''Between the Canals'' is an Irish

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

written and directed by Mark O'Connor.

Plot

The film follows three small-time criminals as they pinball their way about

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

on a boozy

Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...

. Liam (Dan Hyland) is plotting an escape from minor villainy. Dave (Peter Coonan) hopes to move up the criminal pecking order, while Scratcher (Stephen Jones) seems happy to coast.

Cast

Peter Coonan Peter Coonan (born 1984) is an Irish actor, known for his role as Fran Cooney in the RTÉ One series '' Love/Hate'', for which he won Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Television at the 11th Irish Film & Television Awards. In 2011, he played ...

as Dave Fennel * Dan Hyland as Liam Mulligan * Stephen Jones as Scratcher *

Damien Dempsey Damien Dempsey (born 9 June 1975) is an Irish singer and songwriter who mixes traditional Irish folk contemporary lyrics that deliver social and political commentaries on Irish society. Damien sings in his native, working class accent in the Eng ...

as Paul Chambers *

as Dave Fennell - Dots *

Barry Keoghan Barry Keoghan ( ; born 18 October 1992) is an Irish actor. He is known for his roles on screen, appearing in independent films and blockbuster films. In 2020, he was listed at number 27 on ''The Irish Times'' list of Ireland's greatest film act ...

as Aido

Production

The film was shot in a speedy, mobile style around

Sheriff Street Sheriff Street (), known by locals as "Sheriffer" or "The Street", is a street in the north inner city of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, lying between East Wall and North Wall (Dublin), North Wall and often considered to be part of the No ...

, Dublin.

Release

The film premiered at the

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival The Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF; ) is an annual film festival held in Dublin, Ireland, since 2003. History Dublin International Film Festival was established in 2003. It was revived by Michael Dwyer, international film critic and ' ...

on 24 February 2010. It was released in Irish cinemas on 18 March 2011.

Reception

The film has received strongly positive reviews. ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' stated "Inner-city Dublin has often been the subject of Irish films, but few previous releases have got so close to the exhaust fumes, car alarms and fag ash."

Entertainment.ie ''Entertainment.ie'' is an Irish web company based in Dublin. The company provides news and reviews of programs and films for TV and the cinema. It also provides information on upcoming comedies, festivals, theater shows and music in Ireland, a ...

called it "a rough-and-ready drama that's a cross between ''

Mean Streets ''Mean Streets'' is a 1973 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and co-written by Scorsese and Mardik Martin. The film stars Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. It was released by Warner Bros. on October 2, 1973. De Niro won the National ...

'' and ''

La Haine ''La Haine'' (, ; released in the United States as ''Hate'') is a 1995 French crime drama film written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Starring Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui, the film chronicles a day and nig ...

''."

References

External links

* * 2010 films Irish crime films 2010 crime films English-language Irish films Films set in Dublin (city) Saint Patrick's Day films 2010s English-language films {{2010s-crime-film-stub