"Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet fired for Irish freedom."
Sony Pictures Classics / Mongrel Media
Starring rappers Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh), Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin), and DJ Próvaí (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) as fictional versions of themselves, there's an obvious naturalistic fit to how the group dramatizes their own stories beyond just spitting angry, anti-establishment rhymes. Their focus on the darkly comedic elements of their unlikely journey from low-level drug dealing on the streets of Belfast to greater stardom and notoriety makes the whole 8 Mile origin story treatment after only just now releasing their second studio album all the more impressive.
A ringer in the form of Nothern Ireland native Michael Fassbender co-stars as Naoise's absentee fugitive father who faked his own death ten years earlier to avoid arrest for his political violence and bombings. He represents a more old-guard, militant view of Irish republicanism that's become jaded over time and resentful of his son's younger generation. However, the film and its raucous music make their message of language preservation as a part of national identity of paramount importance.
Kneecap is as blisteringly funny as it is politically charged. While Liam and Naoise seem initially bratty in their seemingly misguided ideals by their views on Irish independence, how they express their ideals through frank lyrics about drug use and government mistreatment puts Ireland's historical fracturing all the more into perspective. Kneecap, both the film and band pull no punches when it comes to its portrayal of colonial violence, civil unrest, and political freedom for good and ill.
Update: Kneecap screens as part of the 2024 Whistler Film Festival at Village 8 Cinemas on December 6th.
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