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Angela's Ashes (1999)

Director: Alan Parker

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Parker's film of Frank McCourt's bestseller charts a Limerick childhood tainted by poverty, unemployment, alcoholism, bigotry and death. Young Frank's family, returning home from Brooklyn after a cot death in 1935, finds that a fresh start only makes things worse. The squalor, hunger and incessant rain finish off further children, while Dad (Carlyle) takes refuge in drink, and mum Angela (Watson) battles against her husband's feckless pride and the condescending authorities as she makes endless sacrifices for the kids. Can Frank even survive, let alone find happiness? After a shaky first half hour, which disposes of Frank's siblings so speedily that the litany of woes verges on self-parody, the film settles into a measured pace that allows for a more balanced blend of bleak drama and darkly ironic, pleasurably profane humour. Carlyle and Watson are effective, the growing boy himself is beautifully played by Breen, Owens and Legge, and the supporting roles are all vividly etched. Never quite outstaying its welcome, the stylised cinematography holds together the story's shifting moods. While most impressive of all is the sensitivity and restraint with which Parker treats the 'big' moments.

Author: GA 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • José Ledesma Ilhuicatzin said...
    Posted on Jul 30 2008 10:18 Excelent movie, tell us the history about a ireland poor family with a father with strange customs. He have to your family in the misery, simply he not work because a catolic ireland never will works to enlgish people. Just a member of these family have the dream to go a E.U at the end of the movie he do it his dream reality.
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Cast & crew

Director: Alan Parker

Producer: Scott Rudin, David Brown, Alan Parker

Cast: Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciarán Owens, Michael Legge, Ronnie Masterson, Pauline McLynn, Liam Carney, Eanna MacLiam full cast

Genre(s): Period/Swashbucklers

Duration: 146 mins


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