Con la testa tra le stelle

Even though my most favorite movies are thrillers and drama's, I must say that from time to time I can really look forward to a comedy. Life is more than misery or thrills alone, there should be time for laughter as well, so why should my choice of movies be any different? But when looking for comedies, I do have certain standards. I hate toilet humor and the story may be silly, but still has to be of a decent quality. If I'm honest, than I must say that I don't find that too often. The latest (often American) comedies are all full of those dreaded jokes about pee, vomit, sperm,... and too often I end up very disappointed in them. That's also the reason why I prefer British comedies. I like their, often very dry, humor and their jokes don't necessarily have to be about some kind of bodily function.

"The Closer You Get" is situated in an isolated village in Ireland. Because the girls in their village aren't to their taste, a bunch of young man send an ad to the Miami Herald, inviting fit and enticing American women between the ages of 20 and 21, to come to the local dance. But when the girls they all hoped for don't come and the local girls seem to have more success with men from outside the village, the local men start to realize that some of their 'own' girls might not be that bad after all. Others however chose different solutions like ordering a lot of porn...

Like so often with comedies, I'm sure that there are many people who don't like it all that much. Humor is one of the most difficult parts of the entertainment business and not everybody has the same taste. Personally I had a really good laugh with this movie, but when I see some other comments on this website, it's getting very clear to me that not everybody thinks about it like that. I guess this is a comedy that will appeal most to the people who love the typical British humor, so if you aren't into that kind of jokes, you better don't give this movie a try. If you are looking for a very special, deep or touching story, than this isn't the best movie for you either. The story is quite simple, but efficient. It doesn't really know any extreme highs or lows, but it works. The characters are believable, the situations are still recognizable...

All in all this is a very decent comedy with some good acting and an OK story. But most important is the amount of laughter that it offers and for me that was more than enough. I had a really good time with this movie and that's why I give it a 7.5/10.

It's an interesting premise but the execution is poor. This is a well-made bad film, which is quite frustrating.

If I had to single out anything it's the story. Sometimes a very poor predictable plot will be successful (witness the Full Monty from the same producer) but this time it is devoid of charm and flops badly.

I don't need formulaic traditional three-act structures but the characters need to be solid and true. The three main relationships at the centre of the film offer conflict but no drama because the characters are under-developed and so their actions are unconvincing.

Ideally the accents would be more accessible for an international audience while still being authentic. I say accents but it's really only one actor I had a problem with.

There were a couple of laugh out loud moments in the film and it generated a few smiles but I was surprised to see it described as a comedy on IMDB. I honestly don't think it was written as one.

I'm afraid I can't think of a single reason to see this film and I've really tried to, honestly.

This movie represents the reality of the villages in Ireland. A reality that is very similar to my country, Galicia, the northwest part of Spain and a land that, surprisingly, is very similar in nature to Ireland.

The movie talks about the ambitions and hopes of ordinary people in a village and the idea to go abroad and know the world. But the hopes are most of the times unrealistic and your dreams don´t let you see that what you have closer is what you need.

May be the worst part is the very typical representation of the Spanish sailors (singing "flamenco" with guitars). Most of the sailors of Spain are from the north, a part in which the popular music is not based in the famous "flamenco".

This is a quaint and charming little comedy about life and love in rural northwestern Ireland. The question remains, how many rural Irish comedies can we watch before the material starts to get stale. The story begins with the single men of this little town complaining that the women are substandard and there are no marriage prospects. After downing far too many pints, they decide to place an advertisement in the Miami Herald to see if they can induce some American women to come to Ireland to the big town dance. When the townswomen get wind of the scheme, they invite some Spanish fishermen to the same dance. The result is a succession of comical situations where everyone makes fools of themselves in anticipation of the big day. The net result of all this is the lesson Dorothy learned when she left Kansas; that when you are looking for your heart's desire, you don't have to look any further than your own backyard.

Aileen Ritchie's directorial debut was marked by some nice photography of well-selected locations and an alluring portrayal of the local color and appeal. The characters all seemed very genuine and unaffected; the way country folks generally are regardless of national origin. The scenes leading up to the dance work well, but the film bogs down after the dance as the tone changes from mirthful to dramatic.

The acting was generally good with a couple of standouts. Ian Hart stole the show as Kieran the headstrong town butcher. He was simultaneously affable and obnoxious. His character's complete obliviousness to how ridiculous he was gave Hart ample opportunity to become a laugh magnet. Niahm Cusack was also enchanting as Kate, mixing mischievousness with romantic appeal to create a delightful character.

I rated this film a 7/10. It is very light fare, silly enough that it will get a chuckle or two out of almost everyone.

Gentle Celtic productions are very much in vogue at the moment. What with Waking Ned, Ballykissangel and the late Hamish Macbeth. The Closer You Get is a gentle tragi-comedy with a heart-warming if unsurprising ending. All the performances are very strong, particularly from the ever-magnificent Ian Hart and Niamh Cusack, but you can't help feeling that you've seen it all before. If you're feeling in need of a pick-me-up on a Saturday afternoon, then go see, but otherwise wait for the next series of Ballykissangel!