Kneecap

Just like their insane live shows and debut album ‘Fine Art’, it’s one hell of a laugh. However it’s also full of heart; telling a real working class story as a call for unity without punching down or patronising.

Bursting with unruly energy that practically escapes the confines of the screen, Kneecap is a riotous, drug-laced triumph in the name of freedom that bridges political substance and crowd-pleasing entertainment.

It’s a film that not only signals a major musical arrival, but ends up feeling a lot bigger than the conventional (and often confining) boundaries of the “music biopic”.

Do I wish I saw more of Fassbender on my screen? Of course. Does it almost not even matter because the main three actors/musicians carry the movie so well? Also yes.

If Kneecap has a somewhat pushy sense of broad comedy or, in the final third, some predictable dramatic beats, its visual invention wins the day, because it’s so comfortably allied with the songs of protest and release.

The film really comes to life in the actual hip-hop scenes; the musical sequences have originality, comedy and freedom. The rest of the time, the film looks worryingly like a late 90s-early 00s cool Britannia geezer-gangster romp.

Writer/director Rich Peppiatt’s film has a harder time connecting its stylish music video silliness with drama that meanders and a political message that repeats like it’s stuck on a cheap turntable.

Brilliant, I wasn't expecting much from this but it's actually hilarious. This movie doesn't take itself too seriously but has a serious message.Definitely recommended.

Absolutely **** Brilliant! Is piléar do Shaoirse na hÉireann gach focal Gaeilge a labhraítear!!! Their music is way dope.Been banging it out for a few years now.I was surprised, the Kneecap Lads were really good actors. The writing was great as well as the Directing. Overall this sincerely is one of the best biopic films I’ve ever seen. What an offering from these Kats!!I think the history & politics as well as social references may be lost on people who aren’t really aware of who the Irish are beyond the **** lucky charms stereotypes, but a quick research could give you enough to grasp fullness of a people colonised by the damn Brits.I’ll say it again, it’s one of the most creative & original biopics ever made!!!Easily one of the best of ‘**** you love raw music, intelligent & quirky comedy, great original story & brilliant Filmmaking then Go see this Movie!!! TÁ NA BRITS AMACH!!!

'Kneecap' is a call to arms to defend national identity through language. An authentic and irreverent biopic that combines elements of 'Trainspotting' and 'Sing Street,' contradictory as it may seem, to create an experience that's as fun as it is relevant to the turbulent times we live in.

Ii was very excited foe this as my mom was born and raised in the Republic. She speaks a little Irish, but it wasn't a priority with folks down in Wexford as far as I could see (granted, I have not been back since I was a teenager). I also did my master's thesis on the interplay between Irish and English in turn of the century (19 to 20) Ireland, specifically on how the Irish language almost died out. Seeing a movie where Irish found a new life in rap/hip hop sounded like something I'd **** was okay. Honestly? I didn't care for the music or the message. I found it excused s lot of bad behavior and mediocre EDM-style rave music swathed in revolutionary glory. Definitely had its moments and the band had its charisma, but I couldn't get into the horrible music. I also found this idea that there was no poetic or literary outlet for Irish to be disingenuous. I did like the idea of the "ceasefire babies" interesting. As with all things, one generation's heroes end up as the youngergeneration's fools and villains. I also find myself revisiting how much I don't care about Belfast. As much as this speaks to the issue of colonization, and the Irish were the prototype for all English colonization, Belfast isn't Ireland in more ways than one, imo. The Republic is and I'd like to see more movies from there.

(Mauro Lanari) If one must resort to Boyle and The Prodigy to claim one's anti-British identity, something doesn't add up. Hip-hop as international political music? If every single word used to preserve the Gaelic tongue is a bullet, yet the lyrics also incite the use of ketamine, cocaine, and MDMA (rave ecstasy), then best of luck with the revolt of the umpteenth lost generation. Artificial frenzy in a debut fictionalized biopic denouncing who-knows-what.