The Van (1997)

It's November 1989. Bimbo (Donal O'Kelly) is fired from the bakery. His best mate Larry (Colm Meaney) is struggling with only welfare for the coming Christmas. Bimbo is about to consider a MacDonald McJob when the guys are shown a food van. It's a piece of junk that doesn't even have an engine. Bimbo's wife buys the van and he invites Larry to join him selling fish and chips. Their chips van does smashingly as Ireland advances in the World Cup.It's a steady decline from 'The Commitments' to 'The Snapper' and then to this. A more direct connection would have been better but I'm not an entertainment lawyer. It's still a fun watch. Donal O'Kelly doesn't have the screen presence. Colm Meaney is back and he overshadows everybody else. The trick is to make these poor losers lovable. Colm Meaney has that in spades. It would be better for them to get a steady young kid as their third. The relationship in the van is where this movie could have excel more. The guys' friendship could be more likable. I especially didn't like them picking up the ladies at the bar. Even their bickering could have been done with a lighter touch. Nevertheless it's still a fun ride.

The Van is directed by Stephen Frears and written by Roddy Doyle. It stars Colm Meaney, Donal O'Kelly, Ger Ryan and Caroline Rothwell. Music is by Eric Clapton and Richard Hartley and cinematography by Oliver Stapleton. It is the third film in Roddy Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy, it was preceded by The Comittments and The Snapper. Plot sees Meaney and O'Kelly as best pals who after struggling with unemployment decide to do up an old fast food van and make a living out of selling burgers and chips. Initially it's a fulsome venture as the country is taken over mu football fervour during the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy, but it's not long before cracks begin to appear in the two friends' relationship.Often raucous and very funny, with deft moments of human drama, The Van is an entertaining picture if one can get past the stereotypes. Meaney dominates proceedings, not just because of his acting gusto, but because he gets to shout all the best lines! The spectre of unemployment is given an assured telling by Frears, and the impact of Ireland's football team on the community is most telling, but there is barely enough material to cover the 100 minutes running time, meaning that entering the final stretch, as the story goes serious, it begins to run out of petrol. Still, the good will garnered during the best scenes in the van more than make it a safe recommendation for adults who like a bit of Oirish mirth. 7/10

Colm Meaney returns for the third time in Roddy Doyle's 'Barrytown' trilogy as Larry the father of a Dublin family, he is currently unemployed and lacking prospects when his close friend Bimbo also loses his job. But Bimbo has a plan, the two will partner up to operate a chip van and take advantage of the upcoming 1990 World Cup when no one will have any time to cook, their enterprise will be known as 'Bimbo's Burgers'. Starting off with filthy rundown and engine less van they have their triumphs and their squabbles but always with their families close by.It's a nice slice of life story about friendship, with some wonderful funny moments, this was the type of film Britain did so well in this era, no spectacular effects just a good story, a good cast and a solid production. The film also features music by Eric Clapton.The Barrytown trilogy from Roddy Doyle also included "The Commitments" and "The Snapper". Both "The Van" and "The Snapper" were directed by Stephen Frears perhaps best known now for "The Queen" for which he received an Oscar nomination, he was also nominated for "The Grifters". While both of these films are definitely worth watching, the best of the three by far is "The Commitments" which was directed by Alan Parker.

Two Irish men with wives and children find themselves on the dole. One of them buys a large van and turns it into a "chippy." Naturally, he asks his best friend to work there with him. These two approaching-middle-age men have to work incredibly hard, but do have some success at the venture. It doesn't take long, however, for the friendship to get in the way. The one who fronted the money for the van is the boss, and the other one who didn't put up any money to get the small business going is the employee, who eventually becomes bitter at drawing a weekly paycheck from his best friend, who joins a union and begins antagonizing his best friend about labor laws, and whose insecurity in life shows clearly -- after all, the job isn't glamorous by any means, and of course, the reality of it is far removed from his dreams, we should imagine. The tension grows between the two. Set in Ireland during a World Cup Finals competition in soccer, this film gives us an intimate, grungy peek at the everyday realities of the poor in Ireland. It's "grand" to venture forth and set up one's own business and get off the dole, but of course, things are unlikely to run smoothly.