Rent Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)

90 Minutes of Emotion - Five Minutes of Heaven review by CP Customer

After the diabolical studio ruined Invasion, it’s good to see Oliver returning to his key strengths in Five Minutes of Heaven. His talent for getting the most out of a limited budget and cast is without question and his work always thought provoking. I am surprised his return was in a project such as Five Minutes of Heaven, an Irish film about the recent struggles, but this deals with conflict and loss that could apply anywhere in the world today. It opens by depicting a true event where Liam Neeson’s teenage UVF character kills what was the elder brother of Joe (Nesbitt). The film changes gear and we join both men as they are adults and their lives have taken different paths. For the purposes of a television documentary both are featured and the organisers hope they can debate the incident and the Irish divide that still persists. Anchored by two strong central performances, Five Minutes of Heaven is clearly a television film but one like the Queen that deserves to be seen.