Going thru my Timothy Dalton phase, I wanted to see this movie, especially since the only clip I could find was the one in which the bomb goes off. Dalton (DCI Rennie) captured the heroic hero in which I like to see him as he grabbed the wife (Maria Lennon) and children and protected them with his body. And the chemistry between Roisin McAnally (Lennon) and DCI Rennie was very palatable in this scene. Unfortunately, this really was the best scene in the entire movie.
Viewing the complete film, however, I see that the "Informant" was a very realistic version of the terrible situation that existed during the film's time period of the 70s and 80s as well as a constant threat of the IRA vs. the Orange Order in Northern Ireland. Both were vicious with hundreds of years of hatred on their backs and in their memories.
Being stuck in the middle, as Gingy was, who wanted an end living the life of constant threat he only dug himself in deeper with no real view in sight of the simple lifestyle he longed for. He lost the respect of his children and the love of their mother by turning traitor, and the PSNI obviously did not really care or respect him at all. As his wife said at one time to Rennie, "You have destroyed my man." Fear of more prison time and remorse at having been forced into the situation by his "friends" completely deflated his nature. He knew not long after he turned that he had probably made the biggest mistake of his life.
Dalton's character was not only amazing but realistic as the threatening DCI, half threatening and half trying to convince Gingy to turn, whole cynical and even repulsed by Gingy for turning traitor anyway. It was all a matter of control, which Rennie (Dalton) apparently enthused in. He obviously had more respect for the wife than for Gingy and her biting remarks and looks back at him.
Dalton's character for the moment at the window while watching Roisin nurse her baby reeked with a type of hunger for a split second. Possible hunger for sexual pleasure but also could have been a hunger for the innocence of the picture it made until she looked up. The character may have longed for a less violent life as well but kept up the pretense because it was his job. Reflections of Timothy Dalton's James Bond character who hated himself for his lifestyle comes to mind here. Rennie's thoughts are left to the imagination of the viewer.
After thirty years of study of the conflict of the Irish (my mother is writer of Irish books), two visits to Ireland, and talking to the Irish, I feel that the movie was well produced reflecting the signs of the times.
The Irish Republican Army, which began in 1919-1922, were recognized as the real leaders of Independence from the British rule. Their leaders broke open the minds of the people to show that their countrymen did not have to live under constant threat and rule and deserved to control their own land. They had to fight the bloody Black and Tan war where English sent in criminals/convicts to control the people.
Unfortunately, as many good groups that start, over the years in the bitterness of battle, they lose their perspective of what and why they are fighting and crave the violence of death vs. the perspective peace available to them. I thought it was very significant in the plot that the "chief" of the IRA section chose to break the kneecaps and cigarette burn a 13-year old boy because he was the only one they could think might have betrayed Gingy.
There was also a noteworthy scene with Gingy's son, Gerald (Ciarán Fitzgerald), bursting with pain and anger to attack five boys (signifying how really outnumbered his father was) with a rock (or clump of dirt), they endeavored to kick him to death, and then Gerald turned to the officer's gun to kill. It was clearly stating that the urge to use stronger and stronger force until death was indebted into the nature of the young.
On my first visit to the Republic of Ireland, we witnessed armed officers standing around a bank. The bus driver told us it was because of the threat of the IRA bank robbers. Upon further questioning, the bus driver stated that the IRA were nothing but a "bunch of thugs." They made life miserable for all the other people, even in Southern Ireland.
As for the Garda in Ireland, we found, unfortunately, several of them unfriendly and unhelpful to tourists. I endeavored to understand that they had to be on the constant look out for deception, but tourism is their number one industry. The people, strangers, were fantastic though and even one commented, "Americans! Are you spending your money?" Hahaha!
Reading many of the comments regarding the English Army officer, apparently they did not believe that he could be polite and unbiased in that situation. However, I felt Lt. David Ferris (Cary Elwes) was extremely believable. He did not have the hatred of hundreds of years and was only "in deployment" in the area. He stated once, "It is really none of my business." So, it would not be hard to believe that he felt he had no dog in this local fight. He was a "visitor." He saw the humanity of both sides. He was, regrettably, shortchanged by his superior officer which ended up in him getting killed.
The real disappointment of this film, almost any film of this type, is the use of naked bodies and excessive cursing and foul language. In writers and producers yearn for "realism" they do not realize that something can be conveyed strongly, even more strongly, without the necessity of offensive scenes that have nothing to do with the flow of the plot.
The obligatory sex scenes!
Gingy and his wife commencing relations, Ferris and his girlfriend, even the rape scene, understandable for the plot but unnecessary to have the viewer "experience" it. And the use of the "F" word is so overdone, it becomes less effective in nature and takes away from the meaning of the script.
Nevertheless, ending on an upside, Dalton's performance was amazing as usual, his accent, despite other dissenters, was delicious - his deep voice combined with the rumblings of the Irish accent was yummy! Dalton always goes head over heels deep in his roles which has attracted me from the first a couple of months ago and this film is no different.
Viewing the complete film, however, I see that the "Informant" was a very realistic version of the terrible situation that existed during the film's time period of the 70s and 80s as well as a constant threat of the IRA vs. the Orange Order in Northern Ireland. Both were vicious with hundreds of years of hatred on their backs and in their memories.
Being stuck in the middle, as Gingy was, who wanted an end living the life of constant threat he only dug himself in deeper with no real view in sight of the simple lifestyle he longed for. He lost the respect of his children and the love of their mother by turning traitor, and the PSNI obviously did not really care or respect him at all. As his wife said at one time to Rennie, "You have destroyed my man." Fear of more prison time and remorse at having been forced into the situation by his "friends" completely deflated his nature. He knew not long after he turned that he had probably made the biggest mistake of his life.
Dalton's character was not only amazing but realistic as the threatening DCI, half threatening and half trying to convince Gingy to turn, whole cynical and even repulsed by Gingy for turning traitor anyway. It was all a matter of control, which Rennie (Dalton) apparently enthused in. He obviously had more respect for the wife than for Gingy and her biting remarks and looks back at him.
Dalton's character for the moment at the window while watching Roisin nurse her baby reeked with a type of hunger for a split second. Possible hunger for sexual pleasure but also could have been a hunger for the innocence of the picture it made until she looked up. The character may have longed for a less violent life as well but kept up the pretense because it was his job. Reflections of Timothy Dalton's James Bond character who hated himself for his lifestyle comes to mind here. Rennie's thoughts are left to the imagination of the viewer.
After thirty years of study of the conflict of the Irish (my mother is writer of Irish books), two visits to Ireland, and talking to the Irish, I feel that the movie was well produced reflecting the signs of the times.
The Irish Republican Army, which began in 1919-1922, were recognized as the real leaders of Independence from the British rule. Their leaders broke open the minds of the people to show that their countrymen did not have to live under constant threat and rule and deserved to control their own land. They had to fight the bloody Black and Tan war where English sent in criminals/convicts to control the people.
Unfortunately, as many good groups that start, over the years in the bitterness of battle, they lose their perspective of what and why they are fighting and crave the violence of death vs. the perspective peace available to them. I thought it was very significant in the plot that the "chief" of the IRA section chose to break the kneecaps and cigarette burn a 13-year old boy because he was the only one they could think might have betrayed Gingy.
There was also a noteworthy scene with Gingy's son, Gerald (Ciarán Fitzgerald), bursting with pain and anger to attack five boys (signifying how really outnumbered his father was) with a rock (or clump of dirt), they endeavored to kick him to death, and then Gerald turned to the officer's gun to kill. It was clearly stating that the urge to use stronger and stronger force until death was indebted into the nature of the young.
On my first visit to the Republic of Ireland, we witnessed armed officers standing around a bank. The bus driver told us it was because of the threat of the IRA bank robbers. Upon further questioning, the bus driver stated that the IRA were nothing but a "bunch of thugs." They made life miserable for all the other people, even in Southern Ireland.
As for the Garda in Ireland, we found, unfortunately, several of them unfriendly and unhelpful to tourists. I endeavored to understand that they had to be on the constant look out for deception, but tourism is their number one industry. The people, strangers, were fantastic though and even one commented, "Americans! Are you spending your money?" Hahaha!
Reading many of the comments regarding the English Army officer, apparently they did not believe that he could be polite and unbiased in that situation. However, I felt Lt. David Ferris (Cary Elwes) was extremely believable. He did not have the hatred of hundreds of years and was only "in deployment" in the area. He stated once, "It is really none of my business." So, it would not be hard to believe that he felt he had no dog in this local fight. He was a "visitor." He saw the humanity of both sides. He was, regrettably, shortchanged by his superior officer which ended up in him getting killed.
The real disappointment of this film, almost any film of this type, is the use of naked bodies and excessive cursing and foul language. In writers and producers yearn for "realism" they do not realize that something can be conveyed strongly, even more strongly, without the necessity of offensive scenes that have nothing to do with the flow of the plot.
The obligatory sex scenes!
Gingy and his wife commencing relations, Ferris and his girlfriend, even the rape scene, understandable for the plot but unnecessary to have the viewer "experience" it. And the use of the "F" word is so overdone, it becomes less effective in nature and takes away from the meaning of the script.
Nevertheless, ending on an upside, Dalton's performance was amazing as usual, his accent, despite other dissenters, was delicious - his deep voice combined with the rumblings of the Irish accent was yummy! Dalton always goes head over heels deep in his roles which has attracted me from the first a couple of months ago and this film is no different.