This funny and delightfully engaging Irish romantic comedy is Booker Prize-winning author Roddy Doyle's first original screenplay. Those who have a fondness in their hearts for the three screen adaptations of his books — The Commitments, The Snapper, and The Van — will be willing to do somersaults for the pleasure of seeing this offbeat and clever film directed by Kieron J. Walsh.
Brendan (Peter McDonald) is an English teacher in a Dublin High School who feels he is "grinding out a living." His students ignore him, and he is disliked by the other teachers. Brendan's two passions are movies and singing baritone in a choir. One evening after rehearsal he meets Trudy (Flora Montgomery in a high energy, rousing performance) in a pub. They are direct opposites. He's shy and she's an extrovert; he's a conservative and she's a nonconformist; he's inexperienced in love and she's a sexual firecracker.
After Trudy stands him up on the first date at a movie, she agrees to see him and they wind up at a party in Edgar's (Maynard Eziashi) flat. He's a Nigerian refugee and friend of hers. Trudy convinces Brendan to sing Franck's "Panis Angelicus" and he courageously rises to the occasion. Later, she rewards him with an evening of wild and crazy sex.
Their relationship runs its course on a bumpy road fueled by his fantasies about what Trudy does those evenings when she mysteriously leaves the flat in the middle of the night. Especially disconcerting is Brendan's family's reaction to his new girlfriend. Trudy gets very upset by the shameful treatment she receives from his critical sister (Pauline McLynn). Then imagine the shock when Brendan learns that his one true love is not a Montessori teacher but a burglar!
The zippy screenplay by Roddy Doyle is filled with references to pop culture — movies such as Sunset Boulevard, The Searchers, and The African Queen; the television series E. R.; a Tamagotshi (an interactive toy); and a lively musical soundtrack with selections by Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, and The Divine Comedy.
Similar to a little red car filled with a thousand clowns, this romantic comedy keeps surprising us with unusual twists such as Brendan's arrest for protesting Edgar's deportation, the headmaster's support for this shy teacher's political activism, a heist at the school involving computers, and Trudy's startling act of sacrificial love. The closing scene in the film is a tour de force of whimsy that proves the truth of the old adage that love that lasts will not let us go. As you leave the theater, you'll feel like clicking your heels together like Brendan. But don't go before you see the closing credits.