Wonderful character development!

To me, this movie is perfection.

the audience applauded

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

In the States we didn't get much Irish history in our schools, particularly post-Rebellion history. Had no idea of the politics involved regarding the Socialist/Catholic Church alliance during the Depression, which is the basis of this film. We are influenced to root for the people versus this alliance, which seems to be the correct rooting interest. Jimmy comes back to his hometown after 10 years in exile, and takes up the same cause which got him deported in the first place. Once again the same forces that were against him are still in place, resulting in a duplication of events. Can't imagine how any moviegoer could fault him or his motives and the plot plays along with these sentiments.That said, the story bogs down in the second half of the film, making the staunchest advocate fidgety and anxious for some movement. It seems longer than the 1hr 49min advertised, but does not impinge on the gorgeous photography and the marvelous acting. Barry Ward as Jimmy was good, Simone Kirby was even better and Jim Norton as Fr. Sheridan was outstanding. I recommend "Jimmy's Hall", especially if you went to school in the U.S. - I guarantee you will be enlightened.

The movie Jimmy's hall is a man's fight against the authority, a man's fight to freedom. Freedom to himself and to the community. When Jimmy Gralton returns home, he found itself the same problems, wherefore to left the country many years ago. Nothing is change only the characters on the scene. The youth want to do the same things, what Jimmy and his friends did years ago. They want to be free and want to be enjoy free the dance, learning, theatre, reading. He drop in parallel events, as it happened is his youth. Jimmy tried to fight again, the power and the oppression. He see in the young people himself, that is the reason he tried to fight again. The movie is a perfect instantiated to the one man, a revolutionary battle to the totally oppression. He always hope he win, but is impossible at all. No man on earth, who can't win this kind of dictatorial power. That is the reason we can respect Jimmy Gralton, he know, in deep inside in his soul he never win, but he try and try again, when everything is seems hopeless he keep going and fight. The Jimmy's hall a great example of the man contend contra the authority.

At his best Ken Loach makes films that are as emotionally engaging as any in world cinema and while he has on occasions disappointed, every Ken Loach film is worth seeking out. "Jimmy's Hall" sees him return, in some respects, to the territory he explored in "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" and it is one of his very best films. Again we are back in Ireland but 10 years after the end of the Civil War. Old wounds haven't healed, (they still haven't healed completely to this day), and like "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" the divisions here are much more political than social and almost as violent.It deals with the very specific conflict between those who opposed the Treaty, those who supported it and the dominating Catholic Church when one, Jimmy Gralton, returns from 10 years exile in America and reopens a community hall that was the source of all his trouble in the first place, against the express wishes of 'Holy Mother Church' and those who backed it.As scripted by Paul Laverty it is, of course, a deeply political film but Loach is the most humanist of political film-makers; consequently it is also a deeply moving (and, at times, very funny) picture. At its centre is a magnificent performance from Barry Ward as Gralton and he is backed beautifully by Jim Norton and Andrew Scott representing the clergy as well as a host of wonderfully naturalistic Irish actors, some professional, some not. Loach may now be in this seventies but this feels as fresh and as relevant as anything he did fifty years ago. I think it's the equal to both "Land and Freedom" and "The Wind that Shakes the Barley".

"Jimmy's Hall" (2014 release from Ireland/UK; 109 min.) brings the true story of what happened to Jimmy Gralton upon his return to Ireland in 1932. the movie's opening titles are accompanied by archive footage of New York in the late 20s/early 30s. As the movie opens, we are told it is "County Leitrim, Ireland, 1932", and we see Jimmy coming back to Ireland after 20 years in New York (presumably because of the Depression and related unemployment). It's not long before Jimmy and his friends decide to renovate the Pears-Connelly Hall, so as to give young people and the community a place to gather for dancing, reading, drawing, singing, etc. (we would call it a "community rec center" these days). This does not sit well with the local priest, who claims 'exclusivity' for all things that could be deemed educational, nor are the local landlords pleased. At this point we are 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this is the latest movie be legendary British director Ken Loach, now a crisp 79 years young (and similar to Woody Allen in his never-ceasing output). Loach is well-known for using his films as social commentary, and "Jimmy's Hall" is no exception. For me, that is not an issue, and Loach has made a number of stunningly beautiful and captivating movies over the years. Hence I was ready to like "Jimmy's Hall" very much. Alas, it was not to be, for several reasons: first, the movie is not very helpful to let us understand why certain factions take a particular position (we are never told what beef the landlords have with Jimmy and his friends) or why the issue of the land ownership matters initially, and then a bit later on it doesn't. But the biggest disappointment I have with the film is that at no point did I become emotionally invested in any of the main characters. Yes the local priest is easy to loathe, and we all do, but we are not given a chance to really buy in to Jimmy, or his friends, or his romantic interest. It all just happens, for seemingly no reason. If this was a fictional story, I'd have walked out an hour into the movie, but since this movie is "inspired by the life and times of Jimmy Gralton" (as is announced at the beginning of the movie), I wanted to find out how it would all unfold. There are some fine performances, but I found the chemistry between Jimmy (played by Barry Ward) and his romantic interest (played by Francis Magee) completely lacking and unconvincing. Last but certainly not least, there is a very nice musical score to the movie, featuring both traditional Irish music and jazz from the 20s and 30s.I had seen the trailer for "Jimmy's Hall" a few times and was really looking forward to this. "Jimmy's Hall" finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (I counted 12 people, including myself, of which one walked out halfway through and didn't come back). As much as I like Ken Loach, this is not none of his best, I'm afraid. But I certainly encourage you to check it out, be it in the theater, on Amazon Instant Video, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion about "Jimmy's Hall".