18/10/2017 - Directed by the collective The Crooked Gentlemen, this Irish film is a zany tale set during the British rule in Ireland

The last Irish world premiere to take place at the fifth edition of the IndieCork Film Festival was that of The Legend of Harry and Ambrose, a comedy film written and directed by comic trio The Crooked Gentlemen, aka Johnny Elliott, Shaun Ryan and Jeff Doyle. Elliott and festival director Mick Hannigan introduced the first screening of the film at the Gate Cinema on 14 October.

The 85-minute feature is set in Ireland during the 18^th century and revolves around the bizarre relationship between two British Redcoat soldiers named Harry (Elliott) and Ambrose (Doyle). Harry and Ambrose are hopelessly in love with each other, but because of their duties and an absurd alien abduction, they cannot act upon their desires.

The film opens with a brief scene showing the two main characters playing hide and seek in a somewhat ridiculous way out in the fields, shot in slow motion. A series of short, surreal scenes ensues, which are necessary to properly introduce Harry and Ambrose, who are notable for their extreme loyalty to the British Crown and their profound hatred of the Irish people, who are constantly derided and described as “savages” by the pair. The film’s prologue is certainly enjoyable and outlines the main features of the directors' comedic style.

The Crooked Gentlemen do not hesitate to cram in as many elements as possible to paint a caricature of both the British rulers and the subjugated Irish. In this film, any kind of stereotype is fair game and is portrayed in an uncensored, irreverent and playful manner. Therefore, the co-leads and other actors portraying the Irish villagers drink stout, play Gaelic football, and cannot stop dancing and playing folk songs. In particular, the performances by Cora Fenton as dazed mother Roisin, Stephen Clinch as the father, Paddy McPaddyman, and John Connors as the homosexual villager are especially impressive.

The main purpose of this work is to ridicule the classic Hollywood model of the historical epic drama, which usually glorifies the bravery of the heroic rulers, while reducing their victims to grateful, disposable ethnics. The Legend of Harry and Ambrose breaks with tradition and achieves its ambitious goals by offering a number of entertaining gags and jokes, always trying to surprise the audience. The directors drew on a variety of well-known film and TV genres, such as soap operas, screwball comedies, animated cartoons, Broadway musicals, and erotic and science-fiction films. Moreover, the movie is enriched by the presence of several political subtexts and a caustic satirical tone.

However, the explicitness of some of the sexual content – particularly one of the first scenes starring Harry and the Alien (Jed Murray) – slightly oversteps the mark and does not increase the comic potential of the feature. More subtle references would probably have bolstered its lively wit.

The movie was filmed in various locations around County Wicklow and Dublin, and Elliott stated that the bulk of the principal photography took nearly 12 days and was complemented with additional sessions over the winter season.

The Legend of Harry and Ambrose is being distributed by independent production company The Crooked Gentlemen Films.