Director Oliver Hirschbiegel, best known for his searing WWII drama “Downfall” (and it’s viral spawning scene) follows up his crash-and-burn Hollywood debut – 2007’s ill advised “The Invasion” – with the lean and surprisingly complex tale of revenge “Five Minutes Of Heaven.”
The film starts in the midst of 1970s Belfast, where riots, bombings and murder are an everyday reality as part of the clashes between Protestants and Catholics. Alistair Little, who wants to do something about what he’s seeing on the news each night and earn the respect of the local thugs, joins the UVF and in short time is ordered to murder a Catholic worker who has refused to immediately step down from his job so a Protestant can take the position. Excited and nervous, Alistair and his friends head over to the man’s residence. His associates park the car and Alistair gets out, masked, gun in hand and walks up to the front door only to lock eyes with the man’s young brother, Joe Griffen, playing in the street. He hesitates only for a moment before firing three shots through the window, into the head of Jim Griffen, and then taking off leaving Joe shaking with fear and his life forever changed.
Fast forward thirty years, and Alistair Little (Liam Neeson) is long out of prison, having served twelve years and making a small career as a speaker about his experiences and regrets in Belfast. Joe Griffen has grown up too, and is haunted by guilt for not doing anything to stop his brother’s murder and nearly crippled emotionally by his need for revenge. His nondescript job at an egg carton factory only seems to give him more time to ruminate on the past, to the point of near self-destruction. However, an opportunity arises thanks to a reality TV program which will bring Alistair and Joe together for the first time to confront each other face to face to discuss the event that defined their lives.
However, where the film goes from here is surprising. The first act of the film largely focuses on Joe Griffen (James Nesbitt), a roiling bundle of nerves, guilt and anger so powerful it overwhelms, energizes and terrifies him all at once. But its the smaller second act, where we see more of Alistair’s story and history that enriches the film further. This just isn’t a man guilty of murder, but also carrying his own baggage, living in the shadow of his teenage self that he no longer identifies with. Needless to say, the idea of finally confronting Alistair in a staged interview, coupled with the intensity and strangeness of his own feelings, forces Joe to abandon the interview but opens the door for a thrilling final act in which both men will finally come to terms with what the past has wrought.
Neeson is solid in a role that requires him to convey a range of conflicting emotions using little more than his eyes, posture and gestures. The way the viewer’s perception of Alistair changes from the beginning of the film to the end is all due to Neeson’s unshowy work, the kind that has made him the star that he is. But the real showstopper of the film is longtime British character actor James Nesbitt. He positively leaps off the screen in the kind of performance that earns award statues. While it’s unlikely that the IFC distributed film will earn any nods, we hope at the very least, Nesbitt’s heartwrenchingly brilliant turn will put him on the radar of Hollywood’s finer directors.
The strength of Hirschbiegel’s film is found in the excellent screenplay by Guy Hibbert. While not quite perfect (there is an unfortunate, obtrusive and far too obvious reference in an otherwise great centerpiece speech that Alistair makes about Muslim fundamentalism), Hibbert captures the individual ramifications of terrorism on both sides in a way that few films have. It’s a strong, startling and crisp work that we hope people will make the effort to go and see. One of the year’s best so far. [A]
Here’s the trailer but we strongly advise you: don’t watch it unless you want several key moments spoiled:
I liked it a lot but not nearly as much as you.
I checked it out last night on IFC On Demand, I am with Anonymous.
Id give it a 7/10…