What's not in question is the film's power on a purely filmic level. This is a first-rate piece of film-making, less political tract, more Warner Brothers gangster melodrama, (it's even got G-Men), superbly photographed in noirish colour by the great Chris Menges and with a barnstorming performance by Liam Neeson in the title role, (and from all accounts it's a pretty accurate representation of 'the big man', too). Indeed, the film is splendidly cast throughout. There is excellent work from Aidan Quinn, Ian Hart and Stephen Rea as fellow rebels and an almost uncanny performance from Alan Rickman as DeValera. The fly in the ointment is Julia Robert's love interest and obviously cast with an eye on the American market. Still, she's marginally less embarrassing here than she was as MARY REILLY. Most of the other parts are taken by members of the Irish and British acting fraternity and watch out for a young Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the boy who finally does for Collins.
It isn't a great film by any means; it's much too schematic and it's anything but subtle, (incident piles upon incident at an alarming rate), but it's also hugely entertaining and has an epic quality that is very becoming. It would take two Englishmen, (Ken Loach and Steven McQueen), to really get under the skin of the Irish Troubles, then (THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY) and now, (HUNGER), but Jordan's film is no disgrace and can certainly be warmly recommended.
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