It was back in 1996 that I first learnt who The Corrs were. I was instantly fascinated and totally awed by the mix of traditional Irish music and a great musical direction, due in fact to David Foster, and became one hardcore fan.
As in 1996 the Internet was still forming, I was late to know that the brothers Corr became known by just a movie audition: The Commitments. Since then it was one of my dormant wishes to acquire such movie and appreciate the musicians in their raw form and formative years. So... back to present. August 22nd 2010 was the day I finally got my own DVD of The Commitments while traveling in Ireland. (In the same shop I acquired music from The Frames, Aslan and the latest from David Gray which I will review later)
The Commitments. Alan Parker 1991
118 min
Based on the novel by Roddy Doyle, Dubliner Jimmy Rabbite dreams on forming the Ireland's most famous, and Dublin's best band since U2 or Sinead O' Connor, although what he wants is not a Rock Band but a Soul band. He convinces a couple of friends, struggling amateur musicians, to form a Soul band and begins to audition the whole Dublin local music scene. We get a glimpse on a bunch of music traditions and styles, and even recognize future famous musicians along the way. Jimmy, while defending the musical direction, states that the "Irish are the blacks of Europe, the Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland, and The Northern Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin". As the band is still forming, we are introduced to more likeable characters, like Dean Fay, sax, and the chorists. Enter Deco, the vocalist, and we have the band formed. Unlike the Novel, Deco is not a George Michael look-alike. He is in fact more likely to get confused to MeatLoaf rather than George Michael, but what he delivers is an astonishing voice for a then 16 year old actor/singer Andrew Strong. He is the heart of the band, even though he is not liked by anyone in the band as he is rude, selfish and chaotic. His ways and style will take us into what The Commitments are all about. Finally enter Joey "The Lips" Fagan, the Spiritual gurú, trumpetist and the true inspirer in the Band's name and style.
The Commitments is not a Male's quest or a Female's, it is nonetheless a mix between both, depending on each character.
The Corrs did appear, surprisingly, not as a band but in cameos; as a tecladist in an "Avant-Garde-A-Clue" band (Jim Corr) in the Pub Scene, as a member of the public in the last performance of the band (Caroline Corr), as a Country Music Violin Player in the last part of the film (Sharon Corr), and Andrea Corr, as Sharon Rabbitte, Jimmy's younger sister. Alan Parker gave small non-speaking parts to musicians that didn't make the final auditions. John Hughes, a struggling musician himself, was bewildered by the brothers and took them to New York to sign them a record deal. After some years, they finally released Forgiven, Not Forgotten, their 1996 Debut Album.
Also one of my favourite Irish artist is Glen Hansard, Outspan Foster, Guitar, in the film. This long-haired hippie redhead is the vocalist of The Frames. He stepped into the limelight on this film, and eventually consagrated as one of the most known musicians of his generation. It'd take another 15 years for him to win an Academy Award for his musical contribution to the superb Irish film Once (Which is gonna be reviewed shortly).
The Commitments is a very recommendable film, either for Soul lovers, Alan Parker lovers or just to watch an honest portrait of Dublin in the first years of the 90's decade.
4/5 fingers.
