A One Mann’s Movies review of “Irish Wish” (2024).
I mean… I could have predicted that “Irish Wish” was going to be a “MISS” with me, almost before it started. A rom-com with Lindsay Lohan; a magical wish-giving Saint Brigid; an American in rural Ireland; directed by the person responsible for Lohan’s “Falling For Christmas”. The signs were on the wall.
And… I was right.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Frustrated writer Maddy Kelly (Lindsay Lohan) is being used and abused by bestselling author Paul Kennedy (Alexander Vlahos). She is ghost writing most of his books but getting minimal credit. But she puts up with it since she loves him. But that love is unrequited when Paul falls for one of her best friends Emma (Elizabeth Tan). Invited to the wedding in rural West Ireland, Maddy makes a wish to Saint Brigid to make things different.
Certification:
UK: 12; US: TV-G. (From the BBFC web site: “Language”.)
Talent:
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Ed Speleers, Alexander Vlahos, Elizabeth Tan, Ayesha Curry, Jane Seymour.
Directed by: Janeen Damian.
Written by: Kirsten Hansen.
Twitter Handle: #IrishWish.
Running Time: 1h 33m.
These two in a better written rom-com could have had legs. Ed Speleers and Lindsay Lohan. (Source: Netflix).
“Irish Wish” Review:
Positives:
- Ed Speleers is the best thing in the movie. I don’t know him from anything else, but he makes a charming and personable romantic lead. The illustrious Mrs Movie Mann commented that he looks like a dashing young Dominic West… and she’s right.
- The Irish countryside looks glorious and the music to accompany this bucolic splendour (by Nathan Lanier) is also very pleasant. I can see Westport in County Wicklow getting a tide of American tourists.
Negatives:
- Argh! It’s all so insipid and lame. I have nothing against Lohan per se, but she really needs better material than this pappy nonsense. Saint Brigid (Dawn Bradfield) keeps popping up like some Wicked Witch of the West of Ireland, spouting nonsense and then disappearing in a flash. And what is the moral we are supposed to take from this? That she got what she wanted but (coincidentally) found something better while doing it and wanted that instead? How very American and capitalist!
- Ireland is painted like some fairytale idyll for Americans where all the population live in huge mansions (the irony that this is what started all the troubles a few hundred years back seems lost on the film), drive supercars (the production team must have had to scour the country to dig up the vehicles they use) and every pub has rampant fun and ‘diddly-eye’ music (which annoyingly does often seem to be the case!).
- So… Lohan comes out of Knock Airport and there are no Ubers (huge surprise) but there IS a bus. But this is no ordinary bus…. oh no! It is a sort of ‘taxi bus’ that will take her half a mile down a private road to drop her at the gates of Paul’s family mansion (it then has to reverse the half mile back down the drive!). Better than that…, when she gets on… doesn’t need to pay a penny!!
Subject to the whims of spoilt brat Maddie (Lindsay Lohan) is Paul Kennedy (Alexander Vlahos). (Source: Netflix).
Summary Thoughts on “Irish Wish”
I’m quite sure this film will have appeal to a certain demographic (my daughters… Jenn and April… I’m thinking of you here!) that will curl up on a sofa with a glass of Prosecco and enjoy 90 minutes of sloppy romanticism. For that reason I haven’t gone completely to town on the rating since if it’s sloppy romanticism you’re looking for then this vaguely delivers. But you compare this sort of pappy mush to classics like “Notting Hill” and its chalk and cheese.
This is the second of three films that Lohan has signed on to do for Netflix after the success of “Falling for Christmas” (set in Utah). Following this geographical trend, the last one will be some romantic adventure set in the Far East I’m guessing. “Brace for impact”.
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Trailer for “Irish Wish”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gKXowSyfjM .
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