THE COMMITMENTS

Musical anhedonia is a neurological condition that affects 3 to 5% of the Earth’s population. The people who suffer from this condition derive no pleasure from music of any kind. If you are one of the small percentage of people who suffer from this condition, then you should skip reading the rest of this review. On the other hand, if you are one of the majority of humans who can partake in the almost-universal experience of enjoying great music (along with terrific storytelling) then you should make it a goal to see The Commitments, an Irish film directed by Alan Parker, released in 1991.

The Commitments is the tale of Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins), a young man without a job, who seeks to put together a soul music band and earn a living as the band’s manager. The tale begins in North Dublin as Jimmy bargains and hustles to find musical instruments and musicians. He assembles a ragtag team of very diverse individuals and sells his belief in an Irish soul band. As he tells his (all-White) group, “The Irish are the Blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the Blacks of Ireland. And North Dubliners are the Blacks of Dublin. So, say it once and say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud!” Once the group buys into Jimmy’s concept, the band (The Commitments) is born.

The band begins rehearsing and the viewer is treated to The Commitment’s covers of hit soul songs by the likes of Otis Redding, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, and Wilson Picket. Though each member of the group wants to succeed, tensions bubble from the get-go because this isn’t a band born of people who are out for the group, but rather, people who are out for themselves. Egos run high, outside pressures invade, romantic interludes flame on then smother out, and through it all, Jimmy works to keep the team intact while simultaneously getting them gigs.

Being in the band provides each member of The Commitments a refuge from the pain and bleakness of their socially challenged existences. Music brings them happiness, but will it bring them success? Is their dream sustainable? Is it better to dream and fail, or not to have dreamed at all? How committed will Jimmy’s musicians be to their success, and ultimately his?

This was a real feel-good musical-filled escape. Most of the performers in the movie are true musicians and not trained actors. I didn’t recognize Glen Hansard through all the hair! He plays the central character in another music-themed Irish flick called Once (one of my all-time favorite films). Though The Commitments didn’t fare well in U.S. theaters when it debuted, three decades later it is one of the most beloved Irish features ever made. It's realistic, it's funny, and the music is a joy!