Good concept, poorly executed.

Absolutely brilliant

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

"Little Miss Sunshine", "Chocolat", maybe even the Japanese masterpiece "Kikujiro", and "Life's a Breeze". These are all excellent films that tell an entertaining story involving 3 generations, focusing mostly on the odd relationship between a 1st generation grandparent figure & a third generation teenager. In each case, the plot isn't what you'd call nail biting suspense, and in fact the stories themselves are pretty mundane. But the payoff is in the interesting views between old & young.By the way, if you haven't read the DVD back cover yet, then DON'T. It uses some phrases which I consider to be major spo!lers. Since the story itself is pretty simple, you'll probably have a better time if you know nothing about it. Let's just say it's about an urban adventure, set in Ireland (Dublin I assume?), involving a family of weirdos.The humor is pretty tame, no real laugh-out-loud zingers, but the entire presentation is so witty and light hearted that you'll probably find yourself with a good smirk planted on your face throughout.A subtle bonus is the way this film shows us the underbelly of Irish society, I'm talking about poor families, garbage dumps (literally), homeless hangouts and other unglamorous facets of life. And yet it doesn't hit you over the head with some preachy social message about it all. The scenes simply provide a contextual backdrop behind the story. Certainly a different approach than your typical glossy Hollywood fare.Although all performances were great, I'd say the show stealer was newcomer Kelly Thornton who was 15 years old during production. Apparently she was discovered while she was walking down the street. Director Lance Daly has a flair for finding "unprofessional" young actors and eliciting the greatest performances out of them. He did the same with his two young leads in his excellent 2008 film "Kisses" about two young runaways living on the streets of Dublin. Here he does the same with his young star, and the result is a genuine performance as only a non-actor can do.If you're a fan of the films I mentioned above, or any coming-of-age comedy dramas like "The Squid and the Whale" or another gem I recently saw called "The Way, Way Back", then don't hesitate to check this out. And recycle your trash! (watch the movie and you'll see what I mean)

I watched this in NetFlix where it was labeled as a "comedy", I needed a few laughs (I'd just watched "Interstellar" the day before, if you have not yet spare yourself READ MY REVIEW on it). But so, about this movie, it was a letdown, the whole family and their lives and attitudes are depressing, one or two moments in which I smiled slightly but that was it. The characters and the story COULD have made for a very funny comedy, but they so wanted to show the lack of perspective of the poor that it never caught on as comedy. The moment when the family hires a stripper for grandma's birthday was simply gross in my view. This is DRAMA, not comedy, and a rather sad tale at that.

I got this movie because I usually enjoy films of this genre. I think what bothers me most about recent Irish and/or English and/or Australian films is the utter passivity of the people depicted. I always find myself screaming, grow a pair already!Like wise with this one. I cannot say that I liked any character depicted, particularly the way in which being on welfare is taken with such a blasé attitude by all of the adults - uh, men in particular. Greedy, freeloaders, the whole lot and that is supposed to provide humor? And then you have the matriarch telling the granddaughter that essentially religion is hogwash which seems more typical of the English than the Irish.Were I and my grown siblings looking for a purported million bucks inadvertently thrown away, I think we would be a bit more aggressive when faced with opposition from opportunistic outsiders. Not these guys. Wimps, the whole lot. And for the granddaughter to throw her lowlife uncle a bone at the end was just too much. And where did all of the skepticism come from towards the mother not to mention their quickness to believe everything they heard from outsiders? Now, THAT I can identify with.A complete thumbs down from me. If this is what passes as sweet, sentimental, feel-good comedy, then I will take a pass. The only people I can see liking this film are people who are just like these characters and thus have some sort of weird empathy for them.

Of course, it's an Irish film, so it's ha-ha-ha laugh your head off funny - you should absolutely see it because it's the greatest film of the year and there's nothing quite like it! (Sarcasm intended)It's a deep-rooted Irish comedy, and plays on the fact that we love to laugh at ourselves - which for some, works, and for others, doesn't. It's far from being a masterpiece, but it's a feel-good comedy that'll give you a few chuckles on occasion because you will, without a doubt, be able to relate some of the story to your own life.The film is filled with beautiful shots of the not-so-beautiful Dublin city, and is a very enjoyable visual experience with some lovely cinematography. So, visually, it's a very solid viewing experience. However, it may not be the most well assembled story ever made - it survives mostly on the characters and their relationships with each other, but with a few twists along the way, it does leave you wondering whether or not the money actually exists, or "nan's gone crazy"."Life's a Breeze" has a well assembled cast, including the Emmy-winning Fionnula Flanagan as the grandmother. Pat Shortt as 'Colm', and the terrific Kelly Thornton as the young girl 'Emma'. Thornton and Flanagan form an adorably lovable pair on screen, while Shortt brings come stereotypical Irish comedy into the mix. Along their journey to find the money the trio encounter many quirky situations that cause multiple clashes among the rest of the family but when it all comes to a close you'll be left with a sense of restored faith in your own family, and a bit of home for the people you surround yourself with."Life's a Breeze" is a lovable comedy that's absolutely worth a watch if you're a fan of Irish production, but maybe not your cup of tea if you're over-judgmental of what you choose to spend your time watching.www.StuartComerford.com Twitter: @StuartComerford