I had no idea what the film itself was going to consist of, I guess I was attracted more by the two leading Irish actors, from director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall). Basically the film opens in 1975, where nineteen-year-old Jim Griffen (Gerard Jordan) is murdered by seventeen-year-old Alistair Little (Mark Davison). Jim's eleven-year-old brother Joe was witness to the murder, and even though Alistair went to prison for twelve years, it seemed like Joe's Mum (Paula McFetridge) was blaming Joe for not stopping him. Thirty three years since these events, in the present day, a television documentary crew has set up a meeting between older Alistair Little (Liam Neeson) and Joe Griffen (James Nesbitt). Alistair does not know that a volatile Joe plans to avenge his brother's death, while Alistair seems calm and wanting redemption and forgiveness. When Joe gets emotional just before the meeting, he changes his mind and refuses to be filmed face to face with Alistair, and they both discuss their pasts in their own places. Then they arrange to meet in an old house, where Joe tries to stab Alistair, and in a tackle they both end up crashing through the window, lying together on the pavement. Injured, Alistair checks Joe's pulse, they have both survived the fall, Alistair tells Joe he is going back to Belfast, but then he tells Joe to get rid of him and go back to his daughters. He of course means to forget about him, and after shakily lighting a cigarette and picking himself up he limps away down the road. The next day, Joe attends a group sharing problems and cries about wanting to be a good father, and in the end he calls Alistair up and says, "we're finished. Also starring Anamaria Marinca as Vika, Juliet Crawford as Cathy, Niamh Cusack as Alistair's Mum, Gerry Doherty as Joe's Dad and Paul Garret as Alistair's Dad. Both Neeson and Nesbitt excel in this drama that is a little of an original in the way that it is executed, no wonder it was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival. Very good!
Review of Five Minutes of Heaven
