I Went Down (1997)
Fresh out of prison, Git rescues a former best friend (now living with Git's girlfriend) from a beating at the hands of loan sharks. He's now in trouble with the mob boss, Tom French, who sends Git to Cork with another debtor, Bunny Kelly, to find a guy named Frank Grogan, and take him to a man with a friendly face at a shack across a bog. It's a tougher assignment than it seems: Git's a novice, Bunny's prone to rash acts, Frank doesn't want to be found (and once he's found, he has no money), and maybe Tom's planning to murder Frank, which puts Git in a moral dilemma. Then, there's the long-ago disappearance of Sonny Mulligan. What's a decent and stand-up lad to do?
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When one watches Irish films, one expects that the dialog is going to be so much more important than any action sequences. It's the reason we are here.Brendan Gleeson is also the reason we are here, as he is one of the finest and funniest actors in England. Bunny (Gleeson) gets to accompany Git (Peter McDonald) on a job. Along the way, we come across interesting characters like Frank Grogan (Peter Caffrey), and interesting locales with their own special stories.But, like we saw in In Bruges, it it McDonald and Gleeson that carry the film.
When watching this movie for the first time on the Trio network, I felt a little iffy about it. I've never seen an Irish film prior to this--unless you count the "Leprechaun" movies...lol. The accents were hard to understand, and they still are. But as I watched the film more and more, I better understood the dialogue. Of course, I could use the luxury of putting on the closed-captions, but every time I do it feels weird. Besides, it takes all the fun out of it. I've seen Brendan Gleeson in other movies, though. I remember him from "Lake Placid" and "Mission Impossible 2." He's a very talented actor, and for the first time I got to hear him talk in his native tongue. He's very funny in this film, and says some very funny lines. I get more adjusted to the Irish brand of humor in repeat viewings. When I first saw it, I just chuckled here and there. But earlier today I watched it and I was laughing out loud. It's good to watch a movie that actually gets BETTER the more times you watch it. The other actor is good as well, in a more low-key role. There are some very beautiful women in this movie, including Git's ex-girlfriend and the blondie he sleeps with later in the story. Now both of those girls were breathtakingly gorgeous! Makes me wanna take a trip to Ireland. If 90 percent of the women are that beautiful, then I'd love to cruise around those streets. "I Went Down" is funny, original, fast-paced and very entertaining. I'm glad I bought a copy of the movie--it was only $4.99, can you believe that? I love this movie, and the next I watch it I'll love it even more! Be sure to check out this imported gem. My score: 7 (out of 10)
"I Went Down" is a droll, sometime monotonous, sometimes clever comedy about a couple of guys who run an errand for a small time gangster and end up embroiled an underworld scheme of very limited proportions. The film spends most of its time studying the characters involved as its mildly humorous story unfolds leading to an eventful conclusion which may or may not be worth the wait depending on individual taste. "I Went Down", the title, is a double entendre representative of the very subtle humor the film embodies. A worthwhile watch for those who enjoy puns and dry humor.
Brilliant film. I watched this film in two sittings. One incomplete late night session and an early next morning, "can't wait to see how it turned out" follow up. It might have scored higher if I'd made it through in one sitting.The characters were very solid, varied and believable. The depressing Irish architecture, rolling greenery and bleak bogs were perfect.The hapless thuggery and sweet innocence made a fetching combination.