This is a great little film, a real must-see. This is a great
little film, with all the ingredients of a good evenings entertainment. It
has action and romance blended with humour and Irish music. A wonderful
cocktail of true life events set against a fantastic background of Irish
scenery. I really enjoyed watching this film and highly recommend it to
those who appreciate seeing a good film. The most incredible thing about
this film is that it is based on actual events that happened in Ireland.
During the second world war, Ireland was neutral and had a Prisoner of War
(POW) camp exactly like the one depicted in The Brylcreem Boys. This POW
camp was situated 30 miles outside Dublin near a town called Naas, and it
housed both Allied and German prisoners of war. This film does a great job
in showing how life in the POW camp really was and how the British, American
and German prisoners all had to get along together. A fantastic story and
really worth seeing portrayed in the film. All the crew and cast involved in
the researching, writing and the making of this film deserve a cheer! Well
done!
Mont from Manchester, England
mountshannon@yahoo.com 28
September 1999
This film is "wicked".
I've had a chance to see this film and I think that for a war time story
it's actually quite good. It has a good story and is very easy to follow.
The gorgeous Jean Butler plays her part wonderfully. If you've got a couple
of hours free I recommend it.
Dean, London
This is one of many brilliant Irish productions which the USA has
begun to appreciate.
Broadway productions such as The Irish and How They Got That Way
by Frank McCourt, movies such as Waking Ned Devine, books such as Angela's
Ashes by McCourt, music by the 3 Irish Tenors and the magnificent serial
from Ireland, Ballykissangel, are all testimony to the
"endearing charms" of Ireland and things Irish. All have drama,
sense of humor and sadness - the Irish personality. This movie has a new
twist, a philosophical expression of anti-war morality. Gabriel Byrne and
all of the actors portraying the Allies, the Germans and the Irish in WWII,
give us entertainment plus a lot to think about. This is a thoroughly
enjoyable movie and the Irish dancers are great.
Bettie M. Magee
(bettiem48@webtv.net)
Natick, MA USA
This film captured the comradeship and humour that made up life in the
R.A.F. during World War Two.
ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION CANNOCK CHASE BRANCH U.K.(573) Members of
the Cannock Chase Branch of the R.A.F. - Royal Air Force - attended the
premier of the excellent film "The Brylcreem Boys" held on April
23, 1999 in Wolverhampton. All of us were ex-serving members of the R.A.F.,
and some of our group were elderly veterans who had flown in the 'Battle of
Britain' in 1941. We all wish to express our thanks to the director Terence
Ryan and all the cast and crew who's efforts made this film possible.
Without a doubt we all feel that this film has captured the essence of the
situation that prevailed during the period in which the film was set. The
comradeship and humour that made up life in the R.A.F. is a thing that can
never be adequately described but we all feel that the film The Brylcreem
Boys has gone a long way in portraying this. We congratulate everyone
involved in the making of this film for what can only be described as an
excellent piece of work.
Malcolm Blackman. R.A.F. England
opixfilms@mcmail.com
A totally captivating film play.
I've seen the movie twice by choice because it presents (I believe) a place in time of
which the world knows little. I believe the producers, director and actors faithfully
portrayed four important cultures in an unusual setting during WWII, the Irish, English,
Americans, and Germans. I merely stumbled on the movie while surfing with my dish; I was
held spellbound during my first and second viewing. The film and concept are absolutely
fascinating, historically significant, and well done.
W Stillwagon from North Plainfield,
New Jersey, USA, September 25, 1998
The Brylcreem Boys, a hidden gem
A rather serious movie that explores the nature of relationships between enemies and
allies in the midst of a war, The Brylcreem Boys with its almost 'Hogan's Hero's' type
feel to the underlying theme is truly one of the finest films I have seen in a long time.
This film lacked the hype that many other films get, but in my opinion it leaves most of
them in the dust. The tension begins when an American and a German pilot have managed to
shoot each other down over neutral Ireland during World War II. To preserve its neutrality
in the war, Ireland places all belligerents -Axis and Ally- into a POW camp, where the one
intolerable action is to bring the outside war into Ireland. As a social scientist I found
this movie to be thought provoking regarding what it means to be gentlemen in a time of
extreme conflict. This remarkable film gives fascinating insight into human behaviour in a
place far removed from the horrors of the war, and is a film that promises to satisfy a
multitude of different tastes.
Dave Holt, from The Emerald City; Greenville NC, USA, June 1, 1999
Story about a little known incident at the start of WWII.
Allied and Germans are held together in an Irish Prisoner of War camp. Great scenery
(filmed entirely on the Isle of Man), good period costumes, some good acting. Female lead
is Jean Butler, more well-known for her dancing with the Riverdance troupe.
Richard from Los Angeles, CA, March
2, 1999
