BEFORE: Almost done with Liam Neeson Week - I think I'll have to table the "Clash of the Titans" remake until July, but I'm going to work that in with a few similarly-themed blockbusters. I'm going in pretty blind on this one, don't really know who the subject of this film is, or what he accomplished. If only there were a way to look up that sort of thing...
THE PLOT: Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.
AFTER: Ah, it's one of those historical dramas - but I can learn something from each and every film (except maybe from a stinker like "Stealing Harvard") so tonight's film gives me an opportunity to learn about the Easter Rising, the formation of the IRA and the decades-long dispute between Ireland and England. How come Northern Ireland is considered part of the United Kingdom, but the rest of Ireland isn't? While I knew this fact, I never really thought to research the WHY of it.
I do understand that a movie has to take some liberties, since it's primarily a visual medium. Assassination squads and raids on government buildings are eye-catching, while ratifying treaties and securing funding through bond issues - not so much. I don't expect the movie to be completely historically inaccurate, but Collins was the Finance Minister for the Irish Parliament, not the Minister of Intelligence (that's much sexier on film, though...)
The final (and less cinematic) act of the film comes after the Anglo-Irish treaty, the one that created the Irish Free State, but also gave up Northern Ireland to remain part of the U.K. if it chose to. But the reaction to this, and the debate over whether Collins did a good job negotiating the treaty, or whether he gave up too much, seems to have resulted in a split in Ireland that lasted through the Irish Civil War of 1922-1923, and the IRA was active in various forms through World War II and even into the 1970's.
So we take tonight as a history lesson, though the film is a bit dry in places, there are enough explosions and assassinations to make it somewhat visual/action oriented. I'm not sure it's the most ideal subject matter from a narrative standpoint, and some of the acting is WAY over the top (Alan Rickman) and some of it toggles between subdued and confusing (Julia Roberts?). So we end up with something of a mixed bag.
These long historical dramas do play havoc with my schedule, unfortunately. Before starting this project, my typical turn-in time was 2 am - now if I start a long film around 11:45, if I should doze off a time or two when the film gets boring, then I might finish around 3 am, drag myself upstairs, post to the blog and try to read a quick comic book or two - I'm often getting to bed when the sun is starting to rise. I've become a mostly nocturnal creature by now, which makes it harder to maintain 2 jobs - I can't remember when I last showed up for work on time. So I'm anxious to reach my break and get back on a more human-like sleep-cycle.
Also starring Alan Rickman (last seen in "Sweeney Todd"), Aidan Quinn (last seen WAY back in "The Mission"), Julia Roberts (last seen in "Erin Brockovitch"), Ian Hart (last seen in "Finding Neverland"), Brendan Gleeson (last seen in "Green Zone"), Stephen Rea (last seen in "The Company of Wolves", with a cameo from Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (last seen in "August Rush").
RATING: 5 out of 10 car bombs
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