Greengrass's powerful style was present from the start

Rating: 6/10 (27 January 2017)

I wanted to see Bloody Sunday because it was the first film directed by Paul Greengrass, one of my favourite directors working today thanks to his efforts in the likes of his three BOURNE films and UNITED 93. I'm pleased to report that Greengrass's trademark stylistic touches - shaky, hand-held camera-work, sudden zooms, a documentary-like feel - are all present even at this stage, making for a film that looks very good.
The story itself is the true-life tale about a notorious massacre perpetuated by British soldiers in Northern Ireland in 1972. Everybody knows what happened - much as in UNITED 93 - but Greengrass's gritty realism makes this a hugely suspenseful tale without having to rely on the usual suspense-building tactics like ominous music and the like. Greengrass is content to let the tale tell itself, and the film works well as a result. He's also careful not to take sides, showing the reality from both the British and the Irish. Some fine performances, including a career-best James Nesbit in the closing scenes, round out a solid effort.