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The Commitments (1991)

The Commitments (1991)

The Very Best

8.6

Before Sing Street, there was The Commitments, an Irish band of young hopefuls escaping grim reality with the joy and promise of music

Movie

Ireland, United Kingdom
English, Irish
Comedy, Drama, Music
1991

TLDR

I hope every generation has their own Irish misfit musical to love.

What it's about

In the troubled areas of Northside, Dublin, wannabe celebrity Jimmy Rabitte (Robert Arkins) chases fame by creating a soul band. Though talented, the resulting members find it difficult to agree on almost everything.

The take

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.

What stands out

Who among us hasn’t pretended to be interviewed? I get you Jimmy, we all do.

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