Well, well well !
no one apparently has seen the original English film Waking Ned Devine, of which Malaamaal Weekly is a total copy. So I keep seeing reviews describing it as ’original’ story idea !!
Not that there is anything wrong in copying or being inspired by another story -- but credit must be given to the original, to be fair.
So the rest of the revu (and all the ratings) is about the original film - Waking Ned Devine (1998)
you know how long mouthshut takes for new products these days, so i’m not waiting for the right category. I wnna write while u and I are still young.
First of all, this film is not from Hollywood. Its is an English film written and directed by Kirk Jones. it got pretty good word-of-mouth, for a small budget one. Set in a little Irish village perched on hills and full of ordinary but colorful characters. Side plots about the lives of these people keep you engaged while the main plot about a dead guy with a lottery ticket that has just won mega-bucks takes the film forward.
the crux of this feel good film - the lottery seller hears that one of the tickets he sold has won, but he doesn’t know which one. so he hatches a plan to befriend the winner and maybe get a piece of the money. he invites all the people to a dinner party. of course everyone turns up, but one - the actual old guy holding the ticket decides just then to die.
hilarious scenes when the village learns of the win - everyone is suddenly wooing everyone else in case they hold the winning ticket. crabby natures take a backseat, out come the smiles and friendly words.
finally the whole village realizes that the winner has died. if the lottery guys come to know, no one will get the money.
the entire village goes into a huddle and schemes to collectively claim and share the winnings.
a lottery inspector, who will verify the ticket and the claimant, is the only one who must be convinced.
but the villagers are not entirely united - one greedy widow among them is planning to give away the secret when the lottery inspector arrives....
what will happen ...well its a twist, but a very funny twist, accompanied by some amazing music.
the cinematography is breathtakng. I hear it wasn’t actually shot in Ireland, but the Isle of Man - but it is some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen. And the Irish music is just fantabulous. They’ve used a lot of classic Irish folktunes. especially the last driving song The Parting Glass - the finale cuts between the villagers waiting for the inspector, and the widow out to tell all ..the foot-tapping music just builds and builds to the twisted climax... music to fall in love with.
irish pubs are known for their friendliness and warmth. I love the pub they’ve used here, so traditional.. . the actors are some well known and some unknown - great natural performances. of course the Irish accents are thick here, but not fake, at least.
if you haven’t seen this one, you’ve missed an original and wonderful movie.