In 1998 an unusual television series was broadcast on RTÉ, its name was Paths to Freedom; it was unusual, because it was a comedy that actually made people laugh. Using the mock-documentary form it told the story of two men, played by Michael McElhatton and Brendan Coyle, released from Mountjoy and how they fare, back in the world of the living. The series was a huge success and created a cult hero in the form of McElhatton's character Rats. Rats is the quintessential chancer, a dreamer and a trouble magnet, Spin the Bottle marks his big screen debut. Though Brendan Coyle and Deirdre O'Kane are absent from the proceedings most of the original cast are on show as well as a few newcomers.

Rats is released from prison for the umpteenth time only to find that his band Spermdotcom are not interested in reforming to help him in his pursuit of fame, glory and a slot at Slane next year. Brainer is playing keyboards with his new boyfriend's band Satan's Cock or as Rats mistakenly calls them 'Santa's Cock'. Tommo has hung up his guitar to work in an animal sanctuary. He has also taken over Rats's bedroom and become a surrogate son to his Ma, played by the late great Pat Leavy. To top all this off, Rats has to face up to the responsibility of getting a job; he needs to raise money to send his obese aunty to Lourdes for a miracle. Rats's dilemmas are piled up nicely, he has lost his band and his Ma's respect as he tries to do the one thing he is truly incapable of - hold down a job. It all builds to a climax when his Ma ends up in hospital and Rats's only hope of raising the cash and regaining her respect is to crash a television programme similar to You're a Star.

Spin the Bottle has moved away from its mockumentary roots and is told in traditional dramatic style which allows it a lot more intimacy with Rats and his cohorts. A documentary crew could never have filmed the broken hearted Rats vacantly playing with a Lady of Lourdes statue or Tommo drinking himself into a stupor after his monkey is taken from him (yeah a monkey). The story is slim, the low budget shows at times and there are a few gags that miss their marks, but these are small criticisms. The joy of Spin the Bottle is hanging out with these characters as they stumble their way through the nicely ludicrous plot. There are wonderful performances by all present, the cast walk the tightrope between character and caricature without taking a wrong step. The danger of caricature is ever apparent when dealing with someone like Rats but the filmmakers clearly love their characters and, like all good comedy, there is as much pathos as humour on display. You genuinely feel for Rats as he goes through the good times and the bad. He has been described as a loser who doesn't know when to stop, but to leave that as the defining thing about him belies the fact that Rats has a dream and desire to achieve more than what he has. Rats may not have the talent but he has the gall and a lot of the time gall will get you further than talent.