Premise: Shortly before Damien (Cillian Murphy) is set to leave for London to take a position at a teaching hospital, he witnesses two acts of violence that change his mind about joining the IRA. Under his brother Teddy's (Padraic Delaney) command, Damien takes a key position in the fight for independence, learning from Dan (Liam Cunningham) and falling for Sinead (Orla Fitzgerald).What beautifully crafted misery from director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty. Previously, I had only seen one of their collaborations, and it was a bit more uplifting than this one. I can't fault them for creating such depressing tales, as they are so thoroughly rooted in reality. History tells us how things went for the Irish, so none of it should come as a surprise, per se. Shocking and even horrifying, but not surprising.
Armed with Barry Ackroyd's stunning cinematography and George Fenton's sparse and compelling score, Loach and Laverty entice the audience into their quiet, honest tale of heartbreak. It comes as no surprise to see a performance of this caliber from Murphy. He's an actor capable of filling in the tiniest of details with grace, smoothing out the roughest edges with a natural touch. Delaney matches him mark for emotional mark, bringing added sex appeal to boot.The brothers start out at opposing ends of the spectrum and find themselves drawn through the middle and to the other side over the course of the film. Teddy's shift you can see - it seems reasonable, even logical. The only point where the film lost me was the end of Damien's arc. When you reach the final, tense, chilling moments, you alternate between pleading with Teddy and wondering, "Why, Damien? Why?" To be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps I will see more layers with subsequent viewing. A-
Bonus: Check out the song that inspired the title.
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