Cheap The Matchmaker (DVD) (Mark Joffe) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Matchmaker

Matchmaking never goes out of fashion!
The plot of "The Matchmaker" has been told in depth by many reviewers as well as the talent shown by all the actors. I would like to add a little comment on the characteristics that I liked most and that will make me remember this work. <
>There are many reasons to see this movie, even now that it is ten years old. <
>The first is that it stands the test of time: it is still as fresh and entertaining as when it came out and it deals with timeless problems that have somehow become cliches: raskally political men, the importance the Americans give to finding their roots, overwork, the difficulty of a womans role, loneliness and love. <
>The second is that all the actors are well casted, very good and true to life, they don't seem to come out of a refinished, glossy out of the world reality. <
>The third is that its humoristic with fine ironic dialogue that makes a laugh or two. <
>But the fourth reason is the most important of all and it is the lively, precise and poetic description of the beauty and tradition of Ireland's West Coast from Connemara to Aran Island to Lisdoonvarna's long standing matchmaking tradition. <
>If at this point the reader is not bored I would like to make the point on how a good script makes a good movie. <
>Lisdoonvarna's Matchmaking Festival held every year in September-October dates back to the 18th Century, when after the summer harvesting rich Irish countrymen went to Lisdoonvarna for the famous spa with warm waters. Here they arranged marriages for their sons and daughters with the help of the traditional figure of the Matchmaker (man or woman) of which I believe a few still survive today. Lisdoonvarna is in County Clare to the south of the West Irish Coast, while the movie was shot in the more picturesque Roundstone Connemara north of Galway and on Aran Island, but the atmosphere of this beautiful corner of the world is all there. <
>Ireland also has a tradition of singing contests that is well depicted in the movie. The soundtrack is really important in defining the atmospheres and all the songs are chosen with real feeling as can be seen by all the reviews that ask for the soundtrack. <
>It is incredible and a little pedantic to say but from this movie we not only get entertainment but also a little bit of culture.

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Career girl meets Danny Boy
I've always liked this movie, and I think the 2 leads (Janeane Garofalo and the "yummy" David O'Hara) are charming and very funny (and dare I say realistic and believable?). The supporting characters -- the shady American politicians (Jay O'Sanders and Denis Leary) as well as all the quirky locals in the little Irish coastal town -- are also hilarious. The plot is a bit madcap in places, but good clean fun. <
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Near perfect...
Janeane Garofalo is an underused talent but she did have the opportunity to shine a few times on the big screen. This is one of those examples which, proves that good acting and a great screen presence is not reserved for stars with huge names and multi-million dollar signing contracts (though, it's a shame that Ms. Garofalo isn't pulling down super-star paychecks). This story is set in an Ireland that may be quaint but also shows it's cracks; they just aren't afraid of them. Instead it's the rough and tumble flaws of this country's people and locales that makes it so endearing as the primary setting. Janeane is a misplaced campaign employee trying to track down the roots of her boss, the candidate, who believes he has roots in a particular town on the coast of Ireland. To make matters worse than her difficulty getting to this place she lands in the midst of a matchmaker's festival. She has no interest in getting hooked up and only wants to get her job done so she can return to civilization. What she finds are scammers, overbooked hotels and a matchmaker desperate to hook her up with a rough-around-the-edges local son recently returned home. Dennis Leary plays a conniving campaign manager who is more focused on victory than on relative facts and also treats folks like Janeane's character like an under-achieving serf. Without giving too much away Janeane is a delight and a genuine talent. I doubt that this film did very well and that's a shame. It has some predictable romantic chops but it also has some wonderful dialogue and biting wit as well as observations on the shamelessness of politics. Janeane's a jewel and she doesn't seem to know it. All the better for us.