The Commitments Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Commitments Blu-ray Movie Review

The Soul of Dublin

Reviewed by Michael Reuben September 1, 2016

Alan Parker's The Commitments observes its twenty-fifth anniversary this year, and Image Entertainment is celebrating with a handsome Blu-ray edition that preserves most of the extras from the 2003 DVD release and adds a new retrospective. Much has changed in Ireland since Parker shot this screen adaptation of Roddy Doyle's novel about a short-lived Dublin soul band, but the vitality of the film's musical performances is undimmed by time. The desire to stand out from the crowd that Parker captured so effectively a decade earlier in Fame also animates The Commitments, but it acquires new urgency from being set among working class youth who have no state-funded performing arts school to guide them. The aspiring musicians of The Commitments have to do everything for themselves, which makes their accomplishment, however brief, all the more satisfying.

It's the late Eighties, and Dublin is still years away from economic revival. Unemployment is rampant, and future prospects are grim, but musical talent abounds. Out of this atmosphere rises Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins), a would-be impresario with a vision. Jimmy's father (Colm Meaney) worships Elvis, but Jimmy's inspiration is to bring soul music to Ireland. Bolstering his confidence by holding mock interviews with his future successful self, Jimmy sets out to organize and manage the next breakout musical phenomenon from the Emerald Isle.

Jimmy assembles a ten-person ensemble that he dubs "The Commitments". The band is anchored musically by two incongruous personalities. "Joey the Lips" Fagan (Johnny Murphy) is an older and experienced horn player, who has been touring America as a session man, jamming with all the big names in soul (or so he says; Joey's tales are impossible to verify). Now he's returned home to visit his eccentric mother (Maura O'Malley). Joey sees Jimmy's effort to form an Irish soul group as a sacred calling, and he becomes The Commitments' de facto musical leader.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Deco Cuff (Andrew Strong), a clumsy lout whose oafish behavior alienates every member of the band, but he's blessed with a golden throat that makes anyone who hears him sing sit up and pay attention. Around the twin poles of Joey and Deco, Jimmy organizes a drummer, Billy (Dick Massey), whose skins have to be ransomed from the pawn shop; a bassist, Derek (Kenneth McCluskey), who practices during his day job at a slaughterhouse; a sax player, Dean (Felim Gormley), who'd rather play jazz; a busking guitarist, Outspan Foster (Glen Hansard, who would later find fame in Once); and a keyboard player, Steven (Michael Aherne), who plays organ at church and is devoted to Procol Harum. As backup singers, Jimmy recruits a trio he calls "The Commitment-ettes", consisting of Bernie (Bronagh Gallagher), Natalie (Maria Doyle) and the blonde Imelda (Angelina Ball), who has all the men in the band panting for her.

The films traces the band's rise and fall, from its first fumbling rehearsals in the attic above a pool hall (with second-hand amps bought on credit), through a handful of successful performances that wow local audiences and even inspire a favorable newspaper review, to the group's abrupt implosion, as petty rivalries, both personal and professional, shred the fabric of artistic collaboration. Interspersed with the musical performances are numerous vignettes of life in Dublin's working class districts, where colorful personalities contrast with the wan and worn surroundings. The musical performances supply the film's dramatic action, which is fueled by the hopes and aspirations of every band member of achieving something more than their bleak environment offers them. Much of the comedy comes from the members' interactions, including Deco's boorish behavior, Jimmy's constant cadging for favors and equipment, the truculent antics of the bouncer (Dave Finnegan) Jimmy hires to guard the door (he later becomes the band's replacement drummer), and Joey the Lips' horndog pursuit of each and every member of The Commitment-ettes.

As detailed in the Blu-ray extras, Parker spent weeks auditioning members of local Dublin bands (an experience that no doubt informed the amusing sequence where Jimmy must listen to a medley of musical styles by applicants for band membership). All of The Commitments are experienced musicians but first-time actors, with the exception of Johnny Murphy, who had to learn the trumpet to portray Joey the Lips. By recruiting trained musical performers, and then recording their vocals live on set, Parker attained compelling renditions of soul classics like "Mustang Sally", "Try a Little Tenderness" and "Chain of Fools" that were good enough to fill a successful soundtrack CD. The late Gerry Hambling's razor-sharp editing, which was nominated for an Oscar, complements the music so perfectly that The Commitments' performances become more than just interludes. They're moments of transcendence in which these struggling, squabbling underdogs glimpse the possibility of exceeding their circumstances. They may not become the next U2, but they're no longer losers.

The Commitments Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Commitments was shot by British cinematographer Gale Tattersall (Virtuosity), who says in one of the documentary featurettes that he and Parker wanted to retain the gritty texture of the impoverished Dublin neighborhoods in which they filmed. But that doesn't mean the photography lacks visual interest, as Tattersall casts a wash of blue light over the nighttime, turns muddy puddles into reflecting pools and frames rubble-strewn streets and alleys from flattering angles. The production and costume design routinely drops flashes of color into the dingy urban surroundings; the red cap worn by one of the Commitment-ettes is a recurring example.

The Commitments' long-awaited Blu-ray debut arrives courtesy of Image Entertainment on a 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray featuring a nicely detailed image that faithfully reproduces the muck and rubble of the city's broken-down row houses, concrete project apartments and cobbled streets and alleys before Dublin's urban renaissance began in the Nineties. Closeups of the singers and instrumentalists bring out fine details of their faces, attire and performance, as well as the makeshift venues in which they often find themselves playing. The film's palette is dominated by dull earth tones, with deep blacks at night, in shadowy underpasses and in the formal attire that Jimmy the Lips insists they all wear. Although the image is "soft" by contemporary digital standards, the grain is natural and finely resolved. Image has mastered The Commitments with an average bitrate of 24.95 Mbps, with a capable encode.

The Commitments Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Commitments was released to theaters in Dolby Surround, then remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 for DVD. The latter mix presumably supplied the soundtrack for Blu-ray, but it has been encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA. The soundtrack is front-oriented, with the surrounds used primarily to expand the presence of the musical numbers, whose scope and scale provide a sonic contrast with the more prosaic sequences between performances. The dialogue is clearly rendered, but the Irish pronunciations and slang may challenge unaccustomed ears; consult the English SDH subtitles as needed, along with the glossary included on the back of the Blu-ray jacket. The film has no original score; all of the music heard on the soundtrack is performed by the cast.

The Commitments Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fox released a two-disc "Collector's Edition" DVD of The Commitments in 2003. Most of the extras from that set have been ported over to Blu-ray, with the exception of the trailer, TV spots, radio spots and two original songs by band members (audio only).

• 25 Years Later: Interview with Alan Parker and Cast (1080p; 1.78:1; 19:09): The only cast members who participate in this new documentary are Robert Arkins ("Jimmy Rabbitte"), Glen Hansard ("Outspan Foster") and Ken McCluskey ("Derek"), but because they are few in number, each gets more screen time than in the other documentary features. Parker speaks fondly about his memories of Ireland and making the film on location, and everyone speaks affectionately about Johnny Murphy ("Joey the Lips"), who passed away in February 2016.



• Commentary with Director Alan Parker: Recorded in 2003, Parker's commentary provides the most detailed account of the film's production. The director identifies locations, discusses his approach to shooting the musical numbers and describes the technical demands of recording the vocal performances live on set. There's occasional repetition, but overall this is an engaging and entertaining commentary.



• The Making of Alan Parker's Film The Commitments (480i; 1.33:1; 22:37): This made-for-TV documentary was part of the film's original PR campaign in 1991. It features lengthy interview segments with Parker and on-set footage from the production.



• "The Commitments": Looking Back (480i; 1.78:1, enhanced; 47:10): This in-depth documentary dates from 2003 and covers the history of the film from its inception through release. A wide array of interviewees includes author Roddy Doyle; co-screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais; producers Lynda Myles and Roger Randall-Cutler; cinematographer Gale Tattersall; director Parker; and most of the principal cast, including Johnny Murphy ("Joey the Lips").



• Dublin Soul Featurette (480i; 1.78:1, enhanced; 14:53): Also from 2003, this featurette explores the film's Dublin milieu through interviews with Doyle, Irish MP Tony Gregory and actors Ken McCluskey ("Derek"), Dick Massey ("Billy") and Michael Aherne ("Steven"). The documentary crew also tours some of the film's locations.



• Making of The Commitments (480i; 1.33:1; 8:04): This contemporary EPK-style featurette is the most overtly promotional of the extras, with lengthy excerpts from the film. Some of the interview segments duplicate the TV documentary listed above.



• "Treat Her Right" Music Video with Alan Parker Intro (480i; 1.85:1 & 1.33:1; 5:51): The intro also features Robert Arkins ("Jimmy Rabbitte"), who sings this song over the closing credits. Arkins and Parker explain the video's history.



• Production Stills (1080p; various): 13 images.



• Behind-the-Scenes Still (1080p; various): 9 images.



• Booklet: An eight-page insert to the Blu-ray case contains a new essay by Parker entitled "The Commitments: The Making of the Film".



• The Original Tosser's Glossary: Colloquial Language of The Commitments: The reverse side of the Blu-ray jacket offers a guide to the film's slang.

The Commitments Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you appreciate classic soul music (and I don't know anyone who doesn't), then you owe it to yourself to experience The Commitments. The musical performances are authentic, infectious and uniquely flavored, and Image has delivered a fine Blu-ray presentation that is highly recommended.