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Pretty Good

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

"Life's a breeze" tells the story of an elderly woman with a lot of children that aren't really able to stand on their own feet. When they want to do her a favor and give her house a make-over, they accidentally throw out almost a million euros in an old mattress. From there a wild chase throughout the city begins to get back the money.In general the film looks like one of those independent productions that center around a dysfunctional family but still manages to find the beauty within. However, the beginning as well as the ending come somewhat surprising and leave the film without a proper frame. Additionally, I find it kind of in-consequent to base a movie with the depicted characters on a favor that would cost them a huge amount of money that they obviously can't have in their situation. Surely, there are a lot of beautiful moments and there is some wisdom in the message, still the last bit is missing that makes this movie something really special.All in all this is not a story you've never heard before but it is definitely worth a watch. If you're looking for a nice little movie that leaves you in a somewhat melancholic mood, this could be your choice.

This film captures a deep-rooted process of many Irish families. The tired matriarch, widowed by an alcoholic husband, dealing with too many children who don't ever quite grow up. The layers of humor and tragedy are well woven in this folksy comedy. The road to hell, paved with good intentions. One of my favorite Irish phrases from my own father. Another one also applies: No good deed goes unpunished. The acting is predictably captivating. The role of the adolescent granddaughter is well written and played. The interaction between grandmother and skeptical granddaughter, opposite poles of a woman's life, is charming, subtle and moving. This isn't Shakespeare. There is no car chase, though there is a speeding shopping cart scene. It is good fun. Not frivolous, but also not overwrought.

I just finished watching this movie and I have to say that it's not always the movies with a high budget that are the best. I enjoyed this Irish dramady. The filming was simple but effective, no need for any spectacular scenes, just day-to-day shots out of the suburbs. All actors did a fine job, especially the grandmother played by Fionnula Flanagan and her grand-daughter Emma played by Kelly Thornton. The search for the missing money, the disbelief of nan's story, the different relationships between the family members all made it a nice movie to watch. There was enough subtle humor to bring a smile on my face every now and then. Certainly worth a watch.

I saw a screening of this film in the Irish Film Institute and the only actor I knew in it was Fionnuala Flanagan who played Mrs Mills in The Others. However it was supposed to be good so I went anyway.The film's story is that Flanagan plays the elderly mother to a group of grown-up children that are utterly horrible human beings one way or another. They actually decide to do something nice for their mother and remodel her house while she's out. Unfortunately she reveals that her old mattress that they threw out contained all her life savings - nearly a million. Thus the hunt for the lost mattress begins. Things escalate even further when the youngest son (Pat Shortt) makes an announcement on the radio and it turns into a nationwide sensation.The film's main bad points are that it runs far too long. It's clear that there are several scenes in the film that are there just to pad out the running time. They have nothing really to do with the main plot and if you removed them, they wouldn't affect the film at all. Among these are an extended sequence where the youngest son believes he has won the lottery only to discover the grandmother and granddaughter have fooled him with Sky plus TV. Also a scene where they throw the mother an 80th birthday party complete with a stripper. The scenes are funny but do nothing for the film and they're obvious filler so watching them becomes tiring. You want them to be over so you can go back to the actual plot.The film does have good points, notably in its cast. Flanagan and Shortt work well together as the two main draws. Flanagan is a breath of fresh air from the traditional cranky yet sassy stereotypical Irish old lady. However the best performance from the film is the actress who plays the teenage granddaughter. The girl had very good comic timing and seemed very natural on camera. She's definitely one to watch out for, though hopefully Fair City is out of the question. The rest of the cast were all nice and witty too.The film was well written and well made. I was surprised to find out that some scenes were filmed in Sweden. You'd never be able to tell though. The film's music was also very nice. It really complimented the whole thing and made it an enjoyable experience.So in short it was a nice little well-made film. However it was let down by the obvious padding which came across as lazy writing.