Kneecap

After griping that ‘Every f’in movie about Belfast starts like this,’ as footage of The Troubles unfolds across the screen, Liam Óg (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh) pivots to a flashback of his best friend Naoise’s (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) Catholic forest christening, disrupted by British helicopters suspecting an arms deal.  The boys grew up under the tutelage of Naoise’s dad Arló Ó Cairealláin (Michael Fassbender, "The Killer"), a fierce Republican who taught them the importance of keeping the Irish language alive.  So when Liam is arrested and refuses to speak the Queen’s English, the arrival of school music teacher JJ (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) to act as his translator will mark the initiation of the first Irish language hip-hop group, “Kneecap.”

Laura's Review: B+

According to press notes, cowriter (with Kneecap’s Naoise and Liam)/director Rich Peppiatt was inspired to make this film after having caught the band during its rise in Belfast and, not knowing the Irish language himself, decided that the Irish language movement should be the movie’s central theme.  All he needed to do was learn the language and teach the three band members how to act, something he appears to have achieved with flying colors.  “Kneecap,” a riotous act of punk rebellion, has a real “Trainspotting” vibe going on.

Peppiatt and the lads have come up with a story that covers a lot of ground.  After a flashback introducing Arló, his influence on the two boys and his flirtatious relationship with his wife Dolores (Simone Kirby, "Jimmy's Hall," HBO's 'His Dark Materials'), we learn that he faked his own death and only Naoise knows dear old dad is still around and in hiding while Dolores has sunk into depression.  That hasn’t stopped local cops from maintaining a trail on Arló, though, so he asks his son to arrange a ten year memorial service for his death.

Meanwhile, mild mannered music teacher JJ’s girlfriend Caitlin (Fionnuala Flaherty) is heading the political movement to recognize the Irish language, something denied them by politicians who granted the same to Scotland and Wales.  But while Caitlin’s making public appearances promoting the movement as the cultural right of upstanding citizens, she is unaware that her partner has become obsessed with drug-fueled recording sessions in the garage he’s stored the equipment of earlier passions in, convinced there is something in the Irish jottings in Liam’s notebook, a little black book he pocketed during that police interrogation when he spotted a sheet of acid tucked inside.  And just to keep things interesting, the boys are being harassed by three violent anti-drug Republicans while Liam’s begun to hook up with Georgia (Jessica Reynolds), a unionist turned on by his Irish resistance.

The newly formed trio will start very small, Naoise and Liam rapping in Irish to a few older pub regulars as JJ, disguised with a green, white and orange balaclava, plays synth percussion offstage, but a young waitress takes note, recording them on her phone. As they gain local popularity, Caitlin has to maneuver around their influence as she fights for The Irish Language Act, now being attacked by the right because of Kneecap’s provocative lyrics.  Meanwhile Detective Ellis (Josie Walker, "Belfast") is on the warpath, and when she questions Dolores about Arló’s whereabouts, she awakens another resistor.

Peppiatt keeps things lively with direct camera addresses and words and lyrics scrawled across the screen like graffiti.   The music is addictive and the filmmakers wisely set their climax during a concert where all the story’s threads are pulled together, a legendary figure illustrating the meaning behind the band’s name.  And if Liam was tired of Irish films revolving around The Troubles, they are nonetheless percolating beneath his narrative, the authorities trying to burn them all down.  Kneecap will have the last laugh.  Stick around during the closing credits for some outtakes of the band in non-fictional action.

Robin's Review: B

JJ (DJ Provai) teaches music in West Belfast in Northern Ireland, though he has lost his mojo. Then, he meets Naoise (Moglai Bap) and Liam Og (Mo Chara), two rappers with a plan. They make the decision to perform in their native Gaelic and take on the rebellious name, “Kneecap.”

Tyro feature director Rich Peppiatt, who cowrote the story with his rapper stars, packs a lot into this story of ambition and dedication. The rapper trio takes the controversial name, Kneecap, and will bring their native language of Gaelic to their music. This is at a time where the Irish language promoters are fighting to make Gaelic an equal language in the North.

Kneecap, because of its timeliness in its controversy, takes on not just the police and the politicians, but also the RRAD (Radical Republicans Against Drugs) who oppose the band and its message of rebellion and nationality.
There is a fantasy element to the real story as the band must overcome the government rejection of their language and push their addendum to its completion – the right to speak Gaelic in an English-speaking world (very similar to the Quebecois in Canada in the 70s).

I have never been a fan of hip-hop music and “Kneecap” will not change my mind. But, there is energy in the real-life performances and their dedication to their cause – facing opposition, sometimes violent, to bring their music and language to the world. The performances are real as is their cause – the right to learn and speak your native language.

Sony Pictures Classics releases "Kneecap" in theaters on 8/2/24.