The Snapper (1993)

Too much of everything

Great Film overall

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This movie was wrong in so many ways. I watched it because I am a fan of Colm Meaney, not only from "Star Trek", but "Hell on Wheels," "The Englishman Who Climbed...", but if you are also a fan, DO NOT WATCH, it will make you doubt any morality, sensibility , or intelligence Mr. Meany had in accepting this part. The basic premise is a young woman, (Colm Meaney's daughter ), gets so drunk that she is unable to fend off the sexual attack by the father of her best friend. Getting pregnant by this encounter, she is too embarrassed to say who the father is so she makes up a tale about a sailor. The rapist becomes unhinged and begins to stalk her, following her with declarations of undying love. Her father tells her she needs to relax and encourages her to go out DRINKING with her friends! The worst thing is that this is supposed to be a comedy!!!!! So let me summarize, BINGE DRINKING, RAPE OF A SEMI- CONSCIOUS WOMAN, SHAMING THE VICTIM, STALKING, DRINKING WHILE PREGNANT. Who the hell thought this was a good idea for a movie--why the hell did it get awards!!!!

I am quite glad to be given the opportunity to warn unsuspecting movie buffs about this truly dreadful movie. I am a working class Dubliner, and let me tell you this is not a slice of Dublin working class life. Nobody I know behaves like the idiots in "The Snapper". Roddy Doyle is a good writer but his monopoly of the Dublin working class mind is dangerously misleading.This movie glorifies all the very worst misconceptions foreigners might have about the Irish. It wallows in the mire of drunkenness, fumbling sex and unplanned pregnancy; and makes a heroine out of a depressingly stupid and careless young woman. Colm Meaney is one of Ireland's best actors but the sight of him sleepwalking his way through this garbage is sad. There is nothing to redeem the plunge into negative apathy this movie represents.

The Irish family, the Curleys, return. This time out Sharon Curley is pregnant and refuse to tell anyone who the father is. Having seen "The Commitments" (great film by the way), I was looking forward to seeing the second in the trilogy. And yes it's as good as the first, if not better as it seems to be more of a personal film I didn't really care for how Sharon's friends carried on in the beginning, but all the characters are believable and Colm Meany seems to be born to play Dessie Curley. One of the far to few films that take a pro-life stance (as soft as the stance may be) And I look forward to being able to watch "The Van" as soon as possible.My Grade: B+

Fine acting by Colm Meaney (Dessie Curley) and Tina Kellegher (Sharon Curley) carry this offbeat tragi-comedy about the perils of out of wedlock pregnancy in a working class Irish family. I think the Pope would approve of how this subject was handled, if he approved of the subject being handled in the first place.What do I mean? Well, here's an unwanted pregnancy that in the apprehension of some people could arguably be seen as a result of something about as close to a rape as it gets without technically being rape, depending upon how you define your "technically." (She was drunk and an older man took advantage of her in the parking lot of the pub.) I won't say more for fear of spoiling the plot for you, but be forewarned that some viewers will find the whole thing uncomfortable.Roddy Doyle, the gifted fictionalist (Paddy Clarke, Ha, Ha, Ha, The Woman Who Walked into Doors, etc) wrote the novel and the screenplay. Stephen Frears (My Beautiful Laundrette 1985, Dangerous Liaisons 1988, etc.) directed. Doyle is a master of dialogue and has a warm sense of people that he imposes on his readers. Known as a realistic writer, he is actually a sentimentalist with a keen feel for the foibles of his characters.There is a kind of TV sit-com feeling to Frears's direction in that nothing really depressing occurs. There's a neighborhood feel to the taunting, some windows are broken, and there's a fistfight, but none of the kids are on heroin or planting bombs. There's little violence and the sex depicted is minimalist. There's a sense that nothing is really wrong in the world, just some slips of behavior and some misunderstandings. You realize, for example, that despite Sharon's continued drinking the baby is not going to be born suffering from any kind of alcoholic syndrome. Furthermore, although Dessie has six kids to support, we never see him working overtime or worrying about money. Doyle is also a political writer and has a message. His message here is that the gift of life is precious over and above how it is conceived and that narrow-minded men (grandfather-to-be Dessie Curley) can, through love, understanding and a little effort, rise above their prejudices and do the right thing and feel the right way. Politically speaking, the film walks softly and carries no banner between the two sides of the abortion question, clearly identifying with the pro-lifers without overtly offending the pro-choice side.Perhaps it is best to leave the politics behind and, like many viewers, simply enjoy the laughs, the realistic dialogue and the warm, chaotic family atmosphere presented and save the moralizing for another day. By the way, you might have to watch this twice to catch some of the humor. Either that or have a good ear for the Irish brogue. For myself, I could have used subtitles.(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)