The Van

Bimbo’s Burgers. Sounds like a Hooters specializing in hamburgers, but no, it’s the official business of a pair of Irish formerly unemployed: Larry (Colm Meaney) and Bimbo (Donal O’Kelly), in this third installment of author Roddy Doyle’s "Barrytown Trilogy" (which also includes The Commandments and The Snapper). The story is simplicity itself: Bimbo and Larry decide to convert a beat-up van into a fish-and-chips wagon, and the business, after the predictable early troubles, suddenly takes off, leading to the (also predictable) fights between the two head employees. Easily the weakest whelp in the pack, The Van is essentially a one-note film (the one we call strident), and director Stephen Frears (who also helmed The Snapper) never really finds the right comic pace. Still, a handful of good laughs and a fine Eric Clapton soundtrack make this an optional purchase. However, anyone with a taste for great Irish comedy owes it to him or herself to read Doyle’s books (also available in a one-volume edition) which, for my money, are superior to any of the films. (R. Pitman)