He may be best known for his roles as Superintendent Ted Hastings and DI Alex Ridley in Line of Duty and Ridley, respectively, but Adrian Dunbar has had plenty of excellent big-screen roles in his career.
One of those parts is Micky O’Neill from Hear My Song, a British-Irish comedy-drama from the early 1990s. The actor actually co-wrote the film’s screenplay and snagged himself a BAFTA nomination in the process.
Micky is the owner of a struggling nightclub in Liverpool, but has a big idea to revive his fortunes. His grand plan involves booking a famous Irish tenor, Josef Locke, in the hope of drawing more punters in.
He faces several problems, however, as Locke isn’t an easy man to track down following his exile from the UK. As Micky realises that he’s been conned, he sets off to Ireland to find the elusive singer.
Who is in Hear My Song?
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• Adrian Dunbar as Micky O’Neill
• Ned Beatty as Josef Locke
• Tara Fitzgerald as Nancy Doyle
• David McCallum as Jim Abbott
• Shirley Anne Field as Cathleen Doyle
• James Nesbitt as Fintan O’Donnell
• William Hootkins as Mr X
What did critics and viewers say about Hear My Song?
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The film was acclaimed upon its theatrical release in 1992, with Dunbar and director Peter Chelsom earning a Best Original Screenplay nomination at the 46th BAFTAs. Beatty, meanwhile, got a nod for Best Supporting Actor at the 49th Golden Globe Awards.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the comedy-drama has an impressive approval rating of 90% from 31 reviews. It was similarly praised by viewers, with IMDb currently reporting a solid user rating of 7.0/10 from 2100 logs.
“Hear My Song is sprinkled with fairy dust. It’s an enjoyable romantic fantasy with wonderful comic bits,” noted The Tampa Bay Times, who also lauded Dunbar and Beatty’s “sparkling” performances.
“This is a great little movie fully of charm, fun and whimsy. Just enjoy it for what it is,” wrote one fan in an 8/10 review on IMDb, while another dubbed it “one of the great unheralded movies of all time”.
Another user called it a “wonderful little gem”, adding: “This movie never got the attention or box office it deserved, but it’s one of my all-time favourites. Ned Beatty is wonderful as Joe Locke… A little movie with heart, wit, and charm, definitely worth repeat viewings.”
Where can I watch Hear My Song?
Hear My Song is currently streaming in the UK on Channel 4, meaning you don’t have to pay a thing to watch it! You’ll have to hurry somewhat, though, as the listing is due to expire on 4 July.
Other Adrian Dunbar movies you can stream now
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Festive film A Sudden Case of Christmas, which also features Danny DeVito and Andie MacDowell, is currently streaming on Sky Cinema and NOW, while The Wedding Tackle and crime drama The Snowman are on Prime Video.
Hear My Song is streaming on Channel 4.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.