Matchmaker is a 1997 romantic comedy starring Janeane Garofalo as Marcy, an Assistant to an American Senator who is searching for his Irish roots in a bid to help secure the support of Irish voters in an upcoming election. On visiting the village where the Senator's family are said to come from, Marcy finds herself in the midst of a traditional Irish matchmaking festival, trying to avoid the attention of the matchmakers who are intent on matching her with one of the eligible locals.
Although Garofalo is undoubtedly the star of this movie, it looks and feels as if it was made for a British and Irish audience. The style of humour is very familiar to British and Irish audiences and this may be due to the screenplay contribution of Graham Linehan (Father Ted, the IT Crowd) and a vast supporting cast of familiar Irish comedic acting talent. There is a sense that Linehan has eradicated the Holywoodisms and replaced them with a more subtle humour that may not travel universally, but which I personally found infinitely preferable to the usual formulaic Hollywood romantic comedy fare. Certainly there is an irony at the heart of this movie that seems to have gone unnoticed among many of those who rubbished it in some reviews I have read. This is that no matter how lovably eccentric the Irish characters appear to be, they are all clever enough to turn the tables on the visiting American politicians who set out to take advantage of them in the first place. They do this in such an understated way, that the Americans don't even realise it is happening. In this way, the movie hilariously encapsulates the relationship between people who pretend to conform to ridiculous stereotypes in order to earn money from tourism, and the naive visitors who create the stereotypes in the first place. If you watch this movie and feel that it is making fun of the Irish, then you have completely missed the point. The movie celebrates Irish humour, but is not the Irish who are being made fun of in this movie.
I found this to be Garofalo's best movie role. She absolutely shines as an initially cynical visitor who sees beyond the stereotypes and is ultimately won over by the place and its people. As someone who lives in Ireland, this is something I can relate to. This movie isn't Oscar worthy, but it is funny and charming and much much better than many reviewers have given it credit for. I have awarded in 8 marks out 10 and thoroughly recommend it.
Although Garofalo is undoubtedly the star of this movie, it looks and feels as if it was made for a British and Irish audience. The style of humour is very familiar to British and Irish audiences and this may be due to the screenplay contribution of Graham Linehan (Father Ted, the IT Crowd) and a vast supporting cast of familiar Irish comedic acting talent. There is a sense that Linehan has eradicated the Holywoodisms and replaced them with a more subtle humour that may not travel universally, but which I personally found infinitely preferable to the usual formulaic Hollywood romantic comedy fare. Certainly there is an irony at the heart of this movie that seems to have gone unnoticed among many of those who rubbished it in some reviews I have read. This is that no matter how lovably eccentric the Irish characters appear to be, they are all clever enough to turn the tables on the visiting American politicians who set out to take advantage of them in the first place. They do this in such an understated way, that the Americans don't even realise it is happening. In this way, the movie hilariously encapsulates the relationship between people who pretend to conform to ridiculous stereotypes in order to earn money from tourism, and the naive visitors who create the stereotypes in the first place. If you watch this movie and feel that it is making fun of the Irish, then you have completely missed the point. The movie celebrates Irish humour, but is not the Irish who are being made fun of in this movie.
I found this to be Garofalo's best movie role. She absolutely shines as an initially cynical visitor who sees beyond the stereotypes and is ultimately won over by the place and its people. As someone who lives in Ireland, this is something I can relate to. This movie isn't Oscar worthy, but it is funny and charming and much much better than many reviewers have given it credit for. I have awarded in 8 marks out 10 and thoroughly recommend it.