# Outstanding British/ Irish movies well-worth owning **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118 "2007-01-08T04:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/1 "2007-01-08T04:06:02Z")
I thoroughly enjoy good British/ Irish movies and would appreciate a few suggestions from you. Extra points for little-known gems. Both “gentle” films that grandparents might enjoy and serious films are okay, but all should have that inimitable Brit/Irish feel. Here are a few off-the-cuff recommendations. I’ll add more soon. 1. **The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill, But Came Down a Mountain.** Plenty of charming, funny moments. 2. **Ladies in Lavender.** Don’t know much about it, but it’s come highly recommended. 3. **Mrs. Henderson**. Any excellent recent Judi Dench vehicle. 4. **Educating Rita.** 1980s film with Michael Caine in a modern take on Pygmalion. 5. **Remains of the Day**. Excellent, excellent 6. **Howard’s End**. Ditto. 7. **Angela’s Ashes.** As serious as they come, but a great film. 8. **Any recent Jane Austen/Bronte sisters flix,** including “Mansfield Park,” “Jane Eyre,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “Sense and Sensibility” 9. **The (original) Avengers.** Actually, from the classic 1960s TV series, co-starring Diana Rigg. It doesn’t get any more Brit than this. 10. **Chariots of Fire.** This movie remains a classic. Your suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/2 "2007-01-08T04:08:49Z")
The Commitments The Boys and Girl of County Clare The Van Brassed Off Passport to Pimlico ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/3 "2007-01-08T04:14:51Z")
The British have made some great gangster filsm: Face; Get Carter; The Krays; Layer Cake; Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels; The Long Good Friday; Mona Lisa; Sexy Beast; Villain. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/4 "2007-01-08T04:15:23Z")
[QUOTE=Carnac the Magnificent!] 2) **Ladies in Lavender.** Don’t know much about it, but it’s come highly recommended. [/QUOTE] I saw this on a plane last year. It was very good. The two Dames, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, were excellent. My all time favourite British film: **Kind Hearts and Coronets**. Razor sharp screenplay and excellent performances all round. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/5 "2007-01-08T04:29:30Z")
Anything by Mike Leigh. My favorites: [Naked](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0107653/) [Secrets & Lies](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0117589/) [Life Is Sweet](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0100024/) [Vera Drake](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0383694/) I also really enjoy the Irish director Neil Jordan: [The Crying Game](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0104036/) [Mona Lisa](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0091538/) [Breakfast On Pluto](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0411195/) Of course, there’s also [Withnail & I](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/), which is one of my favorite movies ever. It’s hilarious but it has a quite serious and sad subtext. It’s eminently quotable. It stars Richard E. Grant! What more could you ask for? ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/6 "2007-01-08T04:42:05Z")
I enjoyed [Michael Collins](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117039/) and [Bloody Sunday](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280491/). Kind of political, but interesting nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/7 "2007-01-08T05:18:40Z")
**Regeneration** – excellent WWI drama based on the Pat Barker novel of the same name. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/8 "2007-01-08T05:26:08Z")
Dog Soldiers 28 Days Later Shaun of the Dead Millions ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/9 "2007-01-08T05:38:11Z")
[The Magdalene Sisters](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318411/) is a very good drama. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/10 "2007-01-08T06:27:29Z")
A lot of the ones I would have recommended have been mentioned already. All these movies are great. I’ve seen most of them and I can’t think of one I wouldn’t also recommend. I especially loved **[Educating Rita](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0085478/)** (nice to see it on your list) and **[Breakfast On Pluto](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0411195/)**. Both of these movies contain two of my all-time favorite movie characters, Rita in ER and Kitten in BOP. So, what about Scottish movies? There are lots of great ones, even if you might have to turn on the subtitles. My all-time favorites are : [Local Hero](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0085859/) (a delight that gets better with every viewing) [Comfort and Joy](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087072/) (though unfortunately this isn’t on DVD in the US) Just about anything by [Bill Forsyth](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0287025/) is worth watching. If you get in the mood for depressing films: [Ratcatcher](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0171685/) (this is an English film set in Scotland. Man is it depressing!) [Morvern Callar](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0300214/) (perplexing and dark) [Trainspotting](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0117951/) (an obvious choice, but worth mentioning) The Magdalene Sisters, which Miss Purl just mentioned, was directed by the actor [Peter Mullan](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0611932/) who was just in Children of Men (as Syd). He’s been in many good films, such as [My Name is Joe](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0151691/). That was directed by [Ken Loach](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0516360/), who’s directed many fine films, including [Ladybird, Ladybird](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0110296/). Also on the very good but depressing list: [Nil By Mouth](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0119792/) (directed by the actor Gary Oldman) Another Actor/Director is Tim Roth, who directed [The War Zone](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0141974/). Both of these movies feature [Ray Winstone](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0935653/), an actor who’d finally getting some attention. An edgy and fascinating movie is [The General](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0120706/), starring Brendan Gleeson. This is not depressing, but you’ve probably seen it: [Billy Elliot](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0249462/) Another nice little film: [My Life So Far](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0120899/) Also interesting: [Last Orders](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0253200/) If you like Angelica Houston, you need to see [Agnes Browne.](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0160509/) There are so many…I love movies from the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/11 "2007-01-08T07:09:15Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] So, what about Scottish movies? There are lots of great ones, even if you might have to turn on the subtitles. My all-time favorites are : [Local Hero](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0085859/) (a delight that gets better with every viewing) [Comfort and Joy](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087072/) (though unfortunately this isn’t on DVD in the US) Just about anything by [Bill Forsyth](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0287025/) is worth watching. [/QUOTE] That reminds me - [Gregory’s Girl](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0082477/) is an amazingly sweet yet honest film about a teenage crush. The only negative is that the American version was redubbed with less strong Scottish accents, and the dubbed makes a kind of strange effect. But the story and the acting manage to overcome this minor quibble. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/12 "2007-01-08T09:58:26Z")
I enjoyed [Saving Grace](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195234/). Very English, very gentle… ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/13 "2007-01-08T10:20:35Z")
[The Mouse That Roared](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053084/) is still a classic in my mind. [Into the West](http://www.amazon.com/Into-West-Gabriel-Byrne/dp/6303066712) was haunting and a real tear jerker (bring out the tissues!!) [Waking Ned Devine](http://www.sick-boy.com/waking.htm) was a lovely little feel-good Irish movie. [The Wimbledon Poisoner](http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/509948) was a mini-series that I saw on vid many years ago, and still get a giggle out of. Bought the book eventually, and it’s grouse too. I totally agree with the **Local Hero** suggestion as well. Reminded me that I haven’t seen it in over 10 years, and it’s about time to waddle down to the vid library and see if I can find a copy. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/14 "2007-01-08T10:34:01Z")
Two of my faves: [School for Scoundrels](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054279/) - Terry-Thomas is a great cad, who finally gets his comeuppance. [The Wicker Man](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070917/) - utterly bizarre chiller with Christopher Lee, quintessential Brit-horror flick. (Mke sure you see the originals NOT the awful US remakes!) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/15 "2007-01-08T12:03:42Z")
[War of the Buttons](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111666/) is a nice Irish film. Hadn’t known it was a remake of a French film, the setting seems perfect. Also [The Field[/utl], with Richard Harris, is a great Irish film. Then there’s[url=[Hope and Glory (1987) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093209/)]Hope and Glory]([The Field (1990) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099566/)), about kids in London during the Blitz. It’s truly funny in parts, my best bit being the heartfelt “Thank You, Adolf” - you’ll see why. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/16 "2007-01-08T12:07:05Z")
Let’s try that again: [War of the Buttons](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111666/) is a nice Irish film. Hadn’t known it was a remake of a French film, the setting seems perfect. Also [The Field](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099566/), with Richard Harris, is a great Irish film. Then there’s[Hope and Glory](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093209/), about kids in London during the Blitz. It’s truly funny in parts, my best bit being the heartfelt “Thank You, Adolf” - you’ll see why. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/17 "2007-01-08T15:18:19Z")
Well, if you’re going to watch _Dog Soldiers_, definitely check out _The Descent_. One of the freakin scariest movies I’ve seen in a long time. This definitely ain’t your gramma’s British movie though! For a movie eminently suitable for grannies, and everyone else really, there’s one of my all-time favorites, _Enchanted April_. Of course, it’s not available on DVD right now, though Amazon has a tantalizing teaser page for it. Here’s the VHS [link](http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-April-Josie-Lawrence/dp/6302728657/sr=8-2/qid=1168269116/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-7728020-9779308?ie=UTF8&s=video). It’s got Miranda Richardson, Alfred Molina, Jim Broadbent, and Joan Plowright, and it’s the movie answer to Prozac, I swear. Warning: this movie is known to cause irresistable longing to visit Portofino, Italy ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/18 "2007-01-08T15:21:21Z")
Howzabout “The Closer You Get,” a very sly comedy about a bunch of remote Irish or Scottish villagers whose young men of marriageable age put an ad in the Miami Beach paper for young women to come and get romanced, because the local women are just too stuck up to have anything to do with them. Which of course the local women find out about before it even hits the mail. Hilarious stuff ensues. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/19 "2007-01-08T16:22:20Z")
**[Hear My Song](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102014/)** – delightful comedy about the hunt to bring legendary Irish tenor Josef Locke to perform in the UK – where he’s a tax exile. Ned Beatty playes Locke, but the movie is about Adrian Dunbar’s efforts to find him and convince him to sing – without being arrested by dogged revenue agent David McCallum. **[Widow’s Peak](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111712/)** – delightful little revenge comedy in a town of gossips. I’ll also second **Waking Ned Devine** , **The Englishman . . . , Brassed Off, Local Hero, Comfort and Joy** and **Gregory’s Girl** ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118/20 "2007-01-08T16:40:43Z")
[QUOTE=Lisa-go-Blind] That reminds me - [Gregory’s Girl](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0082477/) is an amazingly sweet yet honest film about a teenage crush. The only negative is that the American version was redubbed with less strong Scottish accents, and the dubbed makes a kind of strange effect. But the story and the acting manage to overcome this minor quibble. [/QUOTE] My admiration of _Local Hero_, my favorite-est film of all, prompted me to rent \*Gregory’s Girl \* from Netflix. Even with the dubbing, I found it very helpful to turn on the DVD’s closed captioning. The deleted scenes, which weren’t dubbed over, on the DVD demonstrated what a \*\*real \*\* brogue sounds like! It’s a great movie – not as satisfying as _Local Hero_, but fun to watch nonetheless. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outstanding-british-irish-movies-well-worth-owning/387118.md?page=2)