‘The

OU JUST gotta love the Irish in director Alan
Parker's latest film. They may sing a heart-rending
Try a Little Tenderness, but they'd rather punch cach

other in the head.

The Commitments *** (20th Cen-
tary Fox) Rated 14 years (at the
Park & Tiiford, Granville, Co-
quitlam, Oakridge and Station
Square Cinemas)

Slick band manager, fimmy Rab-
bitte (Rober Arkins), like a lot of
chronically unemployed north-end
Dubliners, has big-time dreams.
His one-way ticket to stardom
revolves around Wilson Pickett,
Otis Redding and the Gadfather of
Soul, Mr. James Brown. After some
hilariously awful auditions, The
Commitments — ‘‘the hardest

Tim Bell

FILM REVIEW

working band in the world’ —
starts preaching its message of Irish
soul.

Alter a shaky start, the group ce
ally starts to harmonize. At least
on stage. Offetage the back-up
singers (Bronagh Gallagher, Maria
Doyle and Aggeline Ball cat-fight
over the middle-aged horn player,
Joey ‘The Lips Fagan Gohnay
Murphy) while the sex-starnved
males seethe.

A loan shark wants fimimy’s
blood, the gigs pay diddly and
everyone wants to deck their lead
singer, aptly
Strong).

Overweight: crude and stringy-
haired, he glowers whenever the
spotlight shifts to another band
member, He is also the living,
breathing embodiment of the
Memphis R & B sound, a
powerhouse cross between Joe
Cocker (voice) and Meat Loaf

photo submitted

POVERTY-STRICKEN North Dublin is the setting for Alan Parker's latest film ‘‘The Commitments .

From flower power
favourites to country

' classics, from jazz «
to classical, we've
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—
109

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290149 ONG ANSON VA 0th WerRLLve 4 HENS)
‘QLLTY ML QUMIBERASIS GOT ION a

NORTH VANCOUVER
m CAPILANO MALL

“We BELIEVE IN FAMILY ' VALUES”

"Wikio

s last) until October dst 1991

925 Marine Drive, North Vancouver
Monday to Wednesday 10am-6p9m
Thursday and Friday 10am-9pm

988-6311

Saturday 9:30am-6pm
Sunday 12 noon-S5pm

named Deco (Andrew

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Wednesday, September 25,

(airthy.

Parke. Captures the raw onerry
of frustrated youth, scrambling to
tise abave Dublin’s poverty with
bawdy humor and hope. The pas-
sionate and tuiented young cast
(mostly newcomers) electrity the
story. J still can’t get aver Andrew
Strong's astounding varce fat 1h,
yet.

Thick brogues (requently swear-
ing) May put off some moviegoers,
But the hardest part is trying not te
sing along with those ‘60s gems.
k.d.lang: Harvest of Seven
Years **** (Warner Reprise
Video) Unrated

Now tor some Canadian soul ...
This superb compilation of the
home-grown marvel covers Kathy
Dawn Lang from her first appear-
ance on a 1984 Caigary country
show to a new video for the up-
coming film Salmonberries,

In between dynamite versions of
Crying, Johany Get Angry, Trail of

19$1 ~ North Shore News - 33

ommitments’ delivers real sou!

Broken Hearts and So in Love, the
versatile kd. adds background
snippets about the songs in her
own thoroughiy unaffected way.
This is a pure delight.

By the way, her acting debut in
Percy Aldon’s Salmonberries can
be seen during the TOth annual
Vancouver Film Fest, October -4-
20.

NORTH SHORE VIEWS

Park Royal: Thelma & Louise,
Terminator 2, Harley Davidson &
the Marlboro Man, Park &
Tilford: Hot Shots, City Slickers,
Pure Luck, Tne Cammitments,
Freddy's Dead, Late for Dinner.
Esplanade 6: Terminator 2, Robin
Hood, The Doctor, Doc
Hollywood, Dream Machine,
Deac Again. Showtime Hotline:
Famous Players 681-4255,
Cineplex Odeo 687-1515.

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