Favorite Irish movies

OK, I know, St. Patrick's Day was two days ago, so I guess I'm a bit late with this. But looking through my DVD shelf, I realized that, next to America, Ireland has produced (or at least figured prominently in), the most movies I own.

So, in honor of the Emerald Isle, here are my 10 favorite "Irish" films (the quotes are an acknowledgement, before we get started, that some movies on this list are from non-Irish directors.)

Anyways, here goes:

1. Some Mother's Son
Considering all the vacuous crap that manages to make it onto DVD these days, the fact that this great Terry George movie is nowhere to be found is just utterly offensive (luckily I have a very beat-up VHS copy.) This nonsentimental tale looks at the 1981 hunger strike in a British prison, in which IRA prisoner Bobby Sands led a protest against the treatment of IRA prisoners as criminals rather than as prisoners of war, through the eyes of two of the prisoners' mothers (hence the title.) Featuring fantastic performances from Helen Mirren and Fionnula Flanagan, this one is my favorite in the George/Sheridan canon.

2. The General
This John Boorman flick about the notorious Irish gangster Martin Cahill holds a special place in my heart for introducing me to Brendan Gleeson. He's dynamic as Cahill, and the movie is just a really fun and smart game of cat-and-mouse between Cahill and the police who pursued him (led, surprisingly, here by Jon Voight.)

3. The Secret of Roan Inish
Though "Passion Fish" remains my favorite John Sayles movie, this is probably the one I've seen the most times. It's just the perfect example of a children's movie that works just as well for adults, and a lovely ode to the power of imagination.

4. Breakfast on Pluto
I get very nervous when my favorite books get turned into movies, but this is one case where the transition was nearly flawless. Cillian Murphy gets all dolled up to play Patrick "Kitten" Braden, who just wants to drift through life in a dream but can't escape the harsh world around him. Lighter than air, but still a delight.

5. The Crying Game
Make it back-to-back titles from Neil Jordan. All the more-than-a-little ridiculous hoopla about Jaye Davidson distorted the fact that this remains one of the better IRA dramas. The opening sequence with Forest Whitaker as a British soldier being held captive by IRA members Stephen Rae and Miranda Richardson has been permanently burned in my brain.

6. The Snapper
Although I'm numbering these (at least in part so I can keep track of where I am in the list), it's not in order of affection. If so, this charming little Stephen Frears movie would be No. 1. It's the best movie from Roddy Doyle's Barrytown trilogy, and one that just makes me laugh from start to finish.

7. The Boxer
Of all the Sheridan/George IRA movies, this one for me has the strongest sense of time and place. The mood throughout just perfectly captures the fragile peace negotiated for Northern Ireland, and Daniel Day Lewis and Emily Watson are great as the romantic leads.

8. War of the Buttons
One of the odder movies I've ever seen, but still a winner. This 1994 flick is about just what the title implies: Two gangs of Irish teenagers get into a "war" in which, when a combatant is captured, his opponents snip a button from his clothing. It shouldn't work by any standard, but somehow it just does.

9. Bloody Sunday
Paul Greengrass made his mark as a master of the docudrama with this look at the Jan. 30, 1972, clash between Northern Ireland activists and British troops that left 13 protesters dead. James Nesbitt should have garnered an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of march leader Ivan Cooper.

10. Felicia's Journey
Having been directed by Canuck Atom Egoyan and with much of its action taking place in England, this one only tangentially belongs on this list, but so what? It mines familiar Egoyan themes of family ties and how they can warp, but it's set apart by Bob Hoskins' completely over-the-top performance as caterer-turned-serial-killer Hilditch.

And there you have it. A very contemporary list, I know, but all movies I love. There are definitely some great Irish movies I have snubbed, so please feel free to add your favorites to my list.