The Commitments (1991)

Filmhuis Den Haag, Melkweg and Paard present ‘Getting the Band Back Together’ in November, a joint music film programme celebrating bands in all shapes, sizes and genres. Following the sad passing of Glen Hansard last summer, we are screening this witty, infectious film adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s novel of the same name, starring Hansard as the guitarist Outspan Foster. The young music fanatic Jimmy Rabitte (Robert Arkins) comes up with the brilliant idea of forming a soul band in his small village just north of Dublin. First of all, he needs musicians and singers. When he finds a guitarist, a bassist, three female singers, a male singer and a trumpeter, things start to take off. Slowly but surely, The Commitments work their way to the top. However, internal strife threatens the band’s future. The audience appreciated the fictional band’s music so much that, even after the film, they continued to perform as ‘The Stars from The Commitments’, albeit with a slightly different line-up. Melkweg often hosts different types of programmes at the same time, such as concerts, club nights and films. Please note that there may occasionally be some noise pollution from other programmes during...