Review – Waking Ned Devine

Though not quite as good as Local Hero, this Irish picture is in the same general ballpark. The quirky folks of a small village learn that one of their number has won millions in the lottery. However, it turns out the lucky winner died of shock when he learned he’d won. So the good folks swiftly find themselves caught up in a scheme to pass someone off at the dead man in order to collect the winnings and split them amongst themselves. The picture’s actually a lot more charming than the plot summary makes it sound. The acting and the script are both good, as is the technical quality. What a nice way to start the year. Worth seeing