I Went Down (1997)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Paddy Breathnach

Writer:

Conor McPherson (writer)

Release Date:

24 June 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

One doesn't count, the other can't. Dis-organised crime.

Plot:

Fresh out of prison, Git rescues a former best friend (now living with Git's girlfriend) from a beating at the hands of loan sharks...

Plot Keywords:

Male Nudity | Sex Scene | Ex Convict | Bare Breasts | Irish

Awards:

10 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Peter McDonald	...	Git Hynes
Antoine Byrne	...	Sabrina Bradley
David Wilmot	...	Anto
Michael McElhatton	...	Johnner Doyle
Brendan Gleeson	...	Bunny Kelly
Joe Gallagher	...	Steo Gannon
Tony Doyle	...	Tom French
Liam Regan	...	Little Boy at Teresa's
Kevin Hely	...	Petrol Station Attendant
Eamonn Hunt	...	Cork Barman
Frank O'Sullivan	...	Cork Man No. 1
Jason Byrne	...	Cork Man No. 2
Eamon A. Kelly	...	Cork Man No. 3 (as Eammon A. Kelly)
Peter Caffrey	...	Frank Grogan
Carly Baker	...	Caroline

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong language, some sexuality and violence.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ireland

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Quotes:

Bunny Kelly: No guts, no black puddin'.
Git Hynes: That's not an argument!

Soundtrack:

There Are More Things

that pull off this great script

Take one ex-con who owes a mobster a favour. Add one tough thug. Give them a mission... well give them half a mission and let them figure out the rest. That's the basic premise of I Went Down, Ireland's latest offering about crime, life and learning how to survive.

Peter McDonald plays Git Hynes, who is recently out of prison when he falls into trouble with mobster, Mr. French (played by Tony Doyle). To make things right, Git is teamed up with Bunny Kelly (played by Brendan Gleeson of Braveheart, Michael Collins, The Snapper and others) to go and retrieve French's old friend, Frank Grogan. When this pair finally gets to Grogan, the film really takes off. Git discovers he is expected to kidnap Grogan. He didn't know from the start? No, and that's part of I Went Down's charm. Deeds that Git would never have done are thrust upon him at the last moment. Grogan is a talkative hostage who works his way into the hearts of his kidnappers, making this more than just a simple job for them.

I Went Down has much the same feel as other UK films in recent years (The Commitments, The Full Monty and Trainspotting come to mind). As the hoods lurch from one misadventure to another, the film takes unpredictable turns, keeping us abreast of the plot as it happens in a fresh and entertaining way. The film starts in a very different place from where it ends, and you really can't tell where it's going to go, until you're pretty much right there. Credit should go to Conor McPherson for a screenplay that instils us with empathy and concern, without taking the rough edges off of the movie's characters. Equally important are the strong performances that pull off this great script.