October 1974, London. Young Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis) gets arrested by the police. They claim he is an IRA (Irish Republican Army) terrorist and to blame for the bombing in Guildford that killed five people. Gerry maintains that he's innocent, but the police and the people of Britain are hungry for blood. The film is based on real events.
As you can imagine, the film is anything but congratulatory towards the society and the justice system of the 70s. The film focuses heavily on Conlon's own personal experiences before and after the bombing, but the film takes it time to get the licks in.
Daniel Day-Lewis has earned a reputation as one of the great names in cinema and watching this movie you can certainly see why. It all feels authentic, from the quiet rage to desperation to just giving up, if not outright snapping. I also really liked the performance given by Pete Postlethwaite as Giuseppe, Gerry's father.
A heavy movie and makes one appreciate how one has managed to grow in relative peace and quiet. Sure modern Europe has had its own upheavals, but nothing quite like this.
If I had to name a negative, I would say that the film is a bit episodic, like many biographical films tend to be. It's better than most I've seen, but the film has to jump around in time a lot and these transitions are not quite as graceful as they perhaps could have been.
Still, an interesting movie and a great watch for all fans of historical drama.
As you can imagine, the film is anything but congratulatory towards the society and the justice system of the 70s. The film focuses heavily on Conlon's own personal experiences before and after the bombing, but the film takes it time to get the licks in.
Daniel Day-Lewis has earned a reputation as one of the great names in cinema and watching this movie you can certainly see why. It all feels authentic, from the quiet rage to desperation to just giving up, if not outright snapping. I also really liked the performance given by Pete Postlethwaite as Giuseppe, Gerry's father.
A heavy movie and makes one appreciate how one has managed to grow in relative peace and quiet. Sure modern Europe has had its own upheavals, but nothing quite like this.
If I had to name a negative, I would say that the film is a bit episodic, like many biographical films tend to be. It's better than most I've seen, but the film has to jump around in time a lot and these transitions are not quite as graceful as they perhaps could have been.
Still, an interesting movie and a great watch for all fans of historical drama.