source: Agnes Browne

source: Agnes Browne

This film relates the story of a recently widowed Irish woman's attempt to keep some semblance of normalcy in her life and those of her seven children. Sadly however, it's nearly impossible to feel any empathy for Agnes, as Agnes doesn't really seem to mind being widowed, which threads a line of disbelief into the entire plot. That said, the movie plods along through Agnes's life, as she quickly jumps into flirtations with the town baker, leading me to wonder if the corpse was even cold yet. Agnes also simultaneously battles an evil loan shark and his bully buddy who torment her young son, gives comfort to an ill friend and schemes to win concert tickets. This movie tries very hard to make the anguish of Agnes's life interesting, but it switches gears on the viewers too fast and too often. It's as if the writers couldn't figure out whether to create this into a comedy, a drama, or a love story, so they tried to pull all the punches in ninety-two minutes. What we are left with however, is a film that, while witty and sentimental at times, is void of emotional impact; and that's a shame really, for it could have been a contender.

Agnes Browne is a recently bereaved, stall owner and mother of seven children. With her best friend and fellow stall owner Marion Monks, she works hard every day to feed, house and clothe herself and her children. This has all to be done while still trying to pay off a ruthless loan shark called Mister Billy. She enjoys a pint and a singsong in the pub but when she has a rare moment to herself she likes to dance to her Tom Jones records. Agnes Browne is another directorial effort from the wonderful Anjelica Huston and with her in the main role I would expect a lot better than what I received for my moneys worth. The problem with this film is that John Goldsmith's adaptation of Brendan O'Carroll's hit " The Mammy " is terrible and it plays to the worst kind of paddy whackery since Darby O'Gill and the little people. Goldsmith totally misses the point of the book and it is very obvious by surname alone that Goldsmith is not Irish and his comprehension of Irish humor is zero considering it has been more successfully demonstrated in different films by different writers. He totally leaves out the essential components that made O'Carroll's book so successful. " The Mammy " is certainly about a woman in 1960's Dublin fighting to bring up her kids, but the books more endearing feature is the respect that the children have for their mother. One example I can give is the relationship that builds between Agnes Browne and her eldest son Mark. In the book it demonstrates greatly that Mark's desire to get a job is not just to get out of the boredom of school but it is in necessity to provide for his family. The book also richly illustrates how Mark through careful observation of his mother gains her financial resourcefulness and how he thoughtfully gives back to his family. In return he receives the respect an adult would receive from his mother and siblings because of his willingness to accept adult responsibility at the tender age of 14. This kindness is also encouraged by his new boss and mentor Henry Wise a Jewish man whose fireside chats with Mark on his Sabbath encourage Mark to look to a brighter horizon and realizes the values of his mothers words. Great substantial stuff is replaced by mediocre trash by re-naming Mr. Henry Wise to Mr Ahern and cutting his influence right out and creating the rubbish loan shark Mister Billy. This is of course is to create tension and entertainment for the fickle international audiences. John Goldsmith should never have been hired to adapt this script. Because of the script it is very hard to know what the supporting actors are like individually but I they gain my respect as they give heart and soul to characters despite the storyline. It is will great difficultly I will say that it is the first time I have had to badmouth Ray Winstone who I am a great fan of. His Irish accent is as bad as the script he may have played a relocated English loan shark. Anjelica Huston is good, not great, I think the dual duties of acting and directing may have got the better of her. Her role was a very hard one and I think she would have been casting a prominent English actress like Julia Walters or Emma Thompson in the role. Anjelica may have lived in Ireland in her youth but her compression of Irish Humour is as bad as John Goldsmiths. She misses a lot of great moments in both her direction and acting. Some of which might have saved the film from this reviewer's disdain. To cut a long story short. I love the book on which this was based. On it's initial release I went to the cinema eagerly to watch it but hopes and anticipation were replaced by scorn and loathing for all American productions based in Ireland. Granted families will love this but what I am saying is instead of becoming another family hour movie on some television station, it could have been ten times better and more beneficial for us all. 4 out of 10

Entertaining. That is how I would describe 'Agnes Browne'. The film is witty at times. Angelica Huston is almost believable as an Irish mammy ("I don't know my husband's maiden name"). The French baker is an eerie Gerard Depardieu lookalike. The (real British/Irish) supporting actors are excellent (Ray Winstone! you love to hate him as usual). SPOILER COMING UP Entertaining, almost belieavble, only to be spoiled by mr foghorn Jones making an appearance at the end, not looking at all the way the period of the film would suggest (especially on stage). And oh my word, another one of those cliche happy endings. Not that I have anything against happy endings. It's just that you can see this one coming about half an hour in advance....

AGNES BROWNE (1999) **1/2 Anjelica Huston, Marion O' Dwyer, Ray Winstone, Tom Jones (cameo). Huston, who also co-produced with filmmaker Jim Sheridan and directs in her big-screen debut, gives it her all as stoic, decent Irish mother of seven in Dublin circa 1967 whose adjustment to widowhood takes its toll in her daily struggle to keep her brood under wraps even as she attempts to enjoy her life as it proceeds. Straight forward but no real sense of palpable tension even as it dredges up the themes of death, poverty and an unsteady future.

Truly a heartwarming story of friendship with Marion and Agnes, but when the whole community is thrown in what an amazing film about friends and friendship. Angelica Huston has captured the essence of Ireland , it's people and their language. Tossed with a bit of Tom Jones and.......

What a refreshing and delightful movie, depicting the conquering of the human spirit in the face of adversity in a humorous, yet profound way. This is probably one for the more 'mature' in life, thus the low ranking. The acting is superb, the casting brilliant, the directing great.. it's a top movie in my books! Anyone who has ever tried, or is trying, 'single parenting', will really relate to this one in a special way. I had heaps of laughs and lot of tears too. Not bad for a male who also likes movies like the 'Fight Club'.

So, you think, "This film must be great. Stars Angelica Huston. Directed by her. Good supporting cast. About the country where Angelica grew up, as the daughter of one of the world's most famous directors and actors. It's impossible for it to be a boring, badly written, badly directed, badly acted, badly staged piece of network-TV movie tripe." Well, dear friend, anything is possible.

Flipping channels the other night, I came upon the opening frames of AGNES BROWNE on the Sundance channel. It looked charming and I was intrigued by Angelica Houston playing against type as a working-class widow struggling to support her seven children in the hard-scrabble word of 1960's Ireland. Ultimately, however, the movie proved disappointing. There were faint warning bells almost from the onset. As Agnes and her best fried Marion make their way through the halls of Irish bureaucracy just hours after the death of Agnes' husband, the dialogue is just a little too clever, the emotional tone just the slightest bit false. But these concerns are slight and we're willing to put them aside for the moment and see what's to come. A few scenes further on, when the mourners at Mr. Browne's funeral realize they're at the wrong grave site and make a crazy, rollicking dash through the cemetery to the correct one, we realize we're in serious trouble. There's a cartoonish broadness to AGNES BROWNE. Something about the film just seems a little off. Angelica Houston, for all her appeal, is miscast as the lead. She simply doesn't do "earthy" convincingly. The emotional stakes throughout seem false. The crisises, such as Marion's collapse from cancer, seem forced. The script's machinations are ham-fisted and obvious. But most disturbingly, the depictions of the Irish and of Irish life are chock-full of cliché and stereotype. Here are the Irish having a rollicking good time at the pub. Here are the Irish banning together to help one of their own. Here are the Irish being moved and touched. Here are the Irish dancing a jig. Here are the Irish bouncing back with wit and tough humor. And at all times, they are very, very IRISH! The film comes off more as someone's fantasy of what Irish people are like more than anything real. One of Agnes Browne's dreams is to attend a Tom Jones concert.Two-thirds of the way through, I was simply persevering to get a look at Mr. Jones He does show up eventually, but even that seems a little odd (that's not a spoiler, he's in the credits, you know he's coming one way or another). He remains a phenomenal performer but, after the film's haphazard attempts at a gritty realism, watching the 60-ish Jones portray his 20-something self is just bizarre. Thankfully the children make AGNES BROWNE bearable. Each a quirky individual in his or her own right, they provide the film with some of its truest moments and best performances. AGNES BROWNE is not without its charms, but in other hands - and most importantly, with better writing - it could have been a much better movie.