Doyle should have spent more time on the story and less time in the video store searching for inspiration.
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
Charming but awkward ode to the travails along the path to true romance.
This unusual romance works brilliantly thanks to a terrific turn from McDonald and a career-making one from Montgomery.
One of the smarter, more likable attempts at neo-screwball comedy to hit the screen in a while.
Maybe the film is only cotton candy, but as empty calories go, it's satisfying enough.
There's too much air and contrivance between the laughs and the small eruptions of charm.
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.
A terribly uneven film which doesn't roar into life until its final thirty minutes.
There isn't a firm enough hand behind the camera to control the bland script by Roddy Doyle.
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.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 83% 83% | The Princess and the Frog | 12/11 |
| 83% 83% | A Single Man | 12/11 |
| 60% 60% | The Lovely Bones | 12/11 |
| | Invictus | 12/11 |
| | Avatar | 12/18 |
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