--- title: "The Snapper: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-snapper/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-snapper" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Snapper (1993): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly warm. Most critics take The Snapper as a welcome return to the Dublin of The Commitments, and the praise settles in two places: Roddy Doyle’s script, with its quick, caustic but never cruel jokes and its love of talk, and Colm Meaney’s performance as the exasperated, resilient father. Several critics call it a small, joyful film that shows what situation comedy can still do when care is taken, and admire the way it balances laughter against real distress. Reservations are few and the spread is narrow, from good to warmly recommended. Time Out notes the film is tougher and more downbeat than The Commitments, though it finds the ending deeply affecting. The Independent, while enjoying it, thinks the film sidesteps harder social realities such as religion and the imbalance between the sexes. Empire remarks that the Curley household is realistic yet idealised. Nobody dislikes it; the only question is how much to warm to it. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 1993. The Snapper is amiability itself, good-humored and sassy with a realistic balance between humor and distress. It thrives on fine writing and empathetic acting, especially Colm Meaney as the exasperated but resilient father. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-03-ca-63353-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 1993. The film is a very funny comedy about tight-knit Irish working-class life and the joy of talk. It earns its laughs through wise, warm portrayals of believable characters and human foibles. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-snapper-1993) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 August 2020. The critic finds this return to the Dublin of The Commitments every bit as welcome as the earlier film. It becomes a headlong tumble into good humor with caustic but never cruel firecracker jokes from the Roddy Doyle script. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-snapper) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 1993. Festival review. Frears has made a small, joyful lark of a film that rediscovers the essence of situation comedy. It shows there are still wonderful comedies to be made when care is taken and attention is paid. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/08/movies/review-film-festival-pregnant-unmarried-and-smiling.html) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. This adaptation of Roddy Doyle's novel has wit, feeling and authenticity despite being tougher and more downbeat than The Commitments. Colm Meaney shines as the dad torn by conflicting emotions, and the film's resolution is deeply affecting. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-snapper) ## Variety — Derek Elley Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 April 1993. Festival review. Frears' film is a lively, likable slice of Dublin working-class comedy with plenty of unvarnished Irish humor and real warmth. It concentrates on character comedy in the ensemble scenes of family life and boozy barroom chat. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/the-snapper-1200432051/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review praises the semi-comic approach to family life and ordinary people doing the right thing, highlighting the realistic yet idealised portrayal of the Curley household and Colm Meaney's performance. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/snapper-review/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 1993. The critic finds the film funny and entertaining with strong performances, celebrating family warmth and life in working-class Ireland, but notes it sidesteps deeper social realities like religion and gender imbalances. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-power-and-the-pint-pop-culture-plays-its-tune-in-ireland-in-the-snapper-while-tom-and-jerry-break-all-the-rules-1459442.html) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-snapper.md