bowmanblue
'Intermission' is one of those films that should have been huge and yet somehow never really achieved its true potential. Many people call it 'the Irish Trainspotting' and I can sort of see where they're coming from. However, it's not quite as bleak as Trainspotting, relying more on everyday folk and the relationship troubles they get into. Plus the odd armed robbery thrown in there for good measure.When I sat my girlfriend down and made her watch it, she said that it was good, but could have been better if it was a little more focused. I guess that's fair criticism. It is a little all over the place here and there. It relies on numerous characters and story lines, all coming together in the end. And, like any story with multiple characters, not all get the screen time they deserve to fully flesh them out. You have your stars like Cillian Murphy and Kelly MacDonald leading the way (and Colin Farrell is kind of there as a marketing ploy as he's featured heavily in the film's marketing, yet only really appears in the form of an extended cameo – not to say he isn't fun and evil all at the same time!).Intermission isn't a family film. Don't be fooled by the cover that makes it look like a rom-com. It's comedy as its blackest. All the humour is derived from 'adult' situations and there are plenty of scenes that you wouldn't want to watch with your mother. I think it's definitely an underrated little gem. Yes, it has a few flaws, but all its jokes seemed to hit their targets where I was concerned and I'll continue to sit everyone I know down and force them to watch it for many years to come.
mike dewey
What a truly interesting film containing several seemingly unrelated story lines that eventually intersect, physically and emotionally, toward the conclusion. We have large doses of typical urban problems such as extra-marital affairs, drug pandering, sexual, romantic and emotional conflicts, hooliganism, etc. Sounds like rather typical film fodder except for the manner in which John Crowley and Mark O'Rowe respectively execute their directorial and writing skills in putting together this tightly woven comedy/drama.The dialog is rife with articulate and extremely witty banter in the unmistakable Celtic manner. The execution of that dialog and the intersecting story lines is carried out in grand fashion by all these extremely gifted actors. Nobody, even in the smaller roles, misses a beat in this well-timed piece. As these various story line "intermissions" come to a close, will emotions cool down and some semblance of peace and normality prevail?Lastly, great original and pre-recorded musical tidbits are inserted deftly at the proper moments, punctuating the story line even more.
robbreslin
By way of response to so many bemused reviews, yes, Intermission wasn't specifically 'made for the American market', it is an Irish movie. Ha,its an Irish movie through and through. It is graphic, and hilarious. It is strikingly real at times, tongue in cheek at others.There are however universal stories being told throughout, things everyone understands, and the tone is unique. You can read the blurb to hear some of the storyline if you like so my job is to tell you that this is a very entertaining movie which adheres beautifully to the Irish sense of humour (spelled humour btw ha).Watch out for the young rebel in the red jacket, ten years old if he's a day, throwing rocks and causing scenes; therein lies the beauty of the humour and the tragedy of this film (thats film pronounced filim).Enjoy this movie people....!!
siderite
I guess the fact that it has a great cast and a lot of black humour is what makes it so fun. But it has a good script, nice sound and that thick accent is funny as hell.As some other guy here said, movies that show a lot of interconnected subplots that elevate the level of intimate knowledge about the characters is unlikely to get old, at most it is in danger of being done to death.Bottom line: this is an Irish "Crash". I found it well done and funny, although a bit slow at times and you have to strain your ears a bit if English is not your mother tongue. However, I advice against translations, as you risk getting something an illiterate 10 year old thought he heard, like I did :(
AD
