Irishchatter I thought this movie was so so well done because of course its based on a true story of went on in Catholic Ireland and the acting was brilliant. It was very sad though when one of the poor boys was killed by that violent priest Brother John. Sure that was what happened back then, young boys and girls were so badly brought up in a place where they were meant to be looked after but instead, were betrayed by the priests, nuns and the state who operated the institutions. The scene that made me more angry just as the boy being killed by that priest was, they let the two disgraced priests go from the institution. There was no such thing as arresting a priest back then even with murder, they got special treatment somewhere to "clean themselves up". Honestly, the Catholic Church was disgraceful and disgusting for letting these miserable perverts get away with what they done. The real William Franklin was such a good person for making sure the boys were looked after properly with their education and like, at least he wasn't brainwashed like the rest of the Church Hierarchy. Its too bad he didn't save one. Brilliant movie, kudos to all cast involved!

PeterJordan I'd been skirting past this one in the video shop for ages wondering whether it was gonna be too depressing and harrowingly sad to sit through.And before continuing I have to say I love the Irish characters that Aidan Quinn has created from Playboys, thru This is My father and Harry Boland in Michael Collins - all characters you can empathize with and truly feel their pain, largely, it must be said, because of the projection of Quinns acting.The only Irish "reform school" I've ever visited is the building that used to house Letterfrack Industrial School in Co Galway, now (somewhat ironically considering some of the scenes in SFaRB) a fine arts furniture college. But to say that the building is still haunted by the ghosts of the boys and the pain and abuse inflicted there is an understatement. It literally oozes and sweats from the very walls of the former institution, defying every admirable attempt by the current education guardians to drag it into the present and positively project its glorious current use.And so, whilst what is effectively a "year in the life" of this particular unidentified industrial school, does manage to capture in a nutshell much of this pain, and instill in the audience a huge anger at what was perpetuated in these places in both the name of reform and religion, somewhere in the back of ones mind there is a discomfort that it's all being just a bit too neatly packaged, summarized and concluded for the benefit of Hollywood and the happy ending with a massive nod to Dead Poets Society when in reality, as still continues to be daily documented in the Irish courts and tribunals of Inquiry and media reports into such abuse, this was not and sadly never would be something that one brave and progressive teacher might have hope to take on and buck the system - As the tragic caption at the end points out, this system of education and authority with all it's abuses persisted in Ireland right up to 1984 and along it way produced such brilliant and brave people Don Baker, Paddy Doyle (The God Squad), Colm O'Gorman and Mannix Flynn but equally claimed as victims such brilliant and capable people as Noel Browne, and probably most tragically, the graveyard and unmarked graves behind Letterfrack college bears testament to the many many young boys that shed their very lives to these institutions - So to try to imply (for whatever feel good factor and positive connotations it gains) that one man may have successfully stood up to this system during the first year of the "Emergency" in 1939/40 and everything was hunky Dorey after that and the authorities and the church sat up and took notice, is just too syrupy of a picture and a quick fix solution when one is sadly aware that the tragic reality is far removed and some 50 odd years away from that - and whilst it was admittedly a very good picture, this simplistic portrayal of a huge and continuing Irish problem, served to tarnish rather than endow the film as a whole.

antoniotierno Watching this movie I had the same feelings I had when "The Magdalene Sisters" was shown at theatres. "Song for a Raggie boy" is based on a true story and tells about the time spent by these boys in a reformatory. Another strong indictment against system basing itself on God, purportedly, another battle between good and evil. Something might have been exaggerated but sadism and perversions are not invented at all, as well as the Catholic Churg hindering rapes and murders. Performances are strong and charming but you remain wordless for the contents. I can recognize everything was displayed in too black and white way but, sweet ending aside, these things really happened and nobody was ever jailed.

Eoin I'd like to ask what morons have thrashed this great movie. You see there are people who have no idea what makes a good movie and they write crap.Like the guy who said it was an awful movie and that it was too predictable.Well its based on a true story.I don't think people understand that this type of thing happened here,it happened for decades and the story needed to be told.Most reviews have said this movie is useless,mainly because it is just "another" abuse story.So what?There have been movies about abuse made up,but this is based on things that happened form the 40's to the 80's.These boys were sexually and physically abused and it was ignored,there was no one to help them.Some reviews I have read seem to hint that they do not like the movie because it makes the priests out to be evil and they don't want their religion hurt.Well Ill tell you this,some of them were evil,of course not all of them,but yes,some of them were the definition of evil.If this movie doesn't hit you in a way that nearly makes you cry,then you have something wrong with you.And just look at all the awards it got from film festivals.Great movie,great acting,Aiden Quinn was brilliant as were the kids.4 out of 5.