The Job of Songs

2021

1h 13m

Documentary

Music

List

100%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

80%

Audience Score

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In Doolin, an isolated village teetering on the western edge of Ireland, a community of musicians seek joy and connection through music as they face a modernizing world.

Read More

Read Less

Prime Video

Rent The Job of Songs on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

Phil Hoad

Guardian

A candid and thoughtful film.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 20, 2023

Full Review

Joel Fisher

Battle Royale With Cheese

The Job of Songs offers a far more melancholic look at Ireland than audiences may expect. Although perhaps that could be down to our expectations, looking in from outside at a tiny village full of happy little Irishmen.

Dec 5, 2023

Full Review

Bradley Gibson

Film Threat

The Job of Songs follows several Irish musicians on their various roads to Doolin. Some of them are young, and others are quite old. The way of the music remains the same.

Rated: 7/10

Nov 13, 2023

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

A warm, intimate documentary that celebrates Doolin, Ireland's musical reputation and history through the performers who keep traditional Irish music alive there.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 26, 2023

Full Review

Ian Thomas Malone

ianthomasmalone.com

Schmitzs greatest skill as a director is the way she tackles heavy subjects without getting melancholic or giving into the trap of nostalgia.

Mar 17, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Michael K

I really wanted to like this film. The first 20 minutes are good, and prepare the viewer for great music. Unfortunately, that's it. There is a lot of talk about music, but no follow through. The documentary stalls in its focus on secondary conversations. Subsequently, this film doesn't really go anywhere. It turns in on itself, and plays more like a home movie than anything else. It doesn't reach out to the viewer as much as continually swing from talking about music, to drinking, to depression and suicide, and on and on. One would expect a final musical celebration of a jam in a local pub to illustrate the value of the music, but the movie just ends without any sort of resolution. The subject matter is great, but this film doesn't deliver.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/02/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Lila Schmitz

Director

Luka Bloom

Self

Katie Theasby

Self

Christy McNamara

Self

Anne Rynne

Self

Christy Barry

Self

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

90%

38%

All the Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997)

TRAILER

for All the Streets Are Silent: The Convergence of Hip Hop and Skateboarding (1987-1997)

81%

69%

A-ha: The Movie

100%

72%

Fanny: The Right to Rock

TRAILER

for Fanny: The Right to Rock

89%

84%

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road

TRAILER

for Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road

95%

98%

The Sparks Brothers

TRAILER

for The Sparks Brothers

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In Doolin, an isolated village teetering on the western edge of Ireland, a community of musicians seek joy and connection through music as they face a modernizing world.

Director: Lila Schmitz
Producer: Bill Guttentag
Screenwriter: Lila Schmitz, Anika Kan Grevstad
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2023
Runtime: 1h 13m

Most Popular at Home Now