WAKING NED DEVINE (PG).
Director:Kirk Jones
Stars:Ian Bannen, David Kelly, Fionnula
Flanagan, Susan Lynch, James
Nesbitt, Eileen Dromey, Paddy Ward,
Brendan F Dempsey, Robert Hickey,
Dermot Kerrigan
Running Time:90 minutes.
With his delightful debut film, writer/director Kirk
Jones beautifully captures the spirit of the classic
Ealing comedies of yesteryear.
The setting is the remote Irish village of Tullymore.
This small, picturesque coastal village is turned upside
down by the discovery that one of its 52 residents is a
lottery winner. Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) and his
best friend Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly) are the
first to learn that someone within the town has won
the lottery. They hatch a scheme to find out who the
winner is, and ensure that they are his best friend by
the time he collects his prize, hoping to share in the
winnings.
The first set back comes when Ned Devine is found
dead, clutching the winning ticket in his hand. A life
time lotto player, Ned died of shock when he actually
won something. Michael then pretends to be Ned in
order to fool the lottery agent and collect the prize.
But things become complicated when they learn the
prize is nearly seven million pounds. The pair realise
they need the co-operation of the whole village in
order to collect the multi-million dollar prize money.
Everyone in the village becomes united in the grand
plot to outwit the lottery commission, with the
exception of Lizzie Quinn (Eileen Dromey), the
wheel chair bound town curmudgeon, who holds out
for a larger share of the loot.
Jones, a former award winning director of
commercials, handles the material with a real sense of
affection for the characters. His unhurried direction
ensures audiences have plenty of time to soak up the
charming atmosphere of Tullymore, and establish an
empathy with these wonderful characters and their
rather foolhardy undertaking. The film also has a lot
to say about friendship and the nature of a
community. Jackie's touching speech about the true
value of friendship, which he delivers during Ned's
funeral, has an honesty that comes straight from the
heart.
The performances of the ensemble cast are spot on.
Bannen and Kelly make a delightful odd couple, and
bring plenty of larrikin charm and energy to the
material. Kelly delivers a wonderfully spry and
likeable performance, and his raffish charm almost
steals the film. Fionnula Flanagan provides the voice
of reason as Jackie's sensible wife Annie, and she
tries to keep their boyish enthusiasm in check and
prevent them from getting into real trouble.
The quirky Irish sense of humour and the haunting
music are some of the attractions of this engaging tale.
Although shot on the Isle of Man, the film beautifully
evokes the unique character and flavour of Ireland.
Henry Braham's gorgeous cinematography and the
magnificent scenery is a major plus. The film also has
plenty of charm and good natured humour to spare.
This sprightly, genial film has a wonderful sense of
Irish blarney that should appeal to audiences attuned
to its wavelength. Waking Ned Devine is a feel good
comedy, and should prove a real winner with
audiences during the holiday season. Cheers!