Unimpressive

Rating: 4/10 (2 December 2013)

The Troubles is a recurring subject in Irish/British film making and one can't say In The Name Of The Father is the pick of the bunch with regards to this matter. It even is a bit surprising that it receives such raving critics when the movie has such little impact on the viewer.
The plot's introduction doesn't augur anything good and you wonder where Jim Sheridan wants to take you to. The script then shifts to a prison chronicle — which turns out to be the real nature of the film — that blatantly lacks intensity and most importantly rhythm, a lot of scenes being not that pertinent. It is also regrettable that the movie is sometimes caricatural, for example with the trial scenes which aren't that well depicted.
What to draw then from this film ? not much, only the good performances of Daniel Day-Lewis and especially Pete Postlethwaite, already dazzling at the time, manage to save the day.