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‘Kneecap’ Review: Irish Rap Group Flips the Finger at British Imperialism in Wonderfully Offbeat Docudrama
Derived from the real-life creation of performing trio Kneecap, boisterous comedy 'Kneecap' is a cinematic protest in defense of the Irish language.
Not all visual components in Peppiatt’s eclectic bag of tricks imbue originality (VHS-style fast-forwards are overused), but there’s enough gutsy charm packed into the charged performances of the rappers turned convincing actors and Ryan Kernaghan’s vivaciously shapeshifting cinematography, even as the film ramps up to an expectedly uplifting finale, to earn it some slack. When compared to Kenneth Branagh’s fangless and saccharine “Belfast,” which unfolds in the 1960s at the height of Northern Ireland’s religious conflict, Peppiatt’s comedy wrapped in ideological barbed wire feels all the more subversive (a shot of a Palestinian flag hanging from a balcony in an apartment complex confirms where the Irish allegiance lies). With limited screen time but great narrative significance, Michael Fassbender plays Naoise’s father Arlo — don’t miss a reference to the IRA leader the actor portrayed in Steve McQueen’s “Hunger” — who knows that Kneecap’s controversial ascent to fame and the large number of acolytes they’ve amassed represents a possibility for the resurgence of spoken Irish as a source of pride.
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