I've seen this movie perhaps six times or more over the past few years, have lived in Massachusetts for awhile, and have traveled around Ireland -- so I feel fully qualified to comment on the content of this film.
First, it has a totally believable premise: an idiot Senator from Massachusetts (no surprise here), based on advice from a slimeball consultant (deftly played by Dennis Leary) sends a lackey (Janeane Garofalo) on a mission to Ireland to document his family roots, so that he can use this information to pander to his Irish constituents during a close re-election campaign.
The lackey (named Marcy) arrives in a small village during the middle of a match-making festival, tries in vain to research the Senator's family history, ends up questioning her own morality and hypocrisy, and eventually falls for a local bar-keeping Irishman (Sean, played by David O'Hara). Love triumphs in the end back at Quincy Market in Boston. How sweet.
The MatchMaker was beautifully filmed, has an excellent soundtrack, and the Irish characters, who are the true stars of the film, play their parts well. Many of the actors in the delightful movie "Waking Ned Devine" appear here as well. Overall it's a pleasant comedy. Especially fun to watch is matchmaker Milo O'Shea, and the banter he shares with a competitor (Rosaleen Linehan). The scene where the local townsfolk rebel against the Senator in a "staged" family reunion is also a laugh-aloud hoot.
However, the film is not without its problems. It's chock full of Irish stereotypes (numerous references to JFK, and lots of drinking, singing, and dancing in the pubs). The characters all seem to be overtly friendly to Marcy. Yes, the Irish are indeed friendly folk, but this movie goes way over the top at times. Marcy's in town for but a few days, yet the townspeople speak and interact with her as if they've known her for years, even after they discover her true motive for being there. Pleeeease.
The biggest problem I have with the movie is Garofalo herself. She's just not cut out to play a romantic part. She's a drinking buddy, not a lover. Her scenes with David O'Hara are awkward at best. Sure, she's mildly attractive (at least she was in 1997), but she's also gruff and gritty. These are Garofalo's supposed comedic traits, but, like her political opinions, they wear on you after awhile, and it becomes clearly and quickly apparent that she was miscast here.
One final dig against Janeane. I try to separate one's politics from the performance, but, like her character in this movie, Garofalo is a hypocrite. She's often labeled those in the current administration as "stupid," even though she's just a "hip" college dropout who has little qualification (other than being famous), to question their intelligence. The accuracy of Garofalo's views is best illustrated in the following exchange in the film between her and O'Hara...
Marcy: Is being "stupid" like being high all the time?
Sean: No, it's like being right all the time.
Well said Sean, well said.
