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Amazon.co.uk Review
This affecting, bittersweet tale--adapted from BrianFriel's semi-autobiographical Tony Award-winning play--examines the emotional lives of the five unmarried Mundy sisters in 1936 rural Ireland. In their mutual care is 8-year-old Michael (sweetly understated Darrell Johnston), the illegitimate son of youngest sister Christina (Braveheart's Catherine McCormack). A voice-over from the adult Michael recalls that significant summer, in the month of August, during the feast of Lughnasa. The bolder town folk dance around a fire to Lugh, an ancient god of light. Yes, this is fiercely Roman Catholic Ireland and Lugh a pagan god but that irony is at the core of the film: the hypocrisy of tradition. The dramatic change in the richly metaphoric movie comes with the arrival of two men: eldest sibling--and only Mundy brother--Jack (Michael Gambon), a priest returning from many years in Africa, now addled, and Christine's long-absent lover and Michael's father, the charmingly flighty Gerry (Rhys Ifans). Beautiful music and excellent performances highlight the film, which also features gorgeous cinematography of the Irish countryside. Meryl Streep is stern eldest sister Kate; Kathy Burke is lively Maggie; Brid Brennan (who appeared in the stage play) is thoughtful caretaker Agnes; and Sophie Thompson is simple sweet Rose. It's a quiet film but one filled with ironic and haunting meaning. Dancing at Lughnasa was directed by Circle of Friends Pat O'Connor. --N.F. Mendoza
Amazon.co.uk Review
This affecting, bittersweet tale--adapted from Brian Friel's semi-autobiographical Tony Award-winning play--examines the emotional lives of the five unmarried Mundy sisters in 1936 rural Ireland. In their mutual care is eight-year-old Michael (sweetly understated Darrell Johnston), the illegitimate son of youngest sister Christina (Braveheart's Catherine McCormack). A voice-over from the adult Michael recalls that significant summer, in the month of August, during the feast of Lughnasa. The bolder townsfolk dance around a fire to Lugh, an ancient god of light. Yes, this is fiercely Roman Catholic Ireland and Lugh a pagan god, but that irony is at the core of the film: the hypocrisy of tradition. The dramatic change in the richly metaphoric movie comes with the arrival of two men: eldest sibling--and only Mundy brother--Jack (Michael Gambon), a priest returning from many years in Africa, now addled, and Christine's long-absent lover and Michael's father, the charmingly flighty Gerry (Rhys Ifans). Beautiful music and excellent performances highlight the film, which also features gorgeous cinematography of the Irish countryside. Meryl Streep is stern eldest sister Kate; Kathy Burke is lively Maggie; Brid Brennan (who appeared in the stage play) is thoughtful caretaker Agnes; and Sophie Thompson is simple sweet Rose. It's a quiet film, but one filled with ironic and haunting meaning. Directed by Pat O'Connor (Circle of Friends). --N.F. Mendoza, Amazon.com
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Directed by Pat O'Connor and exquisitely filmed (by Kenneth MacMillan) in the countryside of Donegal, this ensemble drama is adapted from the stage play by Brian Friel. Screenwriter Frank McGuinness sticks close to the dialogue of the play but opens up the rural cottage setting to include brief scenes of the town of Ballybeg, the stunning and untamed countryside, and the pagan harvest celebration, the Feast of Lughnasa. Set in 1936, the film focuses on the difficult lives of five unmarried sisters and an eight-year-old love child, when Ireland was on the verge of World War II and industrialization. The film stresses character and theme, rather than plot, highlighting the relationships among the sisters as they cope with the arrival of their brother, a priest returning from Uganda after twenty-five years, and the summer-long visit of Gerry Evans, father of Christina's child, Michael.
Kate (Meryl Streep), the sister who is "in charge," is the only real wage earner in the family. Rigid, severe, and lacking in humor, she believes pagan celebrations, such as the Feast of Lughnasa, which still provide fun and enjoyment in the countryside, are "uncivilized." Her priest brother (sensitively played by Michael Gambon), however, is now virtually a pagan himself. Though he is clearly unbalanced, he has learned the need of the poor for happiness, dancing, and community celebration, even if it is not church-sanctioned.
The other Mundy sisters help illustrate the chasm between Kate's attitudes and those of Fr. Jack. Maggie (Kathy Burke), the fun-loving, free-spirited, and most humorous of the sisters, constantly bursts into singing and dancing. Christina has fun during the summer with lover Gerry Evans but feels no need to marry him. Aggie (Brid Brennan) and Rose (Sophie Thompson), who earn small wages knitting gloves, work as the family's sad, "unpaid servants," and constantly chafe against Kate's strictures and the lack of fun. When Kate loses her job, the family is devastated, but it is at that moment that they discover the joy of dancing and recognize the need to celebrate life itself.
The dramatic opening with its photographs of African celebrations sets the tone for the film, and the music, sometimes featuring traditional Celtic instruments (accordian, fiddle, and bodhran), suggests common pagan roots. The cinematography is stunning, and the cast is as good as it gets. As is sometimes characteristic of plays converted to film, the dialogue is a bit exaggerated, as it has to be on stage, where close-ups and subtle gestures are not possible, and Streep's role is especially extreme, but the film is beautifully realized, and its thematic development is sensitive and memorable. Mary Whipple
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This movie has a fabulous cast, who deliver great performances. All the sisters are engaging and Michael Gambon as the dotty brother is fantastic. Loved the movie except for about the last 10 minutes. It just kind of petered out with a voice over summary. Beginning, Middle, End - there was no End.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
For Those lovers of Irish plays like this title, the Faith Healer and The Beauty Queen of Leenane this is an absolute must see. It captures perfectly the Irish feel but expands from the stage with some wonderful scenic views of Southern Ireland and the mythical Ballybeg. All the roles are played brilliantly.
It is such a simple but lovely human story , if ultimately a little sad. This film solely concerns the main characters and so needs no complex plot or glitzy action. No sex, no drugs, no guns, no violence, no expletives. I just loved it and can't recommend it highly enough. A real delight and a welcome change from the usual blockbusters which so often have to show the worst of society and so often ultimately disappoint. This is a breath of fresh air.
It is such a simple but lovely human story , if ultimately a little sad. This film solely concerns the main characters and so needs no complex plot or glitzy action. No sex, no drugs, no guns, no violence, no expletives. I just loved it and can't recommend it highly enough. A real delight and a welcome change from the usual blockbusters which so often have to show the worst of society and so often ultimately disappoint. This is a breath of fresh air.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
DVD Quality
DVD is of poor quality and jumps at all of the running of the film and will not induce
me to get any more
me to get any more
Published 28 days ago by bjp
Dancing at Lugnasa
One of the best interpretations of a bygone rulal community that I have ever seen.
Supurb characters are expertly portayed by its all star cast. Read more
Supurb characters are expertly portayed by its all star cast. Read more
Published 1 month ago by A G Stayte
Charming Irish film
Had to have this film on DVD - had it on the old vhs and loved it. Meryl Streep at her best with Kathy ( off gimme gimme) Burke i think she's called. Read more
Published 1 month ago by RosieKeenan
A slipped jig
An excellent ensemble cast (except for the wooden child actor) and to my relief, Meryl Streep didn't swamp the production. Beautifully photographed. So why didn't I like it? Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cicero
DVD Dancing at Lughnasa
Sometimes the sound track seemed a little "tinnie" and the picture froze/jumped at one point. But was able to watch it comfortably.
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. June E. O. Pockett
Original OK
The original DVD was very good but we then received a duplicate copy!
This is the very first time in using AMAZON that we have encountered any problems
This is the very first time in using AMAZON that we have encountered any problems
Published 21 months ago by Sutton Bob
Dancing at Lughnasa DVD
a wonderful movie so sad but so real as life was then in rural Ireland
a cast that played their parts to perfection
you will not be disappointed
a cast that played their parts to perfection
you will not be disappointed
Published on 23 May 2010 by Stephanie Rhodes
Dancing at Lughansa
This was a well acted film, especially Meryl Streep.
The story line was a bit slow, but overall it was quite enjoyable
The story line was a bit slow, but overall it was quite enjoyable
Published on 26 Mar 2009 by Mrs. Susan Gardner
Good play, shame about the film!
The play by Brian Friel is excellent and should perhaps be seen rather than this film. Which is to its credit well acted but the story is bogged down by stodgy direction. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2000
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