The Film
We've seen a lot of people do a little jig now and then. Mostly, with a wee bit of the Irish in them. However, there's apparently a whole fleet of people that don't need alcohol to bust a move to Irish music.
Just a few of those people are profiled in Jig, a low-budget documentary that was two years in the making. Director Sue Bourne doesn't really bother with any background information about Irish dancing. Instead, she spends all 93 minutes profiling contestants as they head to the big show, otherwise known as the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships.
About halfway through the movie is when the competition starts. It's certainly impressive, but the real show is getting to know these families and how they live around the art of Irish dancing. People move, mortgage, make their own costumes, and even work through pain all in the name of this mind- (and body-) bending sport.
At first glance, Jig comes off as sort of a cross between 2002's Spellbound and TLC's Toddlers and Tiaras. The latter is because of the event's lavish costumes. Thankfully, the film more closely resembles the former's formula. It's interesting, in-depth, and well... has there ever been a movie about Irish dancing before? Feel free to consider Jig the best of the breed, but you may need at least a mild interest in the subject matter to hang in. All of that tap-tap-tap-tap-tap does get to be a bit trying at times. Still, Jig is an interesting peek into a world that probably very few know about, and it's done very well.
The Picture
Fans of the film (or Irish step dancing) will be doing a little happy dance over this film's crystal clear 1.78:1 transfer. It's one of the better documentaries we've seen. There's no shaky cam, and the colors are wonderful. The bold costumes, the sparkles, the curls and the makeup all stand out, as do the surroundings of each of the people being interviewed. Some scenes have dim lighting and blacks do crush in a few scenes, but overall, this is a surprisingly sharp presentation.
The Sound
Despite being a movie about dancing, the music seems a bit secondary in Jig. Not to worry; it's there. In fact, the score was written by Oscar-nominated composer Patrick Doyle. However, the first half of the film is more focused on introducing us to the families, so it's very dialogue-heavy. There are lots of feet tapping in between those introductions, and it sounds wonderful. You'll be amazed at how some can make such sounds with their feet, and this soundtrack offers up some incredible depth to add to that wonder.
The Extras
Screen Media has included a decent amount of extras for a small film like Jig. First up is a film commentary, which features director Sue Bourne and eight-time Irish dancing world champion John Carey. It's sort of an interesting mix, especially listening to Carey talk about the technical parts of this competitive sport.
The rest of the special features are on the short side. There's a piece about the costumes and another on an event back in July where 652 dancers broke the world record of jig dancing. The meatiest of the three featurettes is the "Dziak Story." At just under 17 minutes, this focuses on Mary Ellen Dziak. This young girl from Chicago is just one of a large family that seems ensconced in Irish dancing. It's like it's own mini documentary. If you enjoyed the film, this is a must-see.
Final Thoughts
It's very easy to see why Jig was a tough sell at the box office. Not only do you have to love focused documentaries, but a minor interest in Irish dancing probably wouldn't hurt. The rest of you may not be able to hang in for this film's 93-minute runtime. That's a shame though, because despite a few missteps, it's a very well done doc about interesting, albeit slightly obscure, subject matter.
Product Details
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