'71
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: February 27, 2015
7.5
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Generally favorable reviews based on 147 Ratings
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122
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Negative:
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10
djniceyFeb 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this film and thought the acting by Jack O'Connell was superb, he played a young inexperienced soldier thrown into a desperate situation excellently. Its a gritty, tense, movie and once it got started I was engrossed untilI really enjoyed this film and thought the acting by Jack O'Connell was superb, he played a young inexperienced soldier thrown into a desperate situation excellently. Its a gritty, tense, movie and once it got started I was engrossed until the end. Its a very believable story, and doesn't take sides in the conflict, its more of an anti-establishment film and shows the corruption on both sides.

It has a great story, excellent cinematography and superb acting, I would recommend it.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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8
oDjentoMar 5, 2015
This film was visceral and truly thrilling. The performance by Jack O’Connell was great and he really helped carry the movie. There are some great scenes in this and the suspense in some are really racked up high to edge of your seatThis film was visceral and truly thrilling. The performance by Jack O’Connell was great and he really helped carry the movie. There are some great scenes in this and the suspense in some are really racked up high to edge of your seat watching. There’s a real sense of discomfort in the film that filters into what the soldiers would feel in the situations as they see children blown up in front of them, friends shot in front of them and even see your own higher officers seeming evil and menacing towards others. All in all this film was an excellent thriller and really deserves the recognition. Props to Demange for making this gem.… Expand
3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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8
TVJerryMar 26, 2015
Jack O’Connell ("Unbroken") plays a British soldier who gets separated from his troop after a street riot in Belfast, 1971. He knows nothing about the area or who to trust and must survive the night in a war zone. After a taut, well-editedJack O’Connell ("Unbroken") plays a British soldier who gets separated from his troop after a street riot in Belfast, 1971. He knows nothing about the area or who to trust and must survive the night in a war zone. After a taut, well-edited chase, the action takes on a cautiously apprehensive quality as the hunt becomes more intense. Expect to lose a portion of the dialogue (and subsequent plot) due to the thick Irish accents, but it doesn't interfere from appreciating most the action. While it's not riveting, there's a solid pace and forceful momentum that holds your attention.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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7
foxgroveMar 8, 2015
The troubles in Ireland have already been well documented in films like 'In the Name of the Father' and 'Bloody Sunday', so as '71' opens a kind of lethargy overcomes one due to the familiarity of the subject matter. However, the film soonThe troubles in Ireland have already been well documented in films like 'In the Name of the Father' and 'Bloody Sunday', so as '71' opens a kind of lethargy overcomes one due to the familiarity of the subject matter. However, the film soon kicks down these seen it all before expectations via fine acting, edge of seat tension and sheer cinematic technique.
Fast rising young actor Jack O'Connell plays a soldier who finds his life in danger whilst trapped in enemy territory on the streets of Belfast. His desperate efforts to get himself back to the safety of the barracks becomes the basic story trajectory. From the moment his character is left behind to fend for himself the film becomes an adrenalin rush of heart pounding tension. Brilliant hand held camera movements act like another character one moment and in the next becomes symbiotic of the chaos and craziness of everything taking place. The film is extremely violent and bloody and is edited for maximum effect. The cumulative result leaves one feeling totally drained.
In another great performance, which is only a few notches down from the one he gave in 'Starred Up', Jack O'Connell is again completely believable playing yet another man dealing with extraordinary circumstances. Sean Harris, here the face of corruption, is also as good as always.
Like the opening scenes the closing ones disappoint as, again, the all too familiar scenarios are predictably played out. If you top and tail this movie and just enjoy the filling it is very powerful film making indeed.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
hotfromcauldronMar 27, 2015
’71 is a ball of confusion - much like war. This anti-war film is a day in the life of a young British soldier trapped behind enemy lines. With so many characters hunting him down- why, who is fighting for what - and how - is hard to’71 is a ball of confusion - much like war. This anti-war film is a day in the life of a young British soldier trapped behind enemy lines. With so many characters hunting him down- why, who is fighting for what - and how - is hard to track. And subtitles could save solid performances lost on American ears because of thick Irish brogues. Yet after the smoke clears, first time feature director Yann Demange is a career to follow - his horrific shock and awe moments are more powerful than American Sniper.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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9
DoctorFilmMar 30, 2016
The Troubles have rarely been more troubling onscreen than they are in “’71,” a vivid, shivery survival thriller that turns the red-brick residential streets of Belfast into a war zone of unconscionable peril.

Demange’s film premieres inThe Troubles have rarely been more troubling onscreen than they are in “’71,” a vivid, shivery survival thriller that turns the red-brick residential streets of Belfast into a war zone of unconscionable peril.

Demange’s film premieres in the Berlinale competish 11 years after Paul Greengrass took top honors at the fest for “Bloody Sunday,” a docu-style chronicle of the 1972 attack on Irish civil-rights protesters by British troops that remains, for many, the benchmark for all cinematic depictions of this brutal chapter in history. Taking place — as the overly loose-fitting title implies — one year before that landmark tragedy, the fictional “’71” is obviously comparable to Greengrass’ film in terms of subject matter, and may well have a similarly jump-starting effect on its talented helmer’s film career. Stylistically and even politically, however, it’s a very different beast: Tactile and expressionistic rather than journalistic, its initially opposing British perspective blurring amid the carnage, it’s effectively a horror film with a strict historical pretext.

Its narrow timeframe and juddering shootout finale notwithstanding, in fact, “’71” calls no film to mind so much as Roman Polanski’s Holocaust drama “The Pianist” in its dramatic defamiliarization of urban space, and its tight focus on a single character’s sensory experience of his surroundings amid broader conflict. Chris Oddy’s remarkable production design makes a surreal warren of blind alleys, bombed-out corridors and once-domestic deathtraps from the modest terraced houses of the Northern Irish capital — a nightmare videogame environment with real blood and no replay option. (The pic was undetectably shot not in Belfast, but in architecturally equivalent Liverpool.)

O’Connell plays new army recruit Gary Hook, a teenaged orphan with a kid brother (Harry Verity) still in the bleak children’s home where he himself grew up; military service, it seems, is his only route to self-sufficiency. Expecting a cushier first assignment, Hook and his platoon are surprised to be deployed immediately for emergency peacekeeping in Belfast, riven by friction between Protestant Loyalists and Catholic Nationalists — the latter themselves divided between the IRA and more radical dissidents. The lean, laconic script by Gregory Burke (who effectively explored soldier psychology in his award-winning stage play “Black Watch”) keeps the establishing politics simple; it’s the ambiguities in personal allegiance that propel the plot into denser, double-crossing territory.

After a routine house raid in the Catholic part of town goes awry, with the troops unequipped with riot gear, Hook’s unit beats a hasty retreat from the violent assembled crowd — so hasty, in fact, that Hook and fellow soldier Thommo (Jack Lowden) are unwittingly left behind. Thommo is shot dead by two IRA youths; Hook barely escapes into the backstreets. What ensues is a disciplined but many-angled manhunt tale, as the missing soldier is simultaneously sought by his commanding lieutenant Armitage (Sam Reid), his IRA attackers and the Military Reaction Force, a covert intelligence branch of the British Army fearful of what Hook may learn the longer he spends in the wrong part of town. Questionably helping hands are offered along the way by a Catholic ex-army medic (Richard Dormer) and a foul-mouthed pre-teen Loyalist (Corey McKinley, a marvelous find).

The film sounds plottier on paper than its proves in practice, where complex internal politics take a back seat to the protag’s in-the-moment experience of these hellish events. This odyssey is rendered alternately ambient and viscerally immediate by Tat Radcliffe’s extraordinary widescreen lensing, which switches between 16mm for daytime sequences and digital as darkness falls, the accompanying shift in texture reflecting Hook’s fluctuating consciousness. Remarkable sound work similarly alternates between crisp clatter and dreamy, shellshocked distortion.

If the film’s tech contributions play an invaluable role in letting audiences into Hook’s head, it’s O’Connell’s sturdy, humane performance that keeps them there. As also demonstrated in David Mackenzie’s prison drama “Starred Up,” he’s a ferocious physical performer, possessed of a hard-bitten masculinity not overly common in his generation of leading men. (That he’ll be seen later this year as Olympic athlete and WWII hero Louis Zamperini in Universal’s Angelina Jolie-directed biopic “Unbroken” is a factor international distributors may take into account when selecting a release date for this arthouse effort.) Yet it’s the vulnerability and palpable panic O’Connell conveys in Hook that impresses most — for all his strength and resilience, the audience is never allowed to forget that he’s little more than a child soldier.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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10
DoUEvnLftMar 1, 2015
One of the most intense and deeply immersive films I've ever watched. I would wholeheartedly recommend this film to anyone with even a passing interest in war films.
5 of 7 users found this helpful52
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8
dfelesinaMar 1, 2015
The film does an excellent job of not taking sides in one of the best war movies in recent years. The handheld camerawork adds to the intensity of the story. While there is little character development, the story, acting, directing, andThe film does an excellent job of not taking sides in one of the best war movies in recent years. The handheld camerawork adds to the intensity of the story. While there is little character development, the story, acting, directing, and cinematography carry through.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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9
StevieGJDApr 6, 2015
This is a great film. The complaints about not being able to understand the dialogue are either misplaced or ignorant. I am not Irish and I understood 99% of the dialogue, certainly everything that mattered. This movie is like "TheThis is a great film. The complaints about not being able to understand the dialogue are either misplaced or ignorant. I am not Irish and I understood 99% of the dialogue, certainly everything that mattered. This movie is like "The Warriors" or "Escape from New York", except not as stupid. A young British kid left in Northern Ireland, in a conflict he has no interest in, with a hostile group of locals. The movie builds its own intensity and drive. The background or makeup of the side characters does not matter. It is simply enemies versus friendlies. The movie develops an amazing momentum and drive that leads us to the not-totally-satisfactory conclusion, that resembles early 70s films. Loved this film.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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10
RohnMar 28, 2015
Wow! Purposely Disturbing, Fear evoking, Edifying, Shocking, Tinder, Empathetic, Hateful. and Awesome! The direction, sets, cinematography, as well as actors facial expression and body language are masterful. This film is truly fine art.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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7
Brent_MarchantMar 14, 2015
A taut, gritty tale of a British soldier caught behind enemy lines in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the 1971 uprising. Action-packed and gripping, to be sure, though a little weak on character development and back story, especially for theA taut, gritty tale of a British soldier caught behind enemy lines in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the 1971 uprising. Action-packed and gripping, to be sure, though a little weak on character development and back story, especially for the protagonist. And, while not gratuitous or grotesque, it's definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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6
BHBarryMar 22, 2015
"’71" was written by Gregory Burke and directed by Yann Demange. It stars Jack O’Connell who portrays an accidentally abandoned British soldier during the conflict in Belfast and how he attempts to survive in this hostile Catholic environment"’71" was written by Gregory Burke and directed by Yann Demange. It stars Jack O’Connell who portrays an accidentally abandoned British soldier during the conflict in Belfast and how he attempts to survive in this hostile Catholic environment as he tries to rejoin his regiment. More than anything, the film seeks to examine the deep seeded hostility and social unrest among the British Catholics and the differences even amidst their own leaders and followers. Unfortunately, the film is weak in this regard and never stays with one character long enough to investigate and understand his or her`respective motivations and beliefs. The film is also burdened by the fact that the thick Irish brogues make it difficult to understand what the characters, especially the key ones, are saying. English titles certainly would have helped.. A loose script and difficulty in knowing who are and who aren’t the good guys makes this movie more of an effort to watch than to enjoy. I give the film a 6.0 rating for the one thing it does do is afford some insight into the circumstances that befell Belfast and how one British soldier spent a night there in the year 1971.… Expand
0 of 4 users found this helpful04
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9
nutterjrDec 31, 2015
Somehow this fictional nightmare scenario for this soldier left behind on the wrong side of the 'fence' and surrounded by those that personify him as the live target to exhume their frustration on, seems to capture the audience in this nailSomehow this fictional nightmare scenario for this soldier left behind on the wrong side of the 'fence' and surrounded by those that personify him as the live target to exhume their frustration on, seems to capture the audience in this nail biting chase for survival. The director makes it all feel almost real and coupled with the consistently amazing performance of O'Connell (see him in Starred Up) this film is one that you will not quickly forget.… Expand
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7
fungusgnatJul 3, 2015
Keeps the drama focused on the personal level as our hero tries to make his way around the back streets of Belfast, at one moment or another the subject of mercy or of murderous pursuit. Photography and editing convey well the sights andKeeps the drama focused on the personal level as our hero tries to make his way around the back streets of Belfast, at one moment or another the subject of mercy or of murderous pursuit. Photography and editing convey well the sights and sounds of irregular urban warfare. Points off for an ending that is missing some finish by way of a couple brief scenes that might have made it more credible.… Expand
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10
hapycampr2002Sep 7, 2015
Great movie. I read complaints about the accents and the fact that you don't know who the "good guys" are. That could only have been written by an American. After I watched it I was grateful that it wasn't produced by or solely for anGreat movie. I read complaints about the accents and the fact that you don't know who the "good guys" are. That could only have been written by an American. After I watched it I was grateful that it wasn't produced by or solely for an American audience because it would have been dumbed down considerably. Smartly written and very well acted. A roller coaster of a movie that seemed to never let up. I laud the fact that this film did not take sides and has a nuanced approach to what it addressed regarding the conflict in Norther Ireland. I've read my fair share on it, and it was a quagmire of competing forces that sometimes found the same sides pitted against one another. This movie showed that.… Expand
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9
JoshFriesenMay 5, 2015
‘War is hell’, many films have made such a statement about the nature of war, and thankfully ’71 is decidedly in the ‘War is hell’ camp. What ’71 adds is how disorienting and confusing war can be. Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1971, the‘War is hell’, many films have made such a statement about the nature of war, and thankfully ’71 is decidedly in the ‘War is hell’ camp. What ’71 adds is how disorienting and confusing war can be. Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1971, the film portrays the brutality of guerrilla warfare through the eyes of a single soldier; Gary Cook (played by Jack O’Connell).

We are introduced to Cook as a British recruit whose training is cut short due to the immediate need for more men on the battle lines. Shortly after his regiment is sent out on a mission to ‘reassure the people’, a riot breaks out and Cook finds himself cut off from his group and behind enemy lines. Worse yet, a particularly blood-thirsty faction of the IRA are on his tail. Cook is terrified and alone and O’Connell portrays this brilliantly in an almost wordless performance.

’71 never spells anything out to the audience, and the result is baffling and effective. In the film there are essentially three groups; The British faction that Cook was once a part of, the IRA faction attempting to catch Cook, and finally Cook and the people who help him. However, the lines between the three groups are not as defined as they might appear. The British faction that is attempting the rescue mission has to rely on Irish inside men, some of whom may be part of the IRA group attempting to capture Cook. It is also unclear whose side the men who help Cook are on, are they simply being generous or is their intent more malicious? For the most part, the audience shares his confusion, as many of the character’s true allegiances are left unanswered for the majority of the film.

The debut feature from TV veteran Yann Demange, ’71 is a showcase of great things to come. A tight thriller with an almost minimalist aesthetic, the film works breathlessly, and during the action set pieces, the film soars. The action is shot often down long narrow corridors using hand held cameras while the throbbing soundtrack adds to the tension, a stylistic cross between Paul Greengrass and John Carpenter.
The only stumble of the film is undoubtedly its climax, a single fault in an otherwise flawless screenplay by Gregory Burke. It is the one moment the film feels forced, the result a reminder that what we are watching is a movie. It’s a shame because, until that moment, the characters decisions have felt so natural and organic. However, this is a small quibble, and one that will likely be forgiven by those caught up in the action.

’71 is a highly engrossing and entertaining film and Jack O’Connell gives a performance not to be missed. It is unfortunate that there hasn’t been any attempt made to advertise the film, which is surely to account for its currently disappointing run in theatres. My girlfriend and I saw it opening weekend and were the only people in the theatre, hopefully it will have more success on DVD and Blue ray.… Expand
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7
SpangleJan 12, 2016
The conflict between the Irish and the British, as well as the Catholics and Protestants on the British Isles has been presented before, so this film covers well-traversed territory, but it does not prevent it from still being a great film.The conflict between the Irish and the British, as well as the Catholics and Protestants on the British Isles has been presented before, so this film covers well-traversed territory, but it does not prevent it from still being a great film. Jack O'Connell is marvelous in this heart pounding tale of a British soldier caught behind enemy lines and the efforts of many to get their hands on him. Brilliantly directed by Yann Demange, the tension is palpable throughout and the suspense is fantastic. Though taking place outside, the film is almost claustrophobic in a way, given the way O'Connell's character feels trapped on all sides and does not know where to turn. The Troubles have always been able to be turned into great films and '71 is no exception, as this one is not so much a war film as it is a thriller and a darn good thriller it is.… Expand
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8
RalfbergsAug 14, 2016
Great movie. Intense, interesting, makes you think and the performance by all the actors is really good. I suggest to watch this movie to everyone. You get a closer look to how it was in Northern Ireland, with all their conflicts and hateGreat movie. Intense, interesting, makes you think and the performance by all the actors is really good. I suggest to watch this movie to everyone. You get a closer look to how it was in Northern Ireland, with all their conflicts and hate towards brits - while a soldier from England, who has no interest in it, has to experience it all first hand… Expand
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9
annapatrixSep 18, 2015
What an incredible film. I've enjoyed it very much and great acting from the lead. Must watch!

Watch it online for free: https://www.primewire.ag/watch-2760076-71-online-free
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7
smiyamotMay 27, 2016
An anti-war movie, if it was American it would take place in Viet Nam, but it's British so it takes place in Northern Ireland. How can you tell the friendlies from the enemy? Especially if the higher ups in the Army are helping one side.An anti-war movie, if it was American it would take place in Viet Nam, but it's British so it takes place in Northern Ireland. How can you tell the friendlies from the enemy? Especially if the higher ups in the Army are helping one side. Into this secrecy walks a lieutenant and private who think everything is black and white, good and bad. You know it's going to end badly.… Expand
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8
TheFilmDoctorMar 22, 2016
What might a movie called ’71 be about? The Pentagon Papers? War between India and Pakistan? The release of Led Zeppelin’s untitled fourth album? Had director Yann Demange taken a cue from Vincent Gallo (Buffalo ’66) and called his filmWhat might a movie called ’71 be about? The Pentagon Papers? War between India and Pakistan? The release of Led Zeppelin’s untitled fourth album? Had director Yann Demange taken a cue from Vincent Gallo (Buffalo ’66) and called his film Belfast ’71, no confusion would be possible. Arguably the most violent year in the history of the Troubles, 1971 saw riots (in response to mass internment of nationalists by British security forces) that prompted thousands to flee Northern Ireland, and culminated with the December 4 bombing of McGurk’s Bar, which killed 15 people. Demange’s film, a work of fiction, doesn’t dramatize any of these specific events, but it captures, with harrowing intensity, the chaos and terror of the era, depicting a single night during which a particularly green British soldier gets separated from his unit in the Catholic part of Belfast—a foul-up that practically amounts to a death sentence.

The soldier in question, Gary Hook, is played by rising star Jack O’Connell, more in the survival mode of Unbroken than in the feral mode of Starred Up. Accompanying his new unit on a raid that was meant to be quick and surgical, Gary steps in the wrong direction when locals start not-so-passively resisting and winds up running for his life, unwittingly abandoned. (A fellow soldier also left behind is immediately killed by the IRA.) Plans are made to extract him, headed by his commanding officer, Lieutenant Armitage (Sam Reid). In the meantime, however, Gary has to rely on the kindness of strangers, each of whom could rat him out to the IRA at any moment. He’s also being fervently sought by the Military Reaction Force, a counter-insurgency unit of the British army (described by one former member as a “legalized death squad”) that’s concerned about what Gary may find out if he talks to the so-called enemy.

Having previously directed only shorts and TV episodes, Demange, who was born in France but has lived most of his life in England, makes an accomplished feature debut, though it augurs a future in gripping action movies rather than probing political dramas. From the moment that Gary is trapped behind “enemy lines” (in a war movie set entirely among residential streets, Liverpool doubles ably for Belfast) ’71 rarely stops for breath; the threat of sudden violence hangs over every mundane conversation, and Demange expertly sustains the tension, allowing anxiety to build, briefly ebb, and then build again, over and over. O’Connell, so savage in Starred Up, makes a superbly terrified and helpless “hero” (if that’s even the right word for someone who’s just trying to survive), and he’s surrounded by an equally agile cast of lesser-known actors, each of whom strives to achieve maximum ambiguity when it comes to the character’s true motives. Only in the film’s last third or so does it badly falter, embracing cheap cynicism that makes its conclusion feel aggressively facile rather than cathartic. The setting may be Belfast ’71, but Demange’s sensibility—first-rate suspense coupled with black-and-white politics—is much more James Cameron ’86.… Expand
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9
MovieMasterEddyApr 6, 2016
In “ ’71,” an excitingly jumpy, finely calibrated chase movie about a British soldier caught behind enemy lines, the director Yann Demange goes from zero to 100 in the blink of an eye. The soldier is played by Jack O’Connell, last seen beingIn “ ’71,” an excitingly jumpy, finely calibrated chase movie about a British soldier caught behind enemy lines, the director Yann Demange goes from zero to 100 in the blink of an eye. The soldier is played by Jack O’Connell, last seen being brutalized (in more ways than one) in “Unbroken,” the Angelina Jolie biopic about Louis Zamperini. That movie proved a bad fit for Mr. O’Connell, who never put down roots in the character, an Olympian turned World War II captive, because Ms. Jolie couldn’t or wouldn’t let him. By contrast, Mr. O’Connell runs away with “ ’71,” in which his character’s every emotional, psychological and physical hurdle makes for kinetic cinema.

I mean run literally. The movie is set against the sectarian violence in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in a year that opened with the tarring and feathering of several men by the Irish Republican Army. By February, a British soldier was dead as were a number of civilians, and several riots had convulsed Belfast. It’s against this backdrop that Mr. O’Connell’s character, Gary Hook, arrives with a regiment of similarly inexperienced soldiers. Smoke pours from burning cars, some strategically bookending streets like barricades. During the day, children play among scattered bricks that they sometimes hurl at the soldiers (when they’re not lobbing bags of feces instead). At night, the mazelike streets belong to the war and the running people, British and Irish, stoking the flames.

When you meet Gary, he’s a wide-eyed recruit on the receiving end of another man’s fists. He doesn’t talk much. The movie, written by the playwright Gregory Burke, favors narrative devices like foreshadowing and doubling over the usual blabbity blab, an approach that dovetails with Mr. Demange’s talent for elegantly deployed action. The blood that pours from Gary’s face bluntly sets the scene but also foreshadows the river of red to come. Similarly, the obstacle course that Gary and his fellow soldiers soon run, leaping and going belly down in the muck, forecasts the more punishing hurdles to come. Meanwhile, a short, elliptical sequence of Gary and his young brother, Darren (Harry Verity), adds some personal detail even as it presages the later appearance of a second boy.

That may sound too schematic, but Mr. Demange moves so effortlessly and rapidly from these introductory interludes that you may not notice all the parts shifting into gear. He knows when to linger in the moment, too, as when Gary watches Darren at a home for children, a place that, you intuit, the older brother knows inch by loveless inch.

You never learn why or how the brothers came to this sterile holding pen. As the story unfolds, though, you wonder if being parentless explains the seriousness of Gary’s gaze and his mournfulness. His immaturity and the military may explain his reserve, but it’s also a good guess that his survival instincts were honed in that home.

Men and women have been sprinting across screens since Eadweard Muybridge turned his cameras on them in the late 19th century. The silent clowns ran as does Jason Bourne, and, at times, it seems as if the movies were made for ready, set, go, go, go: Buster Keaton bolting in “Seven Chances”; Cary Grant fleeing in “North by Northwest”; Franka Potente racing in “Run Lola Run.” Mr. Demange makes his feature directing debut with “ ’71,” but he already knows how to move bodies through space and the complex choreography that he’s worked out in this movie is a thing of joy. One minute, Gary is ripping down an alley with the camera jostling after him, as if desperate to keep up; the next, he’s careering down a street, the camera now steadily gliding alongside him.

Much of the movie takes place in a single night, which certainly worked for James Joyce in “Ulysses.” Whether or not the filmmakers self-consciously borrowed from that book’s chapter set during one hallucinatory Dublin evening, Gary’s journey into this other night-town is similarly a voyage into the self. In between sprints — he’s soon fleeing a breakaway faction of the I.R.A., led by an eager killer, Quinn (Killian Scott) — he meets several souls who help him out, sometimes a bit too conveniently, including a father and daughter, Eamon (Richard Dormer) and Brigid (Charlie Murphy). What Gary doesn’t know is that the biggest threat may come in the form of an undercover British unit led by a twitchy captain, Browning (a ferocious Sean Harris). The enemy of Gary’s enemy is closing in.… Expand
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7
JLuis_001Sep 6, 2017
'71 fulfills more than it promises and that is good, is satisfactory, due to its protagonist and his great technical work, Although the script presents its flaws, the film flows better than one would expect.
Honestly I recommend it, under no'71 fulfills more than it promises and that is good, is satisfactory, due to its protagonist and his great technical work, Although the script presents its flaws, the film flows better than one would expect.
Honestly I recommend it, under no circumstances is a transcendental film, but its goal is to entertain and it does that real fine.… Expand
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7
OwenMansellJun 2, 2018
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film is very suspenseful and shocking. The drastic journey that Private Gary Hook goes through when he gets left behind during a riot control mission is uncannily striking, he is trying to survive in a suburbia that is similar to his home in Derby but also very alien to him. But what this film does that is very good, is that you see both perspectives of the conflict. When Sean Bannon got shot by one of the captains men, this changes your perspective of good and evil in this movie as he then goes on to try and kill Private Hook, this in turn makes you feel empathy towards Bannon as he is just a child who was lead in the wrong direction. The twist ending is very shocking, it leaves you knowing that the missions senior officer (Captain Browning) is working with the IRA.… Expand
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7
JeBjBoJan 10, 2023
A gripping war drama with a fantastic lead, Jack O'Donnell has great potential!
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8
KenROct 20, 2019
French Born director Yann Demange, has created as intense a drama as could be expected within a documentary style movie - etched out of a real life and death situation from the pathetic streets of civil war-torn Belfast. The ridiculouslyFrench Born director Yann Demange, has created as intense a drama as could be expected within a documentary style movie - etched out of a real life and death situation from the pathetic streets of civil war-torn Belfast. The ridiculously contemptuous hatred of religiously opposed inhabitants – living at close quarters of each other – shows human foolishness at its gut wrenching ugliest. Demange’s intelligent direction and refusal to over exaggerate, combined with Scottish writer, Gregory Burke’s angst-ridden, believable script, ensures each nerve wracking situation propels the viewer on a breathlessly desperate journey of survival. At times it’s difficult to keep up with the double and triple crosses (including inept mistakes) as each party pits itself against its assumed enemy. At the end of time all are reduced, without quarter, to fools of the saddest most ignorant order. Performances are of the highest order, and Tat Radcliffe’s photography combines handheld camera shots that don’t make the viewer feel nauseous, David Holmes pensive music score moves believably within the action. While laced with coarse language and violence its recommended for adults who admire thoughtful, hardnosed, true to life drama that tells it as it is - without dim-witted embellishments. It also thankfully, does not outstay its welcome.… Expand
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8
geewahJan 17, 2021
A tense, well edited war movie that takes on the man left behind theme and does it brilliantly.
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