Saw this, appropriately enough, on St. Patrick's day (along with the more interesting Omagh), and found it difficult to tune in to anybody in the movie. It does have two great actors of the UK screen: Maggie Smith (being serious, for a change), and the always fascinating Michael Gambon. They get to recite some lines that allow them to sparkle, but are really secondary characters to Keely Hawes and David Tennant, two star crossed would be lovers, who talk past each other.
Set In Ireland just post the first World War, and with local sentiments rising to rid themselves of the Brits, the movie tries to show metaphorically the divide within Irish breasts. What we get instead are boorish Black and Tans, a sociopathic "freedom fighter" on the run, and a vapid young woman who wants to say yes to romance, but ends up being manhandled instead by a man who, fresh from the kill, wants to shag! Once bitten, she comes back for more and ends up bemoaning the death of the British soldier she spurned for the Irish killer.
Keely Hawes is fine to look at, but I have yet to see her really grip a role. Competent, and easy to watch, she manages to get by with looks and the usual perfect English diction. Here she manages quite well to show us a self centered young woman looking for something other than a fine upstanding young man before she has to marry one. She finds a dangerous killer hiding out in the abandoned mill, and knowing full well that he has brutally tortured and killed a bullying British soldier, she decides to tarry and stand mesmerized as he proceeds to get half way through artlessly depriving her of her maidenhood. Interrupted by David Tennant, a willing suitor up against unrequited love, she staggers off half dressed while Tennant allows the killer to escape.
Not to fear, intrepid Keely gets another chance to be mauled, and Tennant gets another chance to rescue the maiden who doesn't want rescuing, and gets killed for his pains. Whether Keely ever comes to her senses is not clear. She is distraught at Tennant's death, but never seems to show an inkling of how stupid and reckless she has been.
Surrounding this Laurentian tale of lust between the classes are other smaller tales of love lost, and love never found. As a tale of Ireland it is small potatoes.
Set In Ireland just post the first World War, and with local sentiments rising to rid themselves of the Brits, the movie tries to show metaphorically the divide within Irish breasts. What we get instead are boorish Black and Tans, a sociopathic "freedom fighter" on the run, and a vapid young woman who wants to say yes to romance, but ends up being manhandled instead by a man who, fresh from the kill, wants to shag! Once bitten, she comes back for more and ends up bemoaning the death of the British soldier she spurned for the Irish killer.
Keely Hawes is fine to look at, but I have yet to see her really grip a role. Competent, and easy to watch, she manages to get by with looks and the usual perfect English diction. Here she manages quite well to show us a self centered young woman looking for something other than a fine upstanding young man before she has to marry one. She finds a dangerous killer hiding out in the abandoned mill, and knowing full well that he has brutally tortured and killed a bullying British soldier, she decides to tarry and stand mesmerized as he proceeds to get half way through artlessly depriving her of her maidenhood. Interrupted by David Tennant, a willing suitor up against unrequited love, she staggers off half dressed while Tennant allows the killer to escape.
Not to fear, intrepid Keely gets another chance to be mauled, and Tennant gets another chance to rescue the maiden who doesn't want rescuing, and gets killed for his pains. Whether Keely ever comes to her senses is not clear. She is distraught at Tennant's death, but never seems to show an inkling of how stupid and reckless she has been.
Surrounding this Laurentian tale of lust between the classes are other smaller tales of love lost, and love never found. As a tale of Ireland it is small potatoes.