12 Awesome Films That Prove Ireland Can Make Great Movies

Ireland hasn't just produced great actors but some wonderfully unseen movies...

my left foot Ireland, for its tiny size and small population, can boast of a lot of wonderful native films. Whenever people think about Irish cinema - two major themes emerge. First, there is Ireland's turbulent historical and political past which makes good cinematic fodder, and secondly there are all the films exposing either poverty and drunkenness (Angela's Ashes being the most famous film of this ilk) or clerical abuse (The Magdalene Sisters). I have not included films about Ireland as they tend to be very stereotyping - for example, The Quiet Man and Darby O'Gill and the Little People. I have let Irish cinema speak for itself with powerful masterpieces of cinema, quirky contemporary films and some very funny comedies. Whatever you are after, there is an Irish film to satisfy you.

12. Disco Pigs (2001)

Disco Pigs The adventures of Pig (Cillian Murphy) and Runt (Elaine Cassidy). They were born on the same day, at virtually the same time and they grew up next door to each other. They have an almost telepathic bond and they inhabit a universe of their own making which excludes everything and everyone else. They are 17 and their relationship, although bizarre, has remained platonic thus far. Things go pear shaped when Runt develops feelings for a guy called Marky, and Pig develops feelings for Runt, who is not interested in him. Nevertheless they maintain their friendship until the school authorities decide they are too close and send Runt to a boarding school. Pig cannot cope without Runt and a chain of tragic events ensue in his pursuit to reclaim her as his and his alone. Ultimately, the two young characters - Pig and Runt have cocooned themselves in the relationship they have - but there is a distinct difference between the two characters - Pig is utterly obsessed with Runt to the exclusion of everything else. Runt loves Pig in a platonic way and when she hits 17, she wants to explore the world of boys. Pig, in love with Runt, cannot accept this. He is mentally ill whereas Runt is more rounded. Pig is actually murderous in his desire to retain Runt in a state of completion as his very own. The acting of both Cillian Murphy as Pig and Elaine Cassidy as Runt is absolutely marvellous considering the complexities of their roles. The film looks dark and murky which is in keeping with its tone. It is a very strange film but quite beguiling for the audience, if they are willing to face broad Dublin dialect and the strange, strange world of Pig and Runt.
 
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Contributor

My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!