The Commitments is the kind of film you show someone you like to test who they are. If they like it, they’re good people. If they don’t, they’re probably soulless. It’s very hard to find fault in The Commitments, a ‘90s Irish musical following a band of aimless young people hoping to escape their troubled realities one rehearsal and gig at a time. They may be penniless and uneducated, but when they take on the stage, these soul (not jazz!) performers will dazzle you to no end. The cast was chosen primarily for their musical chops and it shows—these kids can sing. And when they start, you wish they’d never stop. The lead singer, Deco (a 16-year-old Andrew Strong) is the most arresting out of them, but all 11 of them are very easy to like and follow, even through that difficult but suitable ending.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Actor: Alan Parker, Andrea Corr, Angeline Ball, Bronagh Gallagher, Caroline Corr, Colm Meaney, Dave Finnegan, Eanna MacLiam, Glen Hansard, Liam Carney, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Michael Aherne, Robert Arkins, Sean Hughes, Sharon Corr, Sheila Flitton, Winston Dennis
Director: Alan Parker
Rating: R
