The Stag

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Audience Member Average film with some mildly amusing moments Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review james b Irish movie and a one man show the machine is a gas character. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I somehow ran across this title after review of the title 'Calvary' (2014), another film from the Irish Film Board that I was impressed with. I was quite delighted with this tale of a bachelor stag gone awry, that didn't take the low road of comedy, as the infamous 'Hangover' Trilogy. Long time friends Davin and Fionan find themselves planning and impromptu stag party for the rather effeminate and polite groom. What starts off as a simple little camping trip between 5 friends turns into a rather long evening of mishaps, bad decisions, and inconveniences. Enter 'The Machine,' brilliantly played by Peter McDonald, the grooms soon to be brother in-law, and a character of insulting bravado, who acts as an instigator throughout the film. Things begin nicely enough, but little by little, plans get skewed and they all end up off course. What made this film such a pleasure was how real the whole situation seems. If you've ever been hiking with friends, you learn very quickly who are the capable friends, and who are not. This film delightfully plays into this idea, when friendships are tested out in the wilderness after a few slight mishaps. At no point did this film scream fake, and I found myself laughing along with the banter. Each character brings a little bit of their own humour in this film, and each personality was perfect for their role. The run on jokes are timed very well, and even though you know they might be coming, they still deliver laughs. A great heartfelt comedy, funny and smart throughout. 3/5 Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review jesse o I think this is how you make a film about 'male bonding' without being an absolute douchebag dudebro, and sexist assholes to boot, about it like Entourage, both the series and the movie. This was quite the pleasant surprise, to be honest, I think it's better than the rating would imply. One of the things that was surprising about it is how well-written the movie actually is. Not that the characters themselves had any real depth to them, but they're likable and somewhat interesting, all of them have their own little issues, so it's not just about the hi-jinks they find themselves in during the stag weekend, though that, obviously, is a big part of it. The film does, however, follow a familiar narrative thread of these types of movies. Thankfully the gags are well-written, the acting is really quite good, particularly from Andrew Scott. Though I do wonder why the guys were so hesitant to go along on this stag trip with The Machine, the bride's brother. Other than the Machine's first scene, there's nothing about him that screams annoying or unbearable. Particularly as the movie progresses, when you do get to see a side of him that's actually really helpful and insightful. It might've been better if it was a little more gradual, but The Machine, almost immediately, starts to show off that he isn't who the guys think he is. Like have The Machine be obnoxious for a longer period of time than just the one scene and then have the gradual change, where you can see the layers sort of peeling off. But the film sort of does this without any rhyme or reason. The Machine is an asshole in one scene and then he isn't in the very next one. So I thought that could've been better handled, at least in my opinion. That's one of the few issues I had with the movie. Like I said, I do think the movie does do an effective at building a rapport with these characters without being mean-spirited about it like a lot of these films tend to do. My other big issue with the film is the fact that the third act is a little too sentimental for my tastes. I'd like say it feels earned, but parts of it aren't. Like the best man speech at the wedding was earned, everything else was a little too much for my tastes. Not that it bothered me that much, since I still really enjoyed the movie, but it was definitely a flaw. With that said, however, that didn't keep me from enjoying this movie. It's better than the rating might imply, but there's just some flaws that keep it from reaching a higher level. But if you want something that's quick and easy to digest, then this would be a good choice. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Enjoyable to watch with mates especially one who you can call best friend.. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Original, interesting, funny. No fake models with cliched scripts parroting out the same plot devices. Cinema needs more original content like this. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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