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INTO THE WEST

Today we are headed for Ireland.

What better way to get the Irish spirit then to watch a movie with fantastic scenes of Ireland.

A quick review of this movie would be: It is a movie about two young boys and horse.

Once you watch it you will see that it is so much more. This movie has many laugh out loud moments, serious moments and OK a few times I yelled at the TV hoping things would turn out.

A great white horse from the sea of Dublin, follows a Grandfather (Gabriel Byrne) who is a Traveler. The horse is soon the love of his two small Grandsons. They will do anything to keep the horse. Other people find the horse to be magnificent also and want it for their own.

The two brothers, Tito (Ruaidhri Conroy) and Ossie (Clarian Fitzgerald) set off on adventure or so they think. The horse is really in charge. The boys are very resourceful and do a great job of surviving the great outdoors. They begin to believe that they are cowboys headed for the Wild West. The scenery is amazing and made me want to go and visit Ireland.

Their father has issues and misses his wife. He was once King of the Travelers but has lost his way. He has own story and adventure in finding out who he really is and where his children have gone.

I found this movie adorable. My favorite scene is when the horse is eating popcorn, drinking punch and enjoying a movie. The horse is beautiful and made me want, what all kids want, a pony.

The acting is superb and authentic. The two little boys are at ease with Tír na nÓg, a large beautiful white horse they all had bond. There wae truly friends on and off screen.

The story line is complicated and you really have to pay attention. If you do, the movie will be well worth it. It is truly a fairy tale come true. Not all fairy tales have good endings or do they?

I recommend this to ages 7 to 18. The drunken father might be a bit much for younger ones. And, there is very, very mild violence. I would watch this movie over and over and so I give it 5 out of 5 twinkling stars. Reviewed by Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic age 9

I loved this movie, having seen it when it first came out. It is brilliantly mysterious and draws you in from the beginning. The acting, particularly from the boys, is charming and believable. Gabriel Byne's portrayal of Papa Reillyl is equally stunning. And, one of the key components is the incredible cinematography showing the gorgeous scenery of Ireland. It is a film that can be enjoyed by your entire family as it ties together both myth and fable. It gives insight into the urban poor in a way that is compassionate but not overly romantic. For those who haven't watched many foreign films, this is a good entre since it's in English and yet thoroughly explores a different culture.

A gigantic white stallion appears mysteriously to a Traveler grandfather and his two grandsons in an Irish slum. Since, puzzlingly, the younger of the two boys is the only individual who can control the horse, ownership falls to him and his older brother by default. There being no place for the animal, they move him into the apartment of their alcoholic Traveler father. Police remove him and, in a shady deal, he ends up under control of a wealthy, underhanded horse breeder. The boys manage to retrieve him and escape on his back, but the stallion seems to have his own travelling agenda.