Kneecap: Movie Review

Cast: Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Michael Fassbender, Josie Walker, Simone Kirby
Director: Rich Peppiatt

Kneecap's riotous mix of irreverence and energy makes this story feel like one of the festival's best.

Tracing the roots of the Irish-speaking rappers, the film focuses squarely on their rise to notoriety from their dreary surroundings.
When Liam (Ó Hannaidh) meets respected teacher JJ (Ó Dochartaigh) in a police cell, a momentary theft opens up the possibility these rappers could have something going for them.

Inspired by his book of rhyme, and retreating to his garage lock up studio, JJ puts together the baselines (and basslines) of an all-out assault on both the politics of the time and the increasing pressure to speak the Queen's English, rather than the native tongue.

Kneecap is crowd-pleasing stuff that only hits a minor falter in its final third as the energy levels begin to dip. Beginning with irreverence by mocking traditional films about Belfast that involve the troubles and tales of sectarian violence, Kneecap sets the tone of something different for an origin tale.

Yet it's also with the band's music blasting out from the screen and on-screen graphics punctuating their songs that director Peppiatt's film begins to take shape - it's less anarchic than it sounds and is more a clarion call for the preservation of indigenous languages (a final on-screen graphic packs a powerful emotional punch) - and in many ways, it will surprise many.

But it's blessed with some great solid performances, some of the Trainspotting energy that signalled Britpop's urgent inclusion in Cinema Britannia and serves to show that music biographies have much broader reaches than just fans of the genre.

And it's also fun. There are some laugh-out loud moments throughout and witty dry one-liners that are delivered with such deadpan joie de vivre that are hard to deny.

Perhaps interestingly the film's biggest name Michael Fassbender is a very fleeting presence throughout (to say much more is to spoil the film) allowing the band's original members their time to shine both dramatically and lyrically.

In the final wash, Kneecap is the kind of film that presents a timeless message with a sense of urgency. It's hard to deny any of it, but it begs you to succumb to its punkish charms and you'd be wise not to resist.

This film is playing as part of the 2024 Whanau Marama New Zealand International Film Festival. For more details, visit nziff.co.nz