Directed By Rich Peppiatt

Starring – Moglai Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Provai

The Plot – Set in West Belfast in 2019. Fate brings together disillusioned music teacher JJ (Provai) with self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise (Bap) and Liam Og (Chara), changing the sound of Irish music forever,” the description continues. “Under the name Kneecap, their band begins moulding the language to fit their tough, anarchic, hedonistic lives. A language encumbered with forty words for stone now has one for stoned. But to get their voices heard the trio must overcome police, paramilitaries and politicians as the future of the Irish language erupts into the public arena – with them at the centre. Yet their worst enemies are often themselves, as family and relationship pressures threaten their dreams, and their illegal exploits draw condemnation from all sides.

Rated R for pervasive drug content and adult language, sexual content/nudity and some violence

KNEECAP | Official Trailer (2024) (youtube.com)

POSITIVES

Many films have been made about Ireland, but very few with the kind of raw energy and political introspection of ‘Kneecap’, realized from the rise of a real life Irish hip hop group, to which so much of the sociological jolts energize from. This is anything but your typical music biopic, as not only does Peppiatt stay away from tropes and predictability that ties so much of the genre together, but he also vividly illustrates the dreaded disposition of these three men that brought them together to use their voice and music against the system, in turn enacting one drug-fueled and grittily aggressive middle finger to the establishment that surmises as much pulse-rattling style as it does three-dimensional substance. Peppiatt, a former music video director for the band, conjures much of the stylistic impulses from that medium to imbed to the presentation of the film, with everything from on-screen lyrical text and emotional expressionism among its characters, to rapid fire editing among intoxicating imagery, all in a manner to vividly contextualize the underlining fun factor and ferocity to their music that has made them such an irresistible force to anyone willing to give them an honestly unbiased opinion of their catalogue. Because the film continuously loses itself in both the madness of their empowering stage show, as well as the unpredictable nature of their lives, the comedy comes effortlessly, resulting in a comfortable consistency among effectiveness that I found so much more charming than just the vitriolic crude vocabulary that its characters unabashedly unload at the ears of their opposition, bringing to life so much personality and charisma between its characters that helps bridge the gap of the language barrier that this film uses as a tool to enforce urgency towards geographic relevance remaining in war torn nations. On that front, it’s also not a film that is a non-stop frolic into the frenetic world that Peppiatt and his group sell to audiences, balancing the constant craziness with real life conflicts plaguing its nation that gives the biopic more stakes than just those that are typically created from its musicians in question. In that regard, a battle with overzealous conservative republicans, an abusive police force, or a bleak economical structure are just a few of the ways that the film relays a connective tissue to those pertaining to our own world, making the characters not only easy to invest in, despite the occasional crudeness of their designs, but also an unsettling direction for the storytelling that frequently catches up to you, reminding you that music is used as a vital tool of escapism for people dealing with the everyday chaos of a crumbling world, in ways that might be unique to the geographic relevance pertaining to this story, but not unique to the many familiar variables that any audience can coherently interpret from their own worlds. As for the soundtrack, I can honestly state that the lyrics and dedicated Irish language did make it difficult to get lost in the depths of the thematic impulses that the band continuously touch on, but the rhythmic pulses and beats of the instrumentals, as well as the intensity of theatrics between the dynamic duo at the forefront of the group, provided a thoroughly defined X-factor for the group’s appeal that I was wholeheartedly digging, resulting in constant head-bobbing and toe-tapping that I’m sure wasn’t as delightfully engaging for those with the unfortunate task of sharing an auditorium with me. If I had to pick a favorite among the vast collection of tracks that this film unloads at the forefront of the audience, complete with colorful musical performances, I would say it’s ‘Better Way To Live’, a song about evading all of the chaos within the crumbling ruins of life, to find appreciation towards making tomorrow a different day. It’s a bit preachy and lyrically obvious, but is complimented endlessly by an underlining synth variable still resonating in a lot of contemporary European hip-hop, with such an unshakeable hook that I’m literally listening to it now, as I type this review. Last on the beneficial side of the movie’s intakes, the performances from the real life musicians turned actors are undoubtedly authentic and full of candid emotionality, but specifically it’s the combination of heart and even immaturity that they supplant to the characters that feels most human, especially with the vulnerability assembled from Peppiatt’s direction that directly places them in some uncomfortable situations. Particularly with Bap’s Naoise, there’s an eagerness for the adrenaline that comes with dancing the daring that constantly compels his character, and while he’s quite literally outlined as being a seedily slimy character, his aspirations are thoroughly defined, allowing Naoise to remain relatable, despite actions that aren’t always on the same page morally as his audience.

NEGATIVES

Despite ‘Kneecap’ being an intoxicating thrill ride, a couple of underwhelming instances left it fighting an uphill battle almost before the storytelling even begins to take shape, which should be a bit concerning to any audiences looking to give it a chance. For starters, the opening act of the movie felt a bit unfocused and even at times slightly aimless to me, making it difficult to invest into the story initially, where much of the character building takes shape. While the characters themselves definitely aren’t a problem, as they’re more than relatable, the threads of the beats are a bit sloppily conceived and sporadic before it eventually finds its settled rhythm, along the beginning of the second act, leaving the pacing a bit jumpy and frenetic, perhaps as a means to match the live-fast lifestyle of its characters, but instead leaving me a bit conflicted on a starting point to settle in. Beyond the opening act, a constant problem to the movie’s appeal is the sporadic deviation between its two languages; Irish and English, which make it a chore to remain invested in character conversations and dialogue. The Irish isn’t exactly the problem, as its given subtitles that, even with the rampant speed of its text, still allows us to faithfully follow along. Instead, the bigger issue is with the English, which when spoken from these thick Irish accents, sounds a bit muffled and indistinguishable, especially from Bap. This is going to result in either louder volume levels for the audience, or frequent rewinds in their engagement, and though it is faithful to the conflicting cultural tug of war that is persisting in Ireland and all around the world, in the confines of audience investment, it’s another obstacle that thinly tested conservative or elder audiences will inevitably take issue with, further driving a divide to an already boisterously unapologetic engagement.

OVERALL
‘Kneecap’ starts a little shaky in finding its foundation, but eventually settles in to being a stylistically intoxicating and substantially stimulating engagement that is among the best and most refreshing biopics that I have ever seen. Through the unapologetic and ruthlessly visceral tracks, this talented trio inspired a revolution among its fandom, all the while cinematically opening its audience’s eyes to many unsettling truths about geographic suppression that makes each culture the refreshing blend that it was initially constructed to be.

My Grade: 8/10 or B+