Round Ireland With A Fridge – Review

This is a highly enjoyable film, best described as a road trip/comedy/love story, and well worth a 4 star rating. It certainly makes a refreshing change for someone to make a film which manages not to take itself too seriously on any level.

There will probably be many of you out there like me, who have read the book and loved the story, and although it differs from the book in certain respects, it loses none of its charm in the translation to a new medium.

Regardless of whether or not you are familiar with the book, this is an uplifting story, funny and engaging, which will appeal to a wide range of people. The concept is a simple one, for a £100 bet (made while drunk, of course!), Tony Hawks (played by himself) will attempt to hitchhike around the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge as his companion.

Tony and Saiorse waiting for a lift

What begins as a seemingly silly idea soon transforms into a surreal, amusing and amazing journey, as Tony is forced to adjust to living life at a much more relaxed pace, and soon discovers that if you just have faith in the fridge, anything can and probably will happen.

One of the things which makes this so remarkable is the response of the Irish people to this seemingly insane undertaking, taking Tony and Saiorse (The Fridge!) to their hearts with the help of DJ Dylan Daley (Ed Byrne). As he describes it “A puposeless idea, but a damn fine one”.

The people encountered by Tony and Saiorse are certainly a colourful bunch, and beautifully portrayed by a cast of various comedians, Sean Hughes is fantastic as Brendan, the over enthusiastic toiletries salesman, and Josie Lawrence as Sandra (Tony’s manager), and also local talent, Valerie O’Connor as Roisin, assitant to Dylan Daley, among many others. At first Tony Hawks seems a little wooden, but I soon came to the conclusion that this is simply the way he is. (No offence intended!)

For anyone not familiar with the story, you will be astonished at what a fridge may get up to when not confined in your kitchen (surfing?? surely not!), and you may well be surprised by how funny it is watching someone trying to buy a duck-egg.

Watching this is a most excellent way to pass an hour and a half, ideal to watch with friends and loved ones, and will leave you with a nice warm glow. I would thoroughly recommend Round Ireland With A Fridge to anyone.