When in Ireland

This is a reel of my Irish fetish playing out. Ireland is not only about bagpipes, tartan prints and men in kilts. Not that I know a great deal about the Irish culture but I do know I’ll get along quite well with the Gilbeys of Ireland just as well as I get along with their Baileys Irish Cream. Ireland can make for an exciting mise-en-scène for romantic comedies and heroic tales. Below are three of my favorite movies set in Ireland or that were partly shot in Ireland.

P.S. I Love You (2007)

‘P.S. I love you’ is a heart-warming tale of love and loss that has the story-line, the ridiculously-charming Gerard butler and beautiful Ireland. Hilary swank starts receiving posthumous letters from her deceased husband, Gerard butler and each of these ends with the phrase ‘P.S. I love you’ that ultimately leads her out of her grief–ridden state. It is a heady love story and it almost challenges you to hunt for a sweeter, more earnest way to tell someone how much you love them. Cecelia Ahem used a mere ‘P.S.’(postscript) to do this and we go to lengths with heart shaped trinkets, chocolates and grand declarations.

“Sometimes there is only one thing left to say, P. S. I Love You....”
― Cecelia Ahem, P.S. I love You.

Made of Honor (2008)

I’ll say Patrick Dempsey has come a long way from being second best in my all time favourite romantic comedy ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ to finally bagging the grand prize with Michelle Monagham in ‘Made of Honor’ and that too against a wealthy, majestic Scot. Ironically, in ‘Made of Honor’, it is Kevin Mckidd who plays a ‘Sweet Home Alabama’-styled-Patrick who gets dumped at the altar. The movie is swell with rich Irish tradition of the Highland games, the bachelorette-kiss-for-change and heightened festivities, making it an endearing chick flick.

Leap Year (2010)

Starring Amy Adams and Mathew Goode (Oh Goodie!), ‘Leap year’ is a honey-toned dreamy love story that makes you want to knock Amy off the cliff and teleport yourself into the scene(sorry but you can’t help but fall in love with Mr. Goodie through each of those 100 ticking minutes). Girls let’s just console ourselves because I think I know why Amy Adams was chosen for the part; an Irish ditty goes like this “Heigh for the apple and ho! for the pear. But give me the girl with the pretty red hair.” She fit the ball. While ‘Leap Year’ doesn’t have all the Highland drama it does have its bit of comic grain and even though it is yet another predictable romantic film, I guarantee you would watch it all the way to Dublin and back.

P.S. Girls, you have a lot of time before the next leap year(2016), so find an Irish lad of choice and leave him without a choice!