Cast: Anjelica Huston, Marion O'Dwyer, Ray Winstone, Arno Chevrier, Niall O'Shea, Ciaran Owens
Director: Anjelica Huston
Producers: Jim Sheridan, Arthur Lappin, Anjelica Huston
Screenplay: Brendan O'Carroll and John Goldsmith, based on O'Carroll's novel The Mammy
Cinematography: Anthony B. Richmond
Music: Paddy Moloney
U.S. Distributor: USA Films
There's nothing terribly wrong with Agnes Browne, but there's nothing special about it, either. Set in Dublin during the late 1960s, the movie strives (mostly unsuccessfully) to fit into the mold formed by Roddy Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy (The Commitments, The Snapper, The Van). To that end, the filmmakers attempt to blend the humorous moments and small tragedies of everyday life into an endearing whole. Unfortunately, Agnes Browne often comes across as clichéd and overwrought, and features an ending that is a text book example of deus ex machina.
For veteran actress Anjelica Huston (daughter of the late John Huston), this is her second outing as a director (she previously helmed a made-for-cable version of Bastard Out of Carolina). It isn't an auspicious sophomore effort. The sense of time and place are weak (this isn't helped by a Tom Jones cameo, since, even heavily made-up, Jones today looks considerably older than he did in 1967), and Huston frequently resorts to manipulation. Admittedly, this could be because the script, co-written by John Goldsmith and Brendan O'Carroll (upon whose book, The Mammy, the film is based), lacks the depth that would allow for real emotional resonance. One only needs to compare this movie with the far superior and not entirely dissimilar Angela's Ashes (which also tells of a single mother's struggles to provide for her children and hold the family together in an impoverished Irish city) to understand what's missing.
Agnes Browne (Huston) is the recently widowed mother of seven - six boys and one girl, ranging in ages from two to 14. Her life is basically a series of crises, some minor and some major, and many of them dealing with money. Her children are her lifeline, and she constantly preaches togetherness to them. Her best friend and co-worker at a fruit and veg stall, Marion Monk (Marion O'Dwyer), is a source of constant inspiration. At Marion's urging, Agnes begins dating a French baker named Pierre (Arno Chevrier), who bears a resemblance to Gerard Depardieu. For a nemesis, there's the local loan shark, Mr. Billy (Ray Winstone), a one-dimensional villain who has taken a disliking to Agnes, and, to get back at her, loans one of her sons money that he has no possibility of paying back.
The single, most obvious strength of Agnes Browne is Huston the actress, whose performance almost makes the film work, despite the failings of Huston the director and the screenplay. Agnes comes across as a strong, forceful character whom we instantly like and admire. The supporting cast is also effective. Marion O'Dwyer is likable as Marion and Arno Chevrier is suitably Depardieu-ish as Pierre. However, although Ray Winstone makes Mr. Billy into a very unpleasant person, the actor's talents are sadly underused, as anyone who has seen him in either Nil By Mouth or The War Zone can attest.
While some of Agnes Browne's episodes are admittedly appealing, the movie as a whole doesn't amount to much. For example, the funeral sequence for Agnes' husband is charming and amusing - the hearse breaks down on the way to the graveyard, and, by the time the coffin arrives, mourners become confused because there's another service going on at the same time. Unfortunately, the simple pleasure of that segment doesn't extend to much of the rest of the film. The feel-good ending is movie's most egregious misstep. Without it, Agnes Browne would seem less mawkish, but equally uneven.
© 2000 James Berardinelli