The Closer You Get

Kalvara, Co. Donegal, and the menfolk are restive. The pub's the only entertainment, except for the morally uplifting fillums the priest shows once a month in the church, and they want more. More sex, basically. And specifically, sex with the kind of women they see on telly: 'fit and sporty' girls, 'American' girls. And so they place an ad in the Miami Herald inviting likely lasses to their summer shindig. Then, of course, they look in the mirror: cue malarky with balding ne'er-do-wells pulling on tracksuits and puffing across the bog. Very Full Monty, in other words. In its own mild way, the film scores affectionate points off the vanity and foolishness of men (with Hart coming off worst), and Cusack works up a smidgen of emotional engagement. As notions go, it's amusing enough. But there are few surprises. Instead, it's packed with amusing business too cutely contrived to allow you to relax and enjoy the feel of the place or care about the characters.