Irish Jam (2006) Reviews

• Stereotypical and Not funny view on Ireland

  michaelm12342009-06-05

  This movie was not even filmed in Ireland but rather Cornwall, England and is offensive to Irish citizens and wasn't worth the producers while to insult the Irish as nobody no matter what race will find these horrible movie funny. I wouldn't be surprised if not any of the movies directors, producers or actors had actually ever been to Ireland. It is about an American who gets evicted then decides to move to Ireland where everyone has no electricity, believes in leprechauns and has red hair! I did not laugh once during this movie and unless you think poor impersonations of Irish insults is funny then avoid this movie at all costs.

• a crock alright

  muckducky2007-02-09

  bit of a spoiler at the end of this my gawd (to paraphrase our American cousins) Only watched this for a bed what a heap of unadulterated muck, how can anyone say that this is firstly any way entertaining. Listen lads i'm from Ireland, rural Ireland as a matter of fact and how anyone can say this is anyway remotely realistic or bearing any semblance to the truth is beyond me. Darby O'Gill, Finians Rainbow with it's leprechauns and little people is more realistic than this. But first and foremost you can overlook Hollywood 'orishiness' (tom cruises accent still one of the worst ever in home and away, Nicole kidmans accent actually not bad, but not to be nitpicking but as a landlords daughter she would actually have an English accent) if it is well made with a good plot, storyline, script and acting. The pinnacle of this of course is the Quiet Man, which is a great film despite it referring to an Ireland that only existed in John Ford's imagination. So don't be bothering with this rubbish (only one Irish actor in the cast) and get out some good decent Irish films like "inside I'm Dancing" or "Michael Collins" and save yourself wasting two hours of your life. (p.s i don't know how a whole village can be mortgaged)

• Better than 99% of what Hollywood puts out.

  jordan22402006-07-19

  Don't know where this little gem came from, or if it ever appeared in any theater, but it tops most of what comes out of Hollywood these days. It's funny, touching, and a sensory feast for the eyes and ears. If you like anything about Ireland, you'll likely enjoy this movie. All of the performances are excellent. Be warned that is does deserve its PG-13 rating, so it may not be family-friendly for all. It's unfortunate that movies like this don't have enough pull to find a profitable audience, but I suppose that's where Blockbuster and the like can have an impact. It's a bit strange that the overall user rating on IMDb is rather low, but most of the reviews are favorable. In this instance, I think the reviews tell the real story. Give this one a try and judge for yourself.

• An Original Concept - Not Meant As A Masterpiece

  mirror7342007-09-05

  This movie caught my attention on Cable TV's HBO. I thought it would be a stereotyped, hyped, overblown character movie and I was absolutely correct - and I was also damned wrong too! How do you write a "realistic" script based upon a young black hustler from Los Angeles running a pub in Ireland? When has there been such an event to occur in the Emerald Isle? So give it a chance! No one really speaks about the Irish as "Ni--ers" in Europe and America. Call them the Fighting Irish, the Lucky Shamrocks, but this movie gave every viewer a new definition of the "Black Irish". So I was intrigued and astonished as the characters discussed this in the village square. Ireland is always romanticized and its traditions are to blame. Every Irish commenter complains about it - and I guess secretly would be mad as hell if Ireland ever lost its glossy image. What's a more "realistic" Ireland these days? I guess it's true that you get whatever you put into any subject. Let me say that Griffin marrying and kissing his costar at the end of the movie made my day! My ex-lover who's Irish married a black man and they have had quite an unusual romance (until he died) so it was entertaining to see ART imitate LIFE and not vice-versa for once... This movie is not a classic. Will never ever be a masterpiece. And I wouldn't want it any other way. Monique being kicked back into a bathtub wearing a wedding dress is not Shakespeare - it's funny! Watching an entire village nearly begging a lovable hustler to stay among them is priceless. My home of America is a true "melting pot" of just about every race & culture, the "land of the free and the home of the brave" - but I'll never see Ethnic Irish visitors being asked by the gangs of South Central Los Angeles to move in nor will I see it occur in Beverly Hills either. Yet I have enough faith in the Irish to see it happen one day to someone visiting like the "Jimmy Jam". This movie is an entertaining, multi-dimensional, comedic, fairytale, about what was never ever supposed to happen and did - against everyone else's say-so and better judgment. Watch it, laugh at it, ridicule it, and then when no one else is looking - love it. It's an original concept.

• A small town in Ireland is threatened with eviction. They sponsor an international poetry contest to raise money.

  mgill0617842006-07-04

  I was shocked by how good this movie is! It was around St. Patrick's Day and a friend and I found "Irish Jam" in Blockbuster. We figured it would be terrible, but we took a chance. Thank God. This comedy is totally original and beautifully written. The comic elements are framed by tragic circumstances: poverty and the need for self-preservation. These elements give a poignancy and depth to the comedy that sharpen the film. Irish Jam is funny before "Jimmy Tha Jam" (aka Eddie Griffin) even gets to Ireland, but the film erupts in comedy once he does; the culture-clash gives rise to hysterical situations with fantastic dialog. If you come across "Irish Jam" I suggest you watch it! I don't think the movie has been publicized enough. You'll find the movie even better if you're familiar with actual Irish culture (not just wearing green and being an overly proud that you're third generation Irish-American).