I enjoyed this humorous account of life among Dublin's poor in the same way I enjoyed the humor of Love on the Dole and similar films of the working class combating grinding poverty with humor. Fortunately the film did not give in to standard clichés: e.g. the date with Pierre did not lead to a man meets woman, man loses woman, man gets her back and they live happily ever after (after he had given Mr. Billy the thrashing he deserved). It would be a very brave man willing to take on a widow with seven children.
I could not help wondering why Agnes did not go to the Garda over Billy's loan sharking to young children, but perhaps the poor of Dublin don't involve the police. Agnes, who we saw many times defiantly marching through the streets aiming her pram like a weapon, did not seem to be the type to be intimidated by Billy.
There were some major flaws: 1) when Agnes went to collect her widow's pension and was served by a very rude unhelpful clerk. In reality the clerk would have realized she was dealing with a woman who had just lost her husband and been helpful and solicitous.
2) The relationship with her eldest son should have been more detailed, and his meeting with the carpenter who was willing to take him on as an apprentice and teach him a a trade rather than leave him to dead end jobs interspersed with the employment dole was rushed through. One minute we saw the boy watching Mr. Aherne, next minute they are at the door asking for money for apprentice tools. There was certainly enough time to expand this part of the story as the film was only 91 minutes long. We needed to see what Mr. Aherne saw in the boy that made him willing to take him on as an apprentice without a bond. Was Mr. Aherne an old friend of Agnes and her late husband? 3) The ending with the brash Tom Jones did not play well and would have been better with Agnes all dressed up and leaving for the concert, or as a dream/fantasy sequence, with her waking up and finding Pierre waiting for her having helped the children get their tea ready. Not to put down Tom Jones, but his presence was jarring.
Still these are minor gripes in what was a charming film.
I could not help wondering why Agnes did not go to the Garda over Billy's loan sharking to young children, but perhaps the poor of Dublin don't involve the police. Agnes, who we saw many times defiantly marching through the streets aiming her pram like a weapon, did not seem to be the type to be intimidated by Billy.
There were some major flaws: 1) when Agnes went to collect her widow's pension and was served by a very rude unhelpful clerk. In reality the clerk would have realized she was dealing with a woman who had just lost her husband and been helpful and solicitous.
2) The relationship with her eldest son should have been more detailed, and his meeting with the carpenter who was willing to take him on as an apprentice and teach him a a trade rather than leave him to dead end jobs interspersed with the employment dole was rushed through. One minute we saw the boy watching Mr. Aherne, next minute they are at the door asking for money for apprentice tools. There was certainly enough time to expand this part of the story as the film was only 91 minutes long. We needed to see what Mr. Aherne saw in the boy that made him willing to take him on as an apprentice without a bond. Was Mr. Aherne an old friend of Agnes and her late husband? 3) The ending with the brash Tom Jones did not play well and would have been better with Agnes all dressed up and leaving for the concert, or as a dream/fantasy sequence, with her waking up and finding Pierre waiting for her having helped the children get their tea ready. Not to put down Tom Jones, but his presence was jarring.
Still these are minor gripes in what was a charming film.