Where's Michael Fassbender? 'Kneecap' is raunchy fun about sticking it to the man

Based on its opening scene, you might be quick to judge “Kneecap” as a vulgar film.

And it is … but it is also so much more than that.

“Kneecap” is full of beautiful blink-and-you’ll-miss it political artwork that supports the film's main message: “Brits Out.”

There are murals that say, “England get out of Ireland” and “Bobby Sands MP Poet, Gaeilgeoir, Revolutionary, IRA Volunteer.” There is a street sign with the word Northern crossed out in “Welcome to Northern Ireland.”

The film also provides fun translations of the Irish language, with doodles written across the screen; it adds these little drawings to sound effects as well.

The dark humor in "Kneecap" is evident when our main characters, Naoise ó Cairealláin and Liam óg ó Hannaidh, get beat up. The fight is shown at rapid speed as Liam óg says, “I’m just going to skip through the bit where we get our bollocks knocked in.”

What is ‘Kneecap’ about?

“Kneecap” is about saving the Irish language from extinction and embracing one’s roots.

The movie’s end credits reveal that in December 2022 a bill legally recognizing the Irish language in the North of Ireland became law. And that across the globe, an indigenous language dies every 40 days.

“Stories are built from language,” Liam óg says. “Nations are built from stories. This is our story.”

At its core “Kneecap” is about fighting for the Irish language while sticking it to the unionist cops and embracing a lifestyle that involves, well, drugs.

Set in the Gaeltacht Quarter of West Belfast in 2019, it is the fictionalized origin story for the real-life band — or “Republican rap group,” as the movie likes to call them — Kneecap.

Naoise and Liam óg have a passion for selling drugs, which they got into at a young age.

Naoise also has to cope with the fact that his father Arló ó Cairealláin (Michael Fassbender) is on the run — while pretending to be dead — after committing a few crimes in the name of the Irish Republican Army, or IRA. Naoise's mother Dolores (Simone Kirby) also seems to be withering away at home due to her husband’s absence.

Music and Irish language teacher JJ ó Dochartaigh convinces the two that they should be making hip-hop music after reading their Irish lyrics.

“Because Irish, it’s like the last dodo,” JJ says. “Stuck behind glass in some zoo. ‘Look, but don’t touch.’ Someone needs to smash that glass and set the dodo free so it can live.”

The band consists of Naoise, who goes by the stage name Móglaí Bap; Liam óg, whose stage name is Mo Chara; and JJ, or DJ Próvai.

They deal with many hurdles along the way while trying to get their music out and continuing their drug-centric lifestyle, including the group Radical Republicans Against Drugs, or RRAD, and the cops (also called peelers).

There’s a small love story in the background between Liam óg and Georgia (Jessica Reynolds), a Protestant girl who also happens to be the niece of one of the band’s enemies, Detective Ellis (Josie Walker).

Is ‘Kneecap’ a real band?

Yes. The beauty of “Kneecap” is that the three lead actors are part of the real group Kneecap, consisting of Móglaí Bap, Liam óg and DJ Próvai.

It seems like Fassbender is just thrown into the movie. With his handful of appearances, his role is minimal in the grand scheme of things, even though he plays the important part of Naoise’s father-turned-fugitive on the run.

His quote with his son ties up the movie right on the nose.

“Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet fired for Irish freedom,” father and son say together.

“What you’re doing, you’re that bullet, son,” Arló says.

Do I wish I saw more of Fassbender on my screen? Of course. Does it almost not even matter because the main three actors/musicians carry the movie so well? Also yes.

'Kneecap' 4 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Rich Peppiatt.

Cast: Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvai, Michael Fassbender.

Rating: R for sexual content, nudity, profanity and violence.

How to watch: In theaters Friday, Aug. 2.

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Kneecap' defends the Irish language in this band's cheeky origin story