Synopsis:
The Wind That Shakes The Barley is set
1920's Ireland, just before Britain came
to a treaty with the Irish to relinquish
part of their control. The film focuses
on Cillian Murphy (you may remember him
as the freaky guy in Batman Begins or
Red Eye). Cillian plays Damien, a
peaceful doctor who plans a trip to
London while his brother Teddy leads a
group of Irish rebels against the
British.
The Freak's
Rating: B+ : I know many of my family and friends will
look at the title of this one and say,
"There goes Scott with another artsy
film". I'd ask those people to answer a
few questions... Does the box office total
justify how good of a film it is? Do you
want to watch a well-made film or a
well-marketed one? Sadly I believe most
people fall into the marketing approach
and miss many great films simply because
they didn't make it to their local
multiplex.
Much
of the film is about the violent rebel
groups that ultimately led to the
creation of the Irish Republican Army.
However, the character-driven aspects of
the story that are most appealing are
the relationships between the two
brothers and their fellow countrymen.
Backdrops are wonderful Irish-green
(you've never seen green until you've
been there) and setup some amazingly
effective wide shots during the film.
About halfway through the film, the
British sign the treaty with Ireland.
The scene immediately following where
rebel groups are discussing whether they
are pleased with partial freedom is
beautifully done and thought provoking,
paralleling our current military
struggles for how and who to fight. Both
sides are shown so well that you
honestly don't know who to side with,
believing both points are just.
Jennifer M's Rating: C : Well acted, but H.E.A.V.Y. Not one I
would watch again.
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