands Brendan up, he tracks her down; surprisingly, a serious relationship develops. Things take a turn for the strange and bizarre when Brendan begins to suspect Trudy's nocturnal adventures might have to do with a series of violent castrations that have struck the city. Confronting her, he instead learns that Trudy is a professional burglar, which shocks him into even greater confusion. After convincing him to help her rob his sister's house, Brendan finds himself falling quite easily into a life of crime. A final daring heist of the new computers at Brendan's school finally brings the happy days to an end, but this does not dampen the film's persistently cheerful tone. Doyle's unpredictable script, combined with a bouncy pop soundtrack, makes Walsh's big-screen debut a lighthearted, engaging affair. [More]
Starring: Peter McDonald, Flora Montgomery, Marie Mullen, Pauline McLynn
Starring: Peter McDonald, Flora Montgomery, Marie Mullen, Pauline McLynn, Margaret Wycherly, Maynard Eziashi, Eileen Walsh, Barry Cassin, Robert O'Neill, Eoin Manley, Gabriel Byrne
Director: Kieron J. Walsh
Director: Kieron J. Walsh
Screenwriter: Roddy Doyle
Producer: Lynda Myles
Composer: Richard Hartley
Studio: The Shooting Gallery
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Reviews for When Brendan Met Trudy
Parts of it are rather amusing. But it still seems meant to be a lot funnier than it is.
Features a more self-indulgent form of cinephilia, the sort that's fun on its first couple of passes but soon starts to grate.
What promises to be a simple rehash of romantic comedy formula is, at least at first, given a breath of fresh air.
Doyle and director Kieron J. Walsh have such a fine old time with all this winky-wink business that they seem to only sporadically recall the plight of star-crossed lovers Brendan ... and Trudy.
Unfortunately, when he finds himself, apparently by convincing Trudy to come back to him, the film slides into sharp decline. In a screwball comedy, the man's turn -- to embrace girlish shenanigans and such -- is the end.
Being 'on' all the time is no easy task for an actor. But [Montgomery] makes it look natural.
Recreations of scenes from Breathless and The Searcher are amusing, but writing and direction are uneven.
It feels churlish to complain about its borrowings from other films. But it feels insubstantial and redundant.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 92% 92% | Crazy Heart | 12/16 |
| | Ricky | 12/16 |
| | A Town Called Panic | 12/16 |
| | Avatar | 12/18 |
| 73% 73% | The Young Victoria | 12/18 |
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