Stars: Mick Jagger

Director: Tony Richardson

Summary: A bearded Mick Jagger stars as the title character, Australia's most famous criminal, in Tony Richardson's oblique approach to the problem of Irish nationalism. The son of a man deported to Australia for stealing two pigs, Ned is unjustly imprisoned in 1868 at the age of 16. Upon returning home three years later, he finds his mother (Clarissa Kaye) affianced to horse thief George King (Bruce Barry) and his brother in jail for stealing cattle. Hoping to steer clear of further incarceration, Ned starts a sawmill. But in a bar one night, Fitzpatrick (Martyn Sanderson), a policeman--or 'trap'--drugs Ned's drink and jails him for drunkenness. After being released, the resentful Kelly forms a gang to steal horses with his brothers and King, and they head for the outback. Fitzpatrick chases the criminals down but they kill him and a couple of others in an ambush. When Ned finds out that his mother has been arrested for murder on trumped-up charges, he offers to give himself up in an exchange, but the provisional governor refuses, sending Kelly and his gang off on a murderous rampage that gains him a following among the poor and downtrodden. Based on a true story, the film features excellent photography by Gerry Fisher and splendid work by Rolling Stones lead singer Jagger.

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When local wag Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) discovers that one of his neighbours in the village of Tulaigh Mohr is a lottery winner he sees a chance to share in the wealth. Things get complicated when Jackie and his pal Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly) discover that the winner, Ned Devine, died of shock at the very moment he learned of becoming a millionaire. Undaunted, Jackie and Michael dispose of the lucky stiff and hatch a plot to impersonate him and claim the prize. Soon the whole village is involved and the plot rapidly thickens.

This film has been compared to The Full Monty, but it lacks the vein of desperation that added depth to that film. Instead, Waking Nedis closer in tone to classic British comedies like Whisky Galore!, with its cast of eccentrics gleefully conspiring to outwit the authorities. Those with a low tolerance for twinkly eyed Irish charm might be tempted to steer clear, although the movie is saved, for the most part, by its central performances. Bannen is superb as an old man who is clearly hungry for any excitement he can drum up and David Kelly is remarkable as his scrawny sidekick. Kelly has had a long career as a character actor in film and television, but here he has a chance to really let loose. His naked motorcycle ride is a marvellous set-piece and in all of his other scenes his twitchy, perfectly timed performance quite simply steals the movie. --Simon Leake, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	1.66
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive Menu Screens, Chapter Selections
Subtitles:	French, Greek, Italian, Spanish
Year:	1970
Release Date:	June 20, 2005
Runtime:	99 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	10005455
Keywords:	Action, Kelly, General, Ned, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure