Intermission (2004)

Powerful

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

it is a not soft exercise of honesty. smart script, great cast and a lot of events. dark humor and a classic story about basic values and their price. more than cynical picture of characters lives, it is a bitter story who remember the best pages of American literature. because the frustrations, the desires, the search of happiness, the horrible job and the taste of freedom are sides of same need of sense. and the science to transform all in a seductive labyrinth, who remember many others, to impose not a fantastic end but the normal solution with its delicate flavor of perfect circle are virtues of a movie who remains a challenge or, maybe, an experience. if it is an experience, the whole guilt is result of extraordinary cast job.

Director John Crowley and writer Mark O'Rowe create a fascinating and hilarious black comedy farce. 'Intermission', what an interesting name for a film. The title itself caught my attention. It's set in a small Irish town and focuses on its working class characters. Overlapping stories aren't anything new in film but here it is done exceptionally well. As the story builds, the connection between each character is gradually (and subtly) revealed and it feels very natural. Despite a few characters that border on being criminally insane, most of the characters are the common man and woman from various walks of life, people you see everyday who want love and respect.'Intermission' is full of energy. The action sequences are shot wonderfully, especially the final chase sequence. The writing is just solid and it has a wicked sense of humour that works excellently. Dialogues are witty and very funny. The score is quite unique.Of the cast, Colin Farrell, Kelly MacDonald, Cillian Murphy, Colm Meaney and Brían F. O'Byrne are already well known internationally. They perform naturally and do nothing short of a superb job as do their costars Shirley Henderson and Ger Ryan.'Intermission's already become a favourite. I would easily recommend it to anyone (especially those who love black comedy) who's interested in witnessing a different kind of slice of life with an extra dose of adrenaline.

A terrible film which is supposed to be an independent one. It needed some dependence on something.This totally miserable film deals with the interactions among Irish people. Were they trying to imitate the wonderful film "Crash?" If so, this film crashed entirely.There is just too much going on here culminated by a little brat running around and throwing rocks into buses and cars which obviously cause mayhem.The film is just too choppy to work. One woman loses her husband after 14 years to another while her younger sister is ripped off by a suitor. This causes the former sister to become a bitter vetch and walk around in clothes not worth believing. The older sister also becomes embittered but soon finds romance.Then, we have 3 losers who purchase masks to rob a bank. Obviously, the robbery goes awry but there doesn't seem to be any punishment for the crooks. Perhaps, the punishment should have been on the writers for failure to create a cohesive film.

Frankly, too many IMDb critics are expecting "films" instead of movies, because viewed simply on its entertainment merits, "Intermission" was one of the better movies of 2003. There is no "cinematic" brilliance here. It's not a pretty thing played by thespians to pander to Cannes film snobs, but the movie is funny as hell. Colin Farrell fans might be disappointed, because he's really just a bit player, though a quite good one. But Colm Meaney is absurdly good, and the movie as a whole is prepossessing and original. Quality work - Think Guy Ritchie meets "The Full Monty."