WHOLE LOTTA SOLE/ STAND OFF

UK, 2011, 100 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Colm Meaney, Yaya Alafia, Martin Mc Cann, David O’ Hara, Michael Legge, Tom Hollander.
Directed by Terry George.

Whole Lotta Sole is more enjoyable and might have been anticipated. It is a Belfast comedy, in the British style, with some American ingredients.

This is mainly a day in the fish market, where young gambler, Jimbo, decides to do a robbery in the market. He is being pursued by the top gangster, David O' Hara. Jimbo takes hostages, which leads to some funny sequences and their helping him. Also in the act is Joe, Brendan Fraser, an American fleeing from his wife whose father is a Boston gang boss.

The film is directed by Terry George, who made such interesting films as Hotel Rwanda, Reservation Road, Some Mothers Son.


1. A comedy of from Northern Ireland? A more relaxed Belfast, despite the police and the gangsters and the SAS?

2. The career of the director, his films about Ireland? More serious? His relaxing with this film?

3. The settings, Belfast, the shops and the market, the streets, the homes, the clubs, the police? The family living in caravans on the hills? The musical score and its Irish tone?

4. The title, the jokey play on words? Elements of farce? The characters, the interconnections, the misinterpretations, the climax?

5. Joe’s story, in the United States, his job, his wife, their clash, the threats, his leaving, going to Ireland, taking over the antiques shop from his cousin? Suffering the attacks and reactions to the US? Minding his business? The neighbours? Presumptions?

6. Mad Dog Flynn, his character, his language, with his mother, her support, reporting the robbery? As Belfast’s gangster? His henchmen? Deals, betting, Jimmy and his threats? Watching Joe? The bag taken, his passports, the stolen goods? The decision to get the bag back? Going ballistic, the attack with the weapons? Joe and detective Weller? The final deals, the passport and his being captured, seeing him in prison?

7. Jimmy and his friend, going to the club, gambling, the huge debt? Flynn’s threats? Going home, his wife and child? The planning of the robbery? The bad advice of his friend? The execution of the job, the balaclavas? The women and their stances? Flynn’s mother? Taking the money, taking the bag? His following Joe, Joe attacking him, in the shop, desperate, his story, his mother and the pictures, the letters, the possibility of Joe being his father, his mistakes and the farcical aspects of the siege? His friend? His wife’s concern?

8. Detective Weller, the introduction, at home, his wife, son, having the fatty breakfast? Typical old-style and criticism of the new? His relationship with his son, not affirming him? On the job, the situation in the shop, his wanting to get Flynn? The SAS coming in and the clash with the officer? His jurisdiction? The government official turning up and giving veiled warnings? The American connections, the Mafia? The puzzle about the situation, his handling it?

9. Weller’s son, his social work, with the group on the hill, the father and his being idle, the large mother, the kids? The caravan? Coming into town, the kids and the mischief, inside the shop, the head stuck out the window and having to be soaped to be free? The mother’s arrival, the detectives reaction, his son helping, her barging in? Weller praising his son?

10. Sophie, her background, and the street, friendship with Joe, in the store, sharing in the siege? Romantic ending?

11. The neighbours, watching, the comments, the shooting, the flags in the bullet holes?

12. The situation in the shop, Joe and his innocence, presuming that, the variety of phone calls, putting the detective on hold? The exasperation with the problems, with Jim and his collapse, the two kids and their behavior?

13. The continual buildup, Flynn and his guns, the court? The children reprimanded by their mother? Taking the bag and the passports? Sophie supporting Joe? Joe discovering a son?

14. The news of the father-in-law and the Mafia, in jail, the happy release for Joe?

15. Irish jokes and tales?