Loud, crass, and stylish, this film doesn’t care what you think
I have never been more conscious of the fact that I am writing in English than I am right now. If it weren’t for the English invading my country a few hundred years ago, I would be writing and speaking in Irish instead. I do speak a little Irish in my daily life and can generally understand the language—written or spoken—with a little effort, but I’m just not exposed to it enough to be a naturally fluent speaker, despite living in the Republic.
It’s a minor miracle that the language has survived at all, and it’s a shame that it isn’t spoken by more people. Kneecap strives to remedy that. Kneecap, in real life, are a hip hop trio from Belfast who incorporate the Irish language into their raps—injecting the language with an edge and vigour nowhere to be seen in the textbooks most Irish kids learn the language from.
I’m not going to spend long on the real-life band. I knew of their existence before seeing this movie, but I’m not a big fan of rap, so I never really paid them much attention. I don’t know how much of this biopic is true to the real story of their life, but frankly, I don’t care. All I know is that the trio are playing themselves in this movie, which puts it in a really interesting position as far as biopics go.
The film is also being put forth as Ireland’s submission for Best International Feature Film at next year’s Oscars, so as an Irishman, this made Kneecap required viewing.
“Is Cuma Liom Sa Foc Faoi Aon Gharda”
When Liam (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh) is arrested at a drug-fuelled rave, he refuses to speak English to the Belfast police. Much to their irritation, they call on the translation services of music teacher JJ (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) to aid in their interrogation. Liam and JJ form a bond, along with Liam’s friend Naoise (Naoise Ó Cairealláin), and the three of them start making “controversial” music.
Look, there’s no way I could convey the many complexities of the cultural setting of this movie. As an Irish person, I have absorbed most of it through osmosis, so it’s hard for me to be objective about how successfully Kneecap conveys this to a non-Irish audience. There’s a lot bubbling under the surface of this movie. Happening in the background is the cultural push for the Irish language to be given equal status as English in Northern Ireland and the rise of a Republican vigilante group against drugs. All of this, and a thousand little Irish-isms that go unexplained, might make this a confusing watch for some who aren’t aware of Ireland and its history.
None of this distracts from the core of the movie, though—the rise of Kneecap and the barriers they struggled to overcome along the way. It goes beyond ‘they rap about drugs which the culture says is a Bad Thing’ and delves into the question: ‘What is the best way to get Irish the cultural recognition it deserves?’ Is rapping about MDMA doing more harm than good?
The film’s primary antagonist comes in the form of Josie Walker as Detective Ellis—a vindictive police officer—who symbolises the hatred that the radical pro-British faction of Northern Ireland have for all things Irish. The movie doesn’t really delve into any explorations of this hatred, which feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Of course, there’s no rational reason to hate the Irish the way some do—it’s all jingoism and snobbery—but something deeper than ‘British Lady is mean’ would’ve been nice for the character.
“Low-Life Scum, That's What They Say About Me”
Ultimately though, you watch this movie for Kneecap themselves, and that’s where this movie really shines. This is the acting debut for all three of Kneecap’s members, but you wouldn’t know it. They’re all excellent, and each are given their own personal side-story to flesh out their character. They handle some dramatic scenes extremely well but also possess some great comedic chops.
Of all the personal stories, Naoise’s is the most engaging thanks to Michael Fassbender playing his maybe-faked-his-death father, Arlo, and Simone Kirby as his shut-in mother. Liam’s story is about a romantic interest, which is good for a few laughs, but doesn’t amount to much emotionally.
JJ has a partner who is a public advocate for getting Irish recognised by the state. This is an interesting one in the way it develops a conflicting voice in how Irish should be engaged with, but ultimately suffers from the frustrating choice of having JJ attempt to hide his involvement in Kneecap from said partner, which both strains credulity and avoids the potential for even more interesting conflicts and discussions between her and JJ.
Nevertheless, when the three lads are on screen together, it’s fireworks. Watching them compose music high out of their minds or simply interact backstage is never boring. Their underdog status in the face of both bigotry and apathy is just so easy to get behind
"Tiocfaidh Ár Lá"
Kneecap is a film alive with humour and style. Small flourishes like hand-drawn highlights, unconventional camera work, and even stop-motion clay figurines are employed to great effect, and never too frequently to feel gimmicky or annoying. It speaks to the inventive creative minds both in front of and behind the camera that were always working for ways to make the film feel punchier.
This is very apt. Kneecap is a statement. It’s about connecting with your heritage. It’s about art and its capacity to form communities. It’s about giving the middle finger to classless politicians who appeal to fear and division. There’re no half-measures in Kneecap’s messaging. Some humourless dolts will find this offensive. Let them.
As an Irish person, Kneecap stirred something in me. I can’t possibly imagine how this will play in the United Kingdom, but I can think of a few countries that I’m sure will get a kick out of it.
***
Thanks for reading my review. If you liked it, consider buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien
Comments