Author: Bryan Loomis
Kneecap is a real jolt of energy. This starts with Kneecap’s music, which is featured throughout the film and is performed by its group members, the stars of the film. This choice allows the movie to feature Kneecap’s excellent and irreverent hip hop throughout its runtime, and the sequences where the songs are being performed are some of the best in the movie. This takes an area of music biopics that is often weak (actors trying to match the musicians they are portraying but coming off as a pale imitation) and makes it a strength. Furthermore, that same irreverence and energy permeates everything about the film - from the clever subtitling to the ketamine trips. It's very much in the mold of Trainspotting, another youthful film in active rebellion against English colonialism.
That rebellion against political oppression focuses the film, making it less of a takedown of “the system” in a vague way and more focused in terms of what it’s rejecting - namely, the stifling of the Irish language and all the culture that comes along with a nation having a language of its own. It's also self-conscious enough to wonder aloud at points if Kneecap’s form of rebellion is the best way to go about reviving Irish language and culture. With the involvement of the band itself in the film, it's unsurprising that the film answers this question with a full throated “yes”, where maybe an answer of “mostly yes” would be more appropriate. But it still says something about the film that it is smart enough to raise the question in the first place.
Each of the three group members gets their own storyline here, with varying levels of success. The best is J.J. Ó Dochartaigh’s storyline, as he proves to be the strongest actor and carries a lot of the film’s moral and political quandaries while the other two are a lot more comedic. J.J. gets a pretty compelling arc where he must decide whether to embrace his inner scumbag as a part of Kneecap or continue along the legal and moral route of advocacy within the lines. Liam’s storyline is the next most effective, with a pretty hilarious romantic subplot involving his girlfriend being turned on by Irish Republicanism. Naoise’s subplot works the least, with a back plot about his father and the different ways to rebel that’s going for emotional heft. But it doesn't really land, as the writing and acting aren't particularly good. Both Naoise and Liam struggle a lot with carrying dramatic storylines with their acting, but they mostly get away with it just by being very suave and funny throughout the movie.
So while not everything in Kneecap works, it has an overwhelming sense of energy and purpose that makes it all fall into place. A movie like this that's interested in breaking stuff, having fun and hammering an important message doesn't need to be immaculate and flawless. It just needs energy and attitude - which this movie has in spades.
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