The Butcher Boy [DVD] [1998]

This 1997 film by Irish writer-director Neil Jordan was the first of two collaborations with writer Patrick McCabe, along with 2005’s Breakfast On Pluto. As with the later film, The Butcher Boy is another inspired piece of Jordan film-making – mixing comedy and tragedy, full of deft visual touches, highly evocative of small-town Irish life and childhood in the 1960s, featuring an 'all-star’ cast, plus a typically (for Jordan) eclectic soundtrack – but, unlike the later film, The Butcher Boy has a distinctly darker (and, eventually, violent) undercurrent of family dysfunction and breakdown. Of at least equal note is the film’s outstanding central debut performance by the young Irish actor Eamonn Owens as the mischievous, and increasingly psychologically disturbed, 12-year old, Francie Brady – a performance all the more remarkable for the way in which the newcomer Brady commands the screen (being on screen around 90% of the time, I would estimate).The emotional core of Jordan’s film centres around Francie’s at times fractious relationships with his drunken father, (Jordan regular) Stephen Rea’s Benny, his severely depressed mother, Aisling O’Sullivan’s Annie, and his best friend, Alan Boyle’s Joe, plus Francie’s arch enemy, (the excellent) Fiona Shaw’s uptight, supercilious, Mrs Nugent, mother to Francie’s schoolboy rival, Phillip. Jordan and McCabe’s kaleidoscopic narrative (accompanied by the witty narration of the adult Francie) follows the youngster through his various anarchic indiscretions to reform school where, in order to regain Joe’s friendship, Francie vows to mend his ways, against the backdrop of unwanted religious tutelage (notably from Milo O’Shea’s creepy priest). Throughout, Jordan gives us an exhilarating mix of the sense of childhood innocence (TV sci-fi excerpts, a comic book title sequence, etc.), the external political environment (based around the Cold War threat and potential nuclear apocalypse), plus a series of inventive fantasy (dream) sequences (perhaps most controversially including Sinead O’Connor’s blaspheming Virgin Mary). In less prominent roles, Jordan’s cast also includes Brendan Gleeson, Ian Hart, Ardal O’Hanlon, Sean Hughes and the writer Patrick McCabe himself.The film is at its most touching in depicting Francie’s obvious underlying love for his ‘basket case’ parents and his yearning for friendship with Joe, whilst it is uncompromising (and violent) in Francie’s dealings with his nemesis, Mrs Nugent. Even during the film’s darkest and most anarchic and sacrilegious moments, however, Jordan clearly has his tongue firmly in his cheek, as his use of 'upbeat’ musical themes, such as Weill’s Mack The Knife and B. Bumble & The Stingers’ Nutrocker demonstrates. For me, The Butcher Boy may not be right up there with Jordan’s absolute best – for example, the film probably does not quite match the kaleidoscopic exuberance of Breakfast On Pluto or the emotional punch of The End Of The Affair – but it still represents film-making of high ambition, innovation and inspiration.

I had this movie on VHS a long time ago and I really loved it when I was a teen. I recently came to think about it and decided to buy it on DVD and I'm glad I did - it's actually way better than I remembered. I consider this to be one of the best movies ever made!

The film was very Irish, if that makes sense, not the diddly diddly fighting Irish that the Yanks like to think they are from, but the real Ireland with its black sense of humour. It helps if you have been to and know the Irish people to understand it, I grew up with them so do. but on the whole it's a good classic film. If you want a dry comedy from Ireland I would recommend "the Guarde". but this film is in my collection, not in my sell bin.

Power movie so happy to see it again at a good price

Sound was very low but good movie

A great exploration of alcoholism, mental illness, all mixed with a good dose of Catholicism. What a recipe for a story!

Great film when I was younger, it's still a great film. The delivery was very fast, arrived a day or so sooner than I expected.

The DVD arrived faulty and would not play at all.