I, Dolours

I'm sure you've already read the description so I'll skip the part where I tell you what this documentary is about and just jump into whether it's any good or not.

Short answer, it's quite good. Maybe it's just me but, for my documentary dollar you just can't beat an autobiographical story. That is providing the subject is forthright and honest and we get that with I Dolours.

The aspect of this story that I find most fascinating is the source. Between 2001-06 Dolours Price and another Ex-IRA member told their stories to historians at Boston College under the strict confidence that the interview tapes remain sealed until their deaths. With the caveat in place Price holds nothing back in the telling of how and why she became a soldier in the IRA, the roles she played in the conflict and the resulting years she spent in prison as a result.

Honest storytelling from a first-hand source sets this film apart from most docs you may see on any subject matter. You can tell from her nothing short of courageous storytelling she believed she (and the IRA) was in the right in The Troubles. Thankfully the makers of this film never address the question of right or wrong. I think doing so would have lessened her tale.

There are of course two sides to this story and if you really want the whole story of the conflict in N. Ireland you'll have to search out other documentaries on the subject. But that being said this movie is a pretty decent primer for anyone that is unfamiliar with this chapter of history. Despite not coming from an impartial viewpoint the film-makers still do an admirable job of outlining the issues that led to The Troubles. Where this doc really shines in telling the story of why one particular woman would join that fight.

If you want to know just how much a conflict can mess people up then there's plenty of insight here. When you try and set one group as overlords of another group, as was done in the north of the island of Ireland, you make trouble for all involved. Whatever you think of the rights and wrongs of the British involvement in Ireland this little film shows you some of the consequences.

Recommended.

I, Dolours doesn't give you a real sense of the culture of the place and time like it might have with better illustrative details instead of the dry, boring re-enactments. I was frankly very disappointed because the story of Dolours Price is very compelling. Anyone interested in the Price sisters or learning more about the Troubles should read "Say Nothing: A true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland" by Patrick Radden Keefe instead of watching this, or even watch "Fifty Dead Men Walking", a biographical account of an informant. There's a lot better material out there fortunately.

This film takes us into the life of Dolours Price and also offers a look into life in general in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. However, its overall effect here is one of a missed opportunity. It's poorly executed, with dramatizations that are often poorly done, boring or confusing. I'm still glad I watched for the bit of new details it offered me, but I wasn't as impressed as I'd expected to be. For a much better and fuller picture of Price, The Troubles, and a shocking incident involving the murder of a widowed mother of 10, read "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland" by Patrick Radden Keefe.

It's always good to see things from both sides of the story whilst I don't agree with her actions it is easy to see how someone with such a life and oppression by both Protestant and British rule could be radicalised in that way and feel sold out by the peace agreement. A fascinating retelling of the life story of a troubled yet in her own way courageous even if full of fault woman.