Kneecap mixes music and Irish politics in a way that’s entertaining, interesting and mostly only surface-level political. The true story of an Irish rap group (playing themselves) who made a statement just by performing fairly standard hip hop lyrics in the Irish language, it doesn’t pretend these guys are heroes. They’re rebels for shaking the system because what else are they going to do?
The simple act of rapping about sex and drugs in Irish is enough to piss a lot of people off, for a multitude of reasons. The movie does a decent job of establishing/explaining the climate in Ireland that led to them having an impact. It isn’t particularly great at exploring their individual motivations or personalities, making them a bit more symbolic than they should be. Still, it is a good story told in a vibrant, fast-paced, way, with energetic performances.
While it doesn’t outright give viewers a history of Ireland, Kneecap (100 minutes, minus the end credits) does give a strong sense of why what these three were doing was considered dangerous. The violence and constant radicalization in Belfast, plus the desire by some for the Irish to be allowed their own identity, adds up to anger, resentment and fear.
Director/cowriter Rich Peppiatt (making his feature narrative debut) uses humor and culture, reality and music-video-stylized coming of age tropes. It is fun to watch, even when it is predictable or unoriginal. What makes it so surprisingly engaging is that this story, about the battle for Irish individuality, is focused on two young men and a schoolteacher who are far more concerned with doing drugs or getting laid than they are with fighting for their country. That sentiment belongs to those around them and latches onto Kneecap without any intention on their part.
Liam and Naoise were brought up speaking Irish and were taught by Naoise’s dad, a revered freedom fighter named Arló, that every syllable in Irish is a strike against the British. Now they mostly party and mock the police. JJ gets called in to translate when Liam gets arrested and refuses to speak English. After reading Liam’s journal, he comes up with the idea of recording the entries to a beat and Kneecap is born.
There is certainly an authenticity connected to having the group members play themselves. They are very natural, even if the filmmakers take it easy on them by not making them do more than just exist. Liam is charismatic, with good screen presence, but has no real character arc. Naoise is less interesting, though he’s got an emotional arc. JJ is the motivating force; however, he has little to do besides worry about his girlfriend, his students or his coworkers discovering his secret. Michael Fassbender provides some depth as Naoise’s dad, who left his family after faking his own death, yet he feels like he belongs to a different movie.
Kneecap isn’t a music biopic and it isn’t ambitious enough to be a lesson in Irish history. What it is, most importantly, is entertaining. It is funny, with an inherent weight to it to make the story feel bigger than it really is. These guys wanted to party like American rappers; the difference is that when they take shots at the establishment it makes national headlines. It feels unique, even if it isn’t, due to its emphasis on a culture we don’t see much of on US screens. The result is enjoyable and worth checking out.
3½ out of 5
Cast:
Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh as Mo Chara
Naoise Ó Cairealláin as Móglaí Bap
JJ Ó Dochartaigh as DJ Próvai
Michael Fassbender as Arló Ó Cairealláin
Directed by Rich Peppiatt
Written by Rich Peppiatt, Naoise Ó Cairealláin), Mo Chara, Liam Óg Hannaidh and DJ Próvai
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