Here’s a different kind of comedy straight out of Ireland called Stand Off and it’s just been released on Blu-ray and DVD in a combo pack. The wacky little film has a lot going for it including some very good acting, direction and a comedic script. If you like movies that are funny, intriguing and have a touching surprise, then you’ll want to check out Stand Off a dark comedy by Terry George.
Jimbo (Martin McCann) and his friend Sox (Conor MacNeill) have been pals for years but both have fallen on hard times. Jimbo’s got himself in deep debt to killer Mad Dog Flynn who runs the local gambling establishment where he has been having a string of bad luck. Sox comes up with an idea that they could rob the local fish market that sells big on the weekend and walk off with enough money to take care of his family and pay off all his debts. At first he balks at the idea, but when Mad Dog threatens his life and offers him a trade of clearing his debt in exchange for his 1 year old son, Jimbo decides to take Sox up on the idea.
In the meantime, Joe Maguire (Brendan Fraser) has come to Belfast to run an antique shop for a family member who is taking a vacation. New in Ireland he slowly gets to know some of the townspeople like Sophie (Yaya DaCosta), an African immigrant to whom he’s attracted. When Jimbo robs the fish market, bungles the job causing a lot of commotion and ends up in the antique shop with 5 hostages, things start getting way out of control.
You may recognize a few of the actors, especially Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) who’s good at adventure comedy where he’s able to get his laughs from off tempo line delivery. He does a good job here of playing the straight man to the wacky fish market thief. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen the Irish actor Colm Meany who played in many American films like Con Air and Get Him to the Greek. Here he plays a Belfast detective who’s in charge of the hostage situation. Giving a great straight faced performance in light of the wacky situation, he’s perfect for the role that’s in the middle of all the havoc and mayhem.
But the best performance of the well known actors comes from David O’Hara who you will recognize from films like The Departed, Wanted and last year’s action hit Contraband. He takes on the antagonist role of Mad Dog Flynn in Stand Off and he’s very dangerous looking, enough to make the audience flinch when he’s on the screen. A total baddy, the guy uses a blow torch to get his victims to come around to his demands.
Directing the film Terry George who wrote In the Name of the Father and helmed Reservation Road takes the reins here with his fine cast. Although his script may be a little familiar and formulaic he turns his movie into a comedy of errors that overshadows most that have come before him. Being the writer of the film as well allowed him to present his vision unencumbered by an outside scriptwriter giving him a lot of freedom to allow ad-libs. I like the idea of the harried Jimbo who fears for his family and his future being put in the situation of trying to turn it all around with a robbery gone bad and in Stand Off, George does it up Irish style.
The video quality is very good considering the cinematography gets plagued with a lot of lighting issues, especially the interior of the Antique Shop filled with a lot of dark colorless objects. But this gloom is the tone director Terry George needed to project in order to get the feel of the film. He brightens it up in the market during the daylight, however showing some of the local beauty of Belfast. I love the filled 16×9 television screen projection that mirrors the theater presentation with no black bars top and bottom.
Sound quality using the Blu-ray 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio or DVD- 5.1 Dolby Digital that are both included in the combo pack, comes across distinct without any distortion. The action scenes where they use a lot of gunfire sounds realistic and even with the many different accents from the characters the dialogue is very understandable. If you do have trouble understanding some of the verbal interactions, English subtitles are available on both the Blu-ray and DVD.
The film has been rated R by the MPAA for language. Bringing realism to his film, Terry George uses a lot of abusive dialogue in his film, especially anytime Mad Dog appears on the screen. While you will recognize American slang, his Irish profanity tends to be over the top at times using several expletives in a single sentence. Consider it local color and it won’t bother you after awhile, it may actually provide a guilty laugh at times.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good dark witty film with a lot of tom foolery.[rating=4]
Specifications and additional film information:
- Cast: Brendan Fraser, Martin McCann, Colm Meaney, David O’Hara, Yaya DaCosta, Conor MacNeill
- Directed by: Terry George
- MPAA Rating: Rated R for language
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Foreign
- Running Time: 1 hr 29 min
- Street Date: March 26, 2013
- Language: English
- Format: Blu-ray, DVD
- Audio: Blu-ray 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, DVD- 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Video: Widescreen Version Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Number of Discs: 2 Discs
- Distributed by: ARC Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
