HOLY WATER
Ireland, 2009, 93 minutes, Colour.
John Lynch, Cornelius Clarke, Lochlann O’ Mearain, Cian Barry, Linda Hamilton, Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, Angeline Ball, Susan Lynch.
Directed by Tom Reeve.
For a while there, I was hoping that this would be a tongue-in-cheek Irish yarn (from the north) that would be undemandingly amusing. Chatting afterwards, somebody remarked that it was like a low-brow Ealing studios comedy from the 1950s. Someone else said that it was 'Viagra Galore'.
Yes, despite the several disclaimers that the Pfizer company had nothing to do with the film (well, except for producing it, distributing it and marketing it), this is the viagra comedy.
Four backblock types (where the local musician throws himself over a cliff – others just want to get away to England) join in a plan, fool-proof, of course, to hijack a truck full of viagra and sell it in Amsterdam and Patrick's your uncle.
And, of course, these fools are by no means fool-proof.
The robbery is lightly amusing. Then, when the yanks arrive with all their equipment to track the track, they hide the bins of pills in the local well. And the film goes right down even as it goes up, so to speak. What might have been light amusing comedy about the effects of viagra on all and sundry, it lapses into carry on viagra farce which isn't all that funny when you come to think about it.
The village is meant to be Catholic but they did not film in a Catholic church and did not consult on vestments or how confession goes.
Better luck next time.
1.An Irish comedy? The Whisky Galore variation? The sex farce with the Viagra?
2.The Northern Ireland setting, the village, the countryside, the cliffs and the sea? The detail of the village, homes, farms, hotels, bars? The music and the Irish tone?
3.The title, the holy well, the well with the Viagra?
4.The Viagra comedy? The place of Viagra, the opportunity for jokes about sexuality?
5.The detail of the four men, Podger and his post round, collecting the mail at Belfast airport, in the village? Gaffer and his ownership of the hotel, morose? Donal and the farm, Sean and the mechanics?
6.The financial situation? Podger and his plan, seeing the Viagra truck? The humorous details of the planning of the robbery, the humorous details of the robbery itself – the detours, the drivers, the truck? Getting the Viagra? Having to conceal it from the Americans, putting it down the well?
7.The Catholic background of the village, the parish priest and his garrulousness, drinking, hearing confessions? The church, the women going to confession? The holy well?
8.The Americans, their coming in with their equipment, the need to track down the truck, the homing device? In the river, going out to sea, suspicions of the trawler? The team, the dominance of the leader, her hard attitude? Six Pack and his height, dominance, the attraction of the girls? Their assistant, her attraction to Sean? The details of their work, the hotel as their headquarters?
9.The men, their fears, hiding the Viagra? Carrying on with their work?
10.The effect of the Viagra, on all and sundry? The television interviewer, the gay subtext, Gaffer and the massage? The American and her attraction? The policeman and his assistant? The cranky old women? The line-up for confession?
11.Trying to get the homing device, going down into the water? It being concealed? The two old men finding it? The confrontation between the four men and the elders? The people assembled in the pub? The effect of the Viagra – and the news report that the village had become a centre for tourists, especially Americans, because of the powers of the water?
12.Lowbrow comedy, heist comedy, sex farce? How well combined?
