The Commitments — Wikipedia

Commitments ( The Commitments ) is an American-British-Irlandais film by Alan Parker released in 1991. Adapted from the first of the three novels in Trilogie de Barrytown From the Irish writer Roddy Doyle published in 1987, it is the story of a few young unemployed people from the north of Dublin (Ireland), who decide to found a soul music group.

In the 1980s, Jimmy Rabbitte, in the twenties, circulated under the mantle of the audio cassettes of Soul in North Side, the Dublin worker district. He is the manager of Outspan Foster and Derek Scully, respectively guitarist and bass player recently fired from a very consensual small wedding animation group. They want to stop “struggling” and want to form a group of Blue-Eyed Soul. Jimmy Rabbitte is organizing a casting to find other members with his parents. There is a lot of people; About all the young people in the neighborhood come to show what they can do, in all styles (pop, folk music, punk, etc.) in all rooms in the house and even in the bathroom. The tail in the street is so long that some are waiting by believing to acquire drugs at the end. No one seems to understand that the group is supposed to play soul. It is not really the most common musical genre in the neighborhood. But after several days of hearing, the group finds its structure. There is Billy, the drummer, Dean, saxophonist, Steven, pianist who repeats in a church whose parish priest is a fan of Percy Sledge, outspan and derek, guitarists, decor, singer, and even an old man, Joey ” The Lips ”Fagan, genius trumpeter. Mickah is appointed security manager, and reserve drummer. Choirs are provided by Imelda, Nathalie and Bernie. After days of rehearsal, and a few bickering, the group is operational.

Genesis [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

While preparing his second novel, Roddy Doyle wanted to deal with a group of young students without a future who aspired to become something other than simple workers. His first idea was to locate his story in the world of football with a team called “The Commitments”. When a play telling the setbacks of a team of amateur footballers is played in Dublin, he then opted for the world of music, while keeping the original name.

The rights of his book sold, Doyle is responsible for making a script for cinema. The writers Dick Clements and Ian La Fresnais are responsible for making it a new improved version. But faced with the difficulty of finding the funds to make it a film, they contact the famous director Alan Parker. The latter, under the spell, does everything you need for the film to see the light of day.

Distribution of roles [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

At the very beginning of the preproduction of the film, it was the name of Van Morrison that was traveling to interpret the role of Joey “The Lips”.

For the sake of realism, director Alan Parker did not want to engage actors who have no knowledge of music and that it would have been necessary to double in postsynchronization for song sequences or instruments. Also, the preproduction was longer, because, just like in the film, it was necessary to find above all musicians who had to also have skills of actors. After hearings as long and tiring, nearly 3,000 candidates are interviewed by the director, which is more during the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Thus, he surrounds himself with professional musicians including Glen Hansard (which we find much later in the musical film Once In the company of Marketa Irglova), and all the musician actors of the film really play during the concert sequences.

We can also note the presence on the screen of Andrea Corr (Sharon Rabbitte), Jim Corr (a member of the group), Caroline Corr (unbeaned figurative) and Sharon Corr (not credited), all members of the group Irish family The Corrs.

Filming [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The film was shot in Ireland, mainly in Dublin ^{[ 2 ]} :

• Ballsbridge
• Bray Head Hotel, Studios Ardmore, Herbert Road, Bray, Comté de Wicklow, Irlande
• Darndale, Guide Hall, Synge Street, Ricardo’s Snooker Hall – Lower Camden StreetNorthside, Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge Sherriff Street, St Francis Xavier’s Church, Gardiner Street, Waterside Rock Bar, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay

Postproduction [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

As most of the actors were amateurs and musicians were constantly playing in live , the assembly was complicated. Director Alan Parker says that “There were constantly sounded noises: dialogues that were overlapped and improvised aftershocks which were intertwined with the replicas of the scenario. (…) It was a group work with most inexperienced actors, and we had to film music live and incorporate it into the play of actors, sometimes with ten actors in the field at the same time ! »»

The two original bands contain soul titles taken up by the Commitments.

Many people at the end of the test projections of the film did not believe that the actors really played music and song in the film … for many, the group was “Too good to be true!” »» . To the premiere of the film which took place in the O’Connell Street In Dublin, the troop sang live on stage Try a Little Tenderness And Mustang Sally , two titles from the film, in order to prove everyone that it was they who sang in the film.

In addition, following the great success of the film and its soundtrack in CD, Andrew Strong won a contract with MCA. In addition, a group of musicians, The Stars from The Commitments , is created and takes up the standards played in the film as well as other famous titles of soul music. The group still exists and with more than 1,500 concerts, continues to perform around the world. Two of the original musicians of the film are members of this training: Dick Massey and Kenneth McCluskey.

Source and complete distinctions: Internet Movie Database ^{[ 5 ]}

Awards [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Nominations [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• At the start of the film, Jimmy Rabbitte sells pirated VHS on the train. One of the titles requested by his client is none other than Mississippi Burning Another film by Alan Parker.
• In the sequence of the video club, for certain tight plans (on the character of the saxophonist Dean Fay), we can see in the background on the shelves several VHS of films, of which Birdy And Midnight Express , two other well -known films of the director.
• James Brown appears on video in the film and is taken as an example to form the group “Soul”. However, the famous American singer hired prosecution after the film, claiming that the soul of the film belonged to him. He asked for $ 3 million in damages and the film’s broadcasting of video and television film. He did not win. He declared in an interview with Washington Post : “It’s a fantastic film and they did a very good job … But I think they took advantage of a very humble and ignorant man. »»

“You don’t understand guys!” The Irish are the blacks of Europe! In Dublin we are the blacks of Ireland and those of the northern districts are the blacks of Dublin! So say: “I’m black and I’m proud of it!” »»

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