“Kneecap” is a new film about the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap, from Belfast. I had never heard of the group prior to watching this movie. Actually, I had no idea what the film was about–I had just heard it was good.
“Kneecap” stars the three actual members of the group Kneecap, and tells the story of their rise to fame. Two childhood friends, Liam and Naoise, are members of the “ceasefire generation” (born after the Troubles), and have been raised without the clearcut purpose of their Irish Republican parents, one of whom, Arlo (played by Michael Fassbender), is an ex-paramilitary who taught the boys the Irish language when they were kids. Liam and Naoise mostly hang around, dealing and doing a lot of drugs. Liam also tools around with writing song lyrics. After being arrested at a party, Liam refuses to speak English, and so the police bring in an Irish interpreter, JJ, who is also a music teacher at an Irish-immersion school. Looking at Liam’s confiscated notebook, JJ is impressed by Liam’s Irish language song lyrics. JJ happens to be an amateur DJ. Liam, Naoise, and JJ convene at JJ’s garage where he lays down some beats, Liam and Naoise start rapping, and the rest is history. Well, after a lot of social and political intrigue. Their rise in popularity coincides with a campaign for an Irish Language Act, a long-contested battle to make Irish an officially recognized language in Northern Ireland (or the North of Ireland, as Liam would have it). The boys are not serious enough for some of the Irish language campaigners, they are too druggy for some Irish Republicans, and too everything for the police.
“Kneecap” is a lot of fun, even if you have no real interest in Irish hip-hop. It feels very modern and the three leads are very natural and charming in front of the camera even though they aren’t trained actors. There are some very funny scenes featuring Liam in bed with his new Protestant girlfriend–just looking up the words they use will give you a bit of an Irish sociopolitical education.