Before 9/11, the subject of terrorism was never approached with any real vigor or understanding. For the most part, terrorists functioned as masses of bad guys for the hero to blow away in any number of ways. "The Devil's Own," a thriller heavily involving IRA terrorism, was made in 1997. Most likely this film wouldn't have been made post-9/11, and certainly not in the manner in which director Alan J. Pakula made it.
Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) is a notorious IRA terrorist who has been assigned to go to the US to pick up some stinger missiles. While there, he is staying with a family man (who also happens to be a cop) named Tom O'Meara (Harrison Ford). But Frankie runs into trouble with the gunrunner he's buying the missiles from (Treat Williams), putting both the lives of Frankie and Tom & his family in jeopardy.
The acting is solid. Harrison Ford has a pretty limited range, but when he's playing a role within that narrow window, he can be very effective. Tom O'Meara is not a complex part, and Ford is up to the task. There are certain similarities between Tom and President James Marshall from "Air Force One," but never mind. I've never been a Brad Pitt fan, but I have to admit, he has more talent than just being able to keep the tabloids salivating over his every move. Frankie (known to Tom and his family as Rory Devaney) is a charming, handsome man, but he's not against showing his brutal nature when the situation arises. He's a nice guy, but he's also very dangerous; Pitt never lets us forget that. Treat Williams is miscast as Billy Burke, the gunrunner. He tries to bring menace to the character by being one of those "pleasant" villains (the kind who mask their capacatiy for violence with an easygoing attitude). However, Williams isn't able to exude much menace this way. Ruben Blades is unmemorable as Diaz, Tom's partner, but Natasha McElhone is terrific as Frankie's contact, Megan.
"The Devil's Own" was the last film by Alan J. Pakula before he was killed in a tragic road accident. Pakula does does a solid job, although I have to question his handling of Frankie in the beginning. I've read some user reviews that claim that the film portrays IRA terrorists in a positive light, and doesn't do justice to the conflict. While I wouldn't go that far, I find some scenes rather unsettling because of concerns similar to this. Some of the scenes where Frankie and his cohort, Sean (Paul Ronan) are working on delivering the missiles are taken lightly, and are rather playful. This doesn't necessarily "hurt" the film (it builds sympathy for the character), but I think it was unwise to handle them in this way.
For a mainstream thriller, "The Devil's Own" is not as formulaic as one might think (save for the ending). We're never quite sure how the film is going to end up. But it's not perfect.
Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) is a notorious IRA terrorist who has been assigned to go to the US to pick up some stinger missiles. While there, he is staying with a family man (who also happens to be a cop) named Tom O'Meara (Harrison Ford). But Frankie runs into trouble with the gunrunner he's buying the missiles from (Treat Williams), putting both the lives of Frankie and Tom & his family in jeopardy.
The acting is solid. Harrison Ford has a pretty limited range, but when he's playing a role within that narrow window, he can be very effective. Tom O'Meara is not a complex part, and Ford is up to the task. There are certain similarities between Tom and President James Marshall from "Air Force One," but never mind. I've never been a Brad Pitt fan, but I have to admit, he has more talent than just being able to keep the tabloids salivating over his every move. Frankie (known to Tom and his family as Rory Devaney) is a charming, handsome man, but he's not against showing his brutal nature when the situation arises. He's a nice guy, but he's also very dangerous; Pitt never lets us forget that. Treat Williams is miscast as Billy Burke, the gunrunner. He tries to bring menace to the character by being one of those "pleasant" villains (the kind who mask their capacatiy for violence with an easygoing attitude). However, Williams isn't able to exude much menace this way. Ruben Blades is unmemorable as Diaz, Tom's partner, but Natasha McElhone is terrific as Frankie's contact, Megan.
"The Devil's Own" was the last film by Alan J. Pakula before he was killed in a tragic road accident. Pakula does does a solid job, although I have to question his handling of Frankie in the beginning. I've read some user reviews that claim that the film portrays IRA terrorists in a positive light, and doesn't do justice to the conflict. While I wouldn't go that far, I find some scenes rather unsettling because of concerns similar to this. Some of the scenes where Frankie and his cohort, Sean (Paul Ronan) are working on delivering the missiles are taken lightly, and are rather playful. This doesn't necessarily "hurt" the film (it builds sympathy for the character), but I think it was unwise to handle them in this way.
For a mainstream thriller, "The Devil's Own" is not as formulaic as one might think (save for the ending). We're never quite sure how the film is going to end up. But it's not perfect.