Could have been brilliant

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2006)

This film is definitely worth a watch or two. It's entertaining all the way through, mainly because Loach can still handle actors better than anyone else. I think it's all probably adlib. I think historically accurate, but I've not really done any research or anything so don't quote me on that. Cillian Murphy whom I disliked beforehand has now assured himself as a very good actor, he's brilliant in this. It's all very powerful and upsetting in a few places, and is shot in a manner vaguely similar to the shakicam of Paul Greengrass. They seem to have toned this down though, I don't think the whole film in this style would fit the period at all.
So bad points. The ending dragged on a little. It's no lord of the rings, I just think it would have been much more powerful if it finished just after the rifles had all shot. I know Delaney's performance after this is very good but for the film's sake I think it should chop off there. But here's the biggy. Why o why did Loach agree to have a love interest. We see Damian our protagonist swanning around with this "sinead" and every time they met I was thinking, "please don't let this become a lovey dovey thing". It's not as though it takes over the whole film, but when they start to love each other and start to "get down to business" the audience's heads were shaking. It completely detracts from the whole story. Before this sinead and her female family seem to show the audience how the women were treated in the whole affair, and it all works, but her then becoming a love interest detracts from this a little, and we forget what this film is about.
So, pretty good overall, just the love interest got to me a little.
Could have been a nine but sorry Ken, this one's an eight.