FREE ESSAY ON COMMITMENTS

COMMITMENTS

Have you ever watched a movie and then watched it over again just for the music? If this
is a common occurrence for you, then get your rewinder ready for The Commitments. It's
not often that a movie comes along with a soundtrack as good as this one's. The music is
an integral part of the movie, but it's not all that makes this movie worth seeing. The
cast was put together like a tight fitting puzzle. The writers worked in the necessary
comedic elements, while also showing the characters' strengths and weaknesses. It's not
often you see a movie about music come along where someone doesn't die, or the same song
isn't played over and over again.
With songs like Mustang Sally, the Black Crowe's' hit Hard to Handle, and Chain of Fools,
this soundtrack really rocks. It's hard to believe that Andrew Strong, who played Deco
Cuffe in the film, was only sixteen when this movie was made. His voice oozes power and
emotion, a feat not easily accomplished by even an experienced singer. He is truly Joey
Lang's Irish counter-part. The group's rendition of Try a Little Tenderness was nothing
less spectacular. 
The Commitment-etts, played by Angelina Ball, Maria Doyle, and Bronagh Gallagher, added
their talents primarily as back-up singers, but they do have some spotlight numbers.
Their style, the choreography and harmonies, reminds me of some of the girl groups from
the Fifties and Sixties: The Supremes, the Shirrelles, and the Marvelettes. While in the
movie  Chain of Fools is interrupted by a fight, the girls pull off the performance
masterfully.
The Commitments is found in the Drama section at Blockbuster Video, but I found it to be
more of a comedy than a drama. When Joey Fagen, played by Johnny Murphy, is introduced, I
had a good laugh as he crashed his scooter in the alley. My favorite part of the movie is
a conversation between Jimmy Rabbit (Robert Arkins) and his father, played by Colm
Meaney. After Jimmy had spoken with Joey at the back gate, his father asked, What did he
want? Jimmy replied with the answer he had been given, God sent him. Mr. Rabbit had to
ask again to make sure he heard right, and he got the same answer, to which he replied
this time, On a Suzuki? It's not just the dialogue that makes this movie funny. Some of
Deco's onstage antics are notably laugh-worthy: knocking over the Commitment-ettes and
electrocuting Outspan (Glen Hansard. The writers even added the never fails to get a
laugh fart in a small cramped space.
Even with all of his comedic scenes, Deco is more than just comic relief in this movie.
For the most part, he is shown as an egotistical jerk. He has a great voice, and he knows
it, and the writers let him show it. He even goes as far as saying, This is my band,
which none of the others take too lightly. Joey is another character with some depth to
him. He is the religious one to whom God said,  The Irish brothers need some soul. With
all of his Bible spouting, Joey's actions are less than holy. He is the only male member
of the band who's having sex, and it happened to be with each of the Commitment-etts.
Jimmy Rabbit is the band's manager, and perhaps one of the most complex characters in the
film. At first, it seems he believes the band is just another moneymaking scheme. When
things started coming together in the group's performances, I believe he started to see
The Commitments as his way to fame. He would hold imaginary interviews with himself, and
give the reporters deep-seeming responses when actually interviewed. He had spent two
years receiving unemployment benefits, and I think that he wanted more, which where the
band fit into his plans. 
I wouldn't say that The Commitments fits into either the Death Watch genre of rock-n-roll
films, or the Sex Watch. I think that it may fall into the class of Could Be Big
rock-n-roll films. Another film in this category would That Thing You Do, the 1996 Tom
Hanks film. These films are alike in many ways. The band members in each film were not
well-known actors at the time the films were released. The characters were desperate to
get away from the lives they were living and become idols or rock legends. There is
mention of the greats in each film. In That Thing You Do they were imaginary bands, while
in The Commitments they were actual legends, but the influences to the bands are shown in
their music. To Alan Parker, director of The Commitments, you have a wonderful film here.
It's entertaining and inspiring. Not too many movies these days can make you tap your
foot; I've even caught myself singing Mustang Sally in the shower