Product Details

• Actors: Cillian Murphy, Kelly Macdonald, Colin Farrell, Shirley Henderson, Colm Meaney
• Directors: John Crowley
• Writers: Mark O'Rowe
• Producers: Alan Moloney, Des Martin, John Erraught, Jonathan Sehring, Neil Jordan
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: October 19, 2004
• Run Time: 105 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002V7SOS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,136 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #30 in

  Movies & TV > Art House & International > European Cinema > Ireland

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The rough-edged vitality of contemporary Irish filmmaking is readily apparent in Intermission, a deliriously ambitious black comedy in which 54 characters and 11 plotlines compete for consistently impressive screen-time. In a dazzling display of audacity, screenwriter Mark O'Rowe and first-time director John Crowley jump from one plot to another, tangling their characters in an infectious series of intersecting events, shifting from scenes of brutal violence, poignant compassion, and richly dark humor, and somehow managing to make it all fit together in a miraculously coherent tapestry of romance, crime, and authentic Dublin atmosphere. Colin Farrell and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine alumnus Colm Meaney are the familiar stars here, and they're in peak form on native soil, but the entire cast shines in equal measure, all of them playing malcontents striving for something better in a world that's simultaneously harsh and hilarious. From start to finish, Intermission is so full of surprises that you'll want to see it twice, just to marvel at the way its puzzle fits together. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description
Fifty-four characters and eleven storylines intersect with "dazzling" (San Francisco Chronicle) results in this "raucously funny and compellingly gritty" (BBCi) comedy. An ingenious tale of small-town delinquents, shady cops and warring lovers reunited by a bizarre kidnapping plan, Intermission is a dark, edgy, "very funny study of love, lust and petty crime" (Sight & Sound)!

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Life and Love's Frustrations in the Irish Style., October 21, 2004

By	mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"Intermission" is a collection of intertwined story lines set in Dublin, Ireland, all somehow connected to the break-up, several weeks before, of two characters, Deirdre (Kelly MacDonald) and John (Cillian Murphy). Deirdre has found a new man, Sam (Michael McElhatton). John is regretting leaving her. John's best friend, Oscar (David Wilmot) is desperately seeking companionship, Deirdre's sister Sally (Shirley Henderson) is avoiding it. Sam's wife is furious. And an egotistical police officer, Jerry Lynch (Colm Meaney), is pursuing career criminal Lehiff (Colin Farrell) and personal fame.

"Intermission"'s cast is a Who's Who of talented young Irish thespians, with a few Brits thrown in the mix. Quirky but somehow true-to-life Irish films about friends and family have somehow become a genre unto themselves. This is one of those. There's nothing surprising about "Intermission", but it does take enough unpredictable turns to keep it interesting. True to the genre, the characters aren't smart or even especially interesting on the face of it. But the dialogue is engaging. The situations are funny. These people's anxieties, neuroses, and disappointments ring true. Add a charismatic young cast, and you have a pretty entertaining movie.

The DVD: Bonus features include 2 deleted scenes and a theatrical trailer. The deleted scenes are essentially redundant and not worth your time. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (4.5) Fun Irish romp, August 31, 2004

By	kevin yee (franklin, nc) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Saw this film playing at some second rate movie theater for around a dollar or so. And for the record, I love second rate movie theaters.

Im also becoming a fan of Cillian Murphy after watching him in Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later", am accustomed to seeing Colin Farrell here and there, remember seeing Shirley Henderson and Kelly MacDonald in "Trainspotting", and Colm Meaney usually plays interesting characters in all his films. I also drink lots of Guinness, so I figured I'd give this a try.

What I saw was a film based on multiple stories tied together by chance meetings, irony, stupidity, and just plain old luck. Each little scenario affected the entire picture in one way or another. This type of plot and storyline has been done many many times. Some films have had great success and fun with it ("Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels", "Run Lola Run", for example) and some didnt really work, or had too much going on ("Happenstance"). Since the plot is more or less recycled and cliched, the film's success or failure depends mostly on the performances, the characters, and the crazy twists and turns.

With that said, this film was pretty enjoyable, silly at some points, but overall well done. The talent I mentioned above all acted well, especially Colin Farrell, who seemed to be really free and relaxed speaking...the way he normally speaks, I guess. The characters were also interesing enough to keep everything flowing smoothly. Irish accents are fun, too, even though once in a while a few lines of dialogue are nearly impossible to understand. I dont know an overly large amount about the Irish culture, but everything seemed basically believeable. I do listen to Clannad and go to pubs, though, so that earned me some points. The environments were beautiful, from crowded downtown scenes to pubs to the rolling green hills. A lot of the humor I found highly entertaining, although I can see where others may not, because some of it is borderline evil humor. The music fit well, with both UK and Irish artists playing in the background. Colin Farrell's version of "I Fought the Law" is fun, too, and is definitely a worthy remake, right up there with The Clash, Dead Kennedys, and Mike Ness versions.

I really liked the Irish twist to the fimiliar plot, and the characters were fun, along with the brown sauce in the coffee and all the Guinness being consumed. I dont know whatll be on the DVD when it arrives in October, but Ill still get it. I encourage you to check out this film.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing, October 19, 2004

By	Marissa Reciniello "Irish groupie" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

I saw this film while living in Ireland, and it blew me away. Colin Farrell's performance is great, none of this pretty boy stuff, using his real accent and playing a really believable character from Dublin. The seperate story lines weave so effortlessly together. I think that some of the humor is more understandable if you have knowledge of Irish culture, but anyone can really get a kick out of this great film. I'm so glad it's out on DVD now! I've been waiting too long. Also, Shirley Henderson is amazing in this role, she is such a versatile actress.

By the way, some of the lads tried the brown sauce in tea, and it didn't turn out so good. I don't recommend it!