As a film, "The Commitments" is pretty much a by-the-numbers affair. It's an Irish variation on Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney's old "Hey! Let's put on a show!" routine, only these kids put together a band instead of a series of variety acts.
But as a joyous, spirited concert event, it's as ingratiating as it is energetic. The musical choices are perfect, they are performed thrillingly and the audience will quite probably be dancing in movie theater aisles before it's over.
Oddly, however, you may be more inclined to run out and buy the soundtrack than get in line for the movie again.
The nominal lead character in this ensemble piece is Jimmy Rabitte (Robert Arkins), a working-class lad in Northern Dublin whose idea it is to form a band, in an effort to lift the spirits of those around him. His father (Colm Meaney), an Elvis freak (Elvis' picture hangs on the wall above the pope), isn't too encouraging - but always seems to be hanging around with interest.
Jimmy puts an ad in the local paper and begins auditions (a process handled similarly to the audition sequence in "The Fabulous Baker Boys"), gradually pulling his band, The Commitments, together.
But he doesn't want just any band playing any kind of music. Jimmy has a vision: He wants to play soul music - specifically '60s soul music, a la Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. (The film's look and style deliberately evoke another time, causing the audience to sometimes forget the setting is 1991.)
Among its rag-tag members is Deco (Andrew Strong), a powerhouse singer whose voice occasionally resembles Joe Cocker, while he occasionally resembles John Belushi doing Joe Cocker; three disparate young women with personal problems, played very well by Bronagh Gallagher, Maria Doyle and Angeline Ball; an older veteran named Joey "The Lips" (Johnny Murphy), who has a rather existential view of the music they perform; and Dave Finnegan as the wild, punk drummer Mickah, who isn't one to be crossed.
There are some wildly funny moments here, especially when the group is still in the early stages of pulling itself together. But as the film progresses and romances, rivalries and egos begin to take their toll on the band's ability to hang together, it becomes more predictable and sentimental. Worse, the film's depiction of blue-collar vulgarity is ridiculously overdone. (Director Alan Parker, whose films include "Midnight Express," "Mississippi Burning," "Come See the Paradise" and "Fame," is anything but subtle.)
But even when the film falters, there's that music - "Mustang Sally," "Take Me to the River," "Chain of Fools," "Show Me" and many more - all played to the hilt.
If the songs don't move you, check your pulse.
The cast is wonderful here, from those playing the largest roles to the smallest, with special kudos to Arkins, Strong, Murphy and the trio of fine actresses who, after Strong, are the most prominent members of the band. And Colm Meaney, familiar as a regular on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," has some very funny bits as Jimmy's father.
It's unfortunate that the swearing here is so thick that an R rating is required; in fact, it's wall to wall, becoming quite tiresome after a while. In fact, there are times when the actors' accents are so thick the only clear words in a sentence are Hollywood's favorite profanity. There is also some violence, vulgarity and implied sex.