Rent Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008)

Overlong Northern Ireland set during The Troubles in late 80s and 90s - Fifty Dead Men Walking review by PV

This film has two halves - the first if overlong with scenes that should have been cut; then it wakes up for an exciting second half.

It states it is based loosely on a true story with lots of added fiction - at the start and the end. So one wonders how much of this is true. How much of this to believe? I have no idea. The choices made by the main character seem unlikely to me - to have happened like this anyway. I believe the violence and IRA punishment of their own too.

There is also a typical bias as seen in so many films esp from Hollywood, more sympathy for the IRA nationalists and too much Brit-blaming. Worth remembering that 3000 people died in The Troubles, 2000 murdered by IRA nationalists incl women and children, many bodies still buried and they refuse to say where they are. Brits and protestant Unionists killed 1000. All unhappy but they is the facts.

Anyway, quite unpleasant as a film about violence in The Troubles has to be, I suppose. Have to be in the right mood to watch something like this.

I almost gave this a 3 stars but the political bias and also the very slow first half which makes it overlong means 2 stars.