Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Irish dark comedy has big stars, language, violence, sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Intermission
What's the Story?
INTERMISSION follows a group of Dubliners whose lives -- through a series of coincidences -- become interconnected as they pursue love, success, and money.
Is It Any Good?
With its mix of rogue-like characters and dark sense of humor, this black comedy plays like an Irish cousin of Trainspotting. Despite Intermission's low budget, the talented cast -- which includes Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, and Kelly Macdonald -- manage to bring to life a mostly light-hearted script, featuring some grimmer moments of cartoon violence. An infamous opening set piece has a particularly wicked twist, but sets the tone for a movie that doesn't divert its gaze from characters unafraid to use force to get what they want.
Intermission was made at a time where British and Irish cinema wanted to push boundaries and tell bold stories about everyday life. But how well the movie's violence against women has aged is up for debate. Likewise, the final, climactic kidnap plot finds a way to weave several different stories together, but might be a bit too ridiculous for some. Still, there's ambition and effort powering these stories, the kind of which too many other movies lack.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about about the violence in the movie. How did it make you feel? Did the overall comedic tone of film make it less impactful? If so, why?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
How did the movie portray sex? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Discuss the movie's structure. Did the stories fit together in a way that made sense? Why do you think some filmmakers do this? What other films have you seen that used a similar structure?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 19, 2004
- On DVD or streaming : October 19, 2004
- Cast : Cillian Murphy , Kelly Macdonald , Colin Farrell
- Director : John Crowley
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : DreamWorks , MGM Home Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive language, some sexual content and violence
- Last updated : November 23, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate