The Stag *** (2013, Andrew Scott, Hugh O’Conor, Peter McDonald, Michael Legge) – Movie Review

A bachelor stag party weekend in the great outdoors takes some strange but not entirely unexpected detours. Surprisingly, maybe, co-writer/director John Butler’s film comedy is very likeable and amusing, well acted by a good cast, and quite touching at the end.

Hugh O’Conor stars as Fionnan, a new-mannish Irish theatre set designer, who doesn’t want a stag do before his wedding to Ruth (Amy Huberman). But his best man talks him into the walking weekend, which is soon dominated by the bride-to-be’s wildly eccentric and over-hearty, far-too-virile brother, The Machine (Peter McDonald), much to the dismay of the risotto-eating rest of the stag do guys.

Lots of male bonding, tent sharing, gay jokes, masturbation and the boys all stripping off follow. Ah well, boys will be boys! What’s not to like? It’s all as unsurprising, harmless and formulaic as it is well meaning, sentimental and gay friendly. It’ll play well on TV one day because it’s essentially an extended sitcom. But, like I say, a likeable and amusing one. It pushes its luck a little bit, but, on the whole, it’s 600,000 low-budget Euros well spent.

Michael Legge does well as Little Kevin, and so do Andrew Bennett as Big Kevin and Brian Gleeson as Simon.

Legge played the Irish hero Older Frank in Angela’s Ashes back in 1999.

The Stag was released in the UK on 7 March 2014, but later retitled The Bachelor Weekend.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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