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Review by Susan Granger
3 stars out of 4
Every now and then, a movie reviewer discovers an absolute gem
- and this is a sparkler! In the remote Irish village of Tulaigh Morh
(pronounced Tullymore), population 52, someone holds a winning lottery
ticket worth almost seven million pounds (more than $11 million) - but
who can it be? That's the question that obsesses Jackie O'Shea (Ian
Bannon), his wife Annie (Fionnula Flanagan) and their friend, Michael
O'Sullivan (David Kelly). Determined to discover and befriend the
lucky winner in order to share some of the prize money, they entice
and ingratiate themselves to their 49 neighbors, including a
malodorous pig farmer (James Nesbitt), his poetic lady love (Susan
Lynch), and nasty Lizzy Quinn (Eileen Dromey). When they think
they've canvassed everyone, they discover one man is missing: Ned
Devine (Jimmy Keogh). And a search quickly determines he, indeed, is
the winner - only, the sweet, old geezer has dropped dead from the
shock of his good fortune. "They say money changes a man and there's
no greater change than moving a man from life to death," they
muse. So, what's a sod to do? Jackie and Michael slyly decide on a wee
tad of fraud and a crazed bit of blarney, determining that one of them
should impersonate Ned Devine and claim the winnings, which will then
be equally divided among the villagers if everyone will go along with
the crazy charade. Writer/director Kirk Jones cleverly creates quirky,
charming, genuinely touching characters who embark on a wonderfully
exuberant adventure. And some scenes - like the men's naked bicycle
ride and re-arranging the corpse's facial expression - are truly
laugh-out-loud funny. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Waking
Ned Devine" is a whimsical, mischievous 8. Enjoy the fun and you'll
feel like a winner!
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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