Rat (2001)

In Dublin, one day Hubert Flynn (Pete Postlethwaite) leaves the pub and turns into a rat at home. On the next morning, the writer Phelim "Felix" Spratt (David Wilmot) visits the family and offers to write a book about Hubert. His wife Conchita Flynn (Imelda Staunton) accepts the offer and Felix moves to Hubert's room. His son Pius (Andrew Lovern) wants to kill the rat while his daughter Marietta (Kerry Condon) has a dilemma whether she introduces her boyfriend to her father or not. In Christmas, Uncle Matt (Frank Kelly) proposes to leave Hubert in a maggot farm. What will happen with the rat?"Rat" is an unfunny and senseless black humor comedy that does not work. The story uses the idea of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" but without the talent of the famous writer and also without a message. I spent 89 minutes running time without laughing and the only thing funny is people writing that this movie is hilarious. My vote is two.Title (Brazil): "Este Rato É um Espanto" ("This Rat Is Amazing")

This movie is despicable. It's bad-humored. It's extremely painful. It's discouraging. I went to bed so disappointed and angry I thought I'd have night terrors.It could have been so good! I don't know how you mess up a plot the way they did! The crew had to consist of the least funny people in the world! There isn't a single character and not a single joke.It's baffling!

Franz Kafka blends well with Jim Henson - who would've thought!?Rat loosely follows Kafka's Metamorphosis and turns it upside down into a comedic gem.What I found to be the most interesting about this movie is the different family members reactions to Hubert as a rat. Each one reacts differently and Conchita (wife) exhibits an almost bipolar feel as her mood swings violently depending on many variables (whether or not Hubert is around, what Hubert does, etc. versus her tough and unfair love toward her husband).Amidst the chaos of boarding a human/rat, the family, who once had very indifferent feelings toward Hubert, start to really show their love. It's a great movies that explores a number of emotions from greed to love and even hatred.My vote: 9 out of 10

How many Irish films can succeed without resorting to "faith an' begorrah" cliches? RAT doesn't. Veteran writer Wesley Burrowes has written a wildly whimsical moral tale that laughs in the face of miserable, self-pitying Irish drama with his story of the tragedy that befalls a home which the man of the house turns into a rodent. Beautifully balancing the bizarre and the mundane, this is a film that the great Irish humourist Flann O'Brien could have made. The performances are great (including the rat, courtesy of Jim Henson's company) and the cast includes Pete Postletwaite (In The Name of the Father, Brassed Off, etc), Imelda Staunton (Shakespeare in Love, Sense and Sensibility, etc), Frank Kelly (best known as 'Father Jack'), Niall Toibin (in rattling good form as the priest) and comedian Ed Byrne (although his role is a minor one, and, oddly, he doesn't get any good lines). The soundtrack by Bob Geldof and Pete Briquette perfectly capture the mock-horror of the storyline. The details of the story? Go and see it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.