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Irish Films

Irish films cover a wealth of subjects: from the epic struggle of the IRA against English to a night out in the pub. We offer you our list of the top ten Irish films ever made and reviews of recent Irish movies.
Top Ten Irish Films
Today's hottest stars are emerging from Ireland: Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy, and the young Top Ten Irish Films, nominated for an Acedemy Award. Here's a list of the great contempoary films from Ireland.
A Man of No Importance (1994)
Albert Finney stars in this moving drama about a poetic bus conductor dreams of staging Oscar Wilde's plays in 1960s Dublin.
Bloody Sunday (2002)
Paul Greengrass's harrowing film about the historical day looks as if it was an actual documentary, and the immediacy is overwhelming.
Breakfast on Pluto
Based on the novel by Patrick McCabe, Neil Jordan directs the tale of Patrick "Kitten" Braden (Cillian Murphy), a transsexual growing up in Ireland.
Circle of Friends (1995)
Pat O'Connor's moving film about first love stars Minnie Driver and Chris O'Donell. Based on the novel by Irish author Maeve Binchy.
Hear My Song (1991)
The Wasghington Post review of this Irish romantic fantasy about the search for a long-lost singer.
In America (2003)
Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine and Djimon Hounsou star in Jim Sheridan's drama about Irish immigrants who come to America in the 1980s.
In Bruges -
Irish Playwright Martin McDonagh's first feature "In Bruges" will kick off the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. A twisted tale of two London hit men who are ordered to take a forced vacation in Belgium after botching a job, "In Bruges" stars Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
In the Name of the Father (1994)
A geat fan page about this great movie. Daniel Day Lewis is fantastic as a man wrongly imprisoned for an IRA bombing in the 1970s.
Intermission
Set in a small town in Ireland, John Crowley's ensemble drama is a rich, nuanced film - crowded with lovely moments and complicated stories. Rising stars Colin Farrell, Shirley Henderson, Kelly MacDonald, and Cillian Murphy lead the terrific cast.
Into the West (1993)
Roger Ebert's review of Mike Newell's film about two young gypsy boys growing up in the high-rise slums of Dublin. Starring the always wonderful Gabriel Byrne as Papa Reilly.
Once
John Carney's lo-fi musical about a Dublin busker and an immigrant single mother who meet in the streets and record a demo tape together is a real charmer. The film received standing ovations and the Audience Award at Sundance.
Some Mother's Son (1996)
Helen Mirren stars in this drama based on actual events from 1981, when Irish Republican Army prisoners in Belfast's Maze Prison staged a hunger. Directed by Terry George.
The Boxer (1997)
My friend Kate Perry had a small role in this great Jim Sheridan film (along with smaller actors Daniel Day Lewis and Emily Watson).
The Butcher Boy (1997)
Warner Brother's official site for this daring Neil Jordan film.
The Closer You Get (2000)
Fox Searchlight Pictures will having you thinking all Irish are eccentric simpletons. Egads!
The Commitments (1991)
Roger Ebert's rave review of Alan Parker's comic extravaganza about a soul band from the poorest precincts of North Dublin.
The Crying Game (1992)
Neil Jordan's brilliant and thrilling sexual mystery.
The General (1998)
John Boorman's "The General" is based on the story of Martin Cahill, a notorious Dublin gangster who was the mastermind behind a series of daring robberies that stunned Ireland in the 1980s.
The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
"The Magdalene Sisters" is a bold, shocking and powerful film. Through the fictional stories of three Irish girls, Peter Mullins ("Orphans") recreates a shameful period in history that has been hushed up for decades.
The Opportunists (2000)
Christopher Walken stars in this drama about an Irish immigrant settled in Queens. For a fix of gangsters and 80s pop star Cyndi Lauper.
The Playboys (1992)
This Irish drama starring Robin Penn-Wright, Aidan Quinn and Albert Finney is a sweetie.
The Snapper (1993)
Stephen Frears wonderful adaptation of Roddy Doyle's novel about a working-class Irish family, and the teenage daughter who finds herself pregnant.
The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Ken Loach’s THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, is a searing story of two brothers whose loyalties are put to the ultimate test in the fight for Irish independence. Cillian Murphy stars. The film opens March 17, 2007
When Brendan Met Trudy
Roddy Doyle wrote this gleefully silly romance set in contemporary Dublin and stuffed to the gills with movie references. Find out why Brendan and Trudy are breathless, and why Trudy wears ski masks to bed....

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