The Last Rifleman: Ritorno in Normandia

As an old person in my seventies I found this film wonderful. The acting was superb in my opinion especially the ending. The story line is very believable and I am sure it is based on some true events. The main character shows what happens to some one who loses a very close friend and feels he is somewhat to blame due to his actions at that time. It was very refreshing to see that local French people respected what had happened during the war and still remembered D day and all of the many soldiers who lost their lives . To include the thoughts of a German SS soldier was totally unexpected. A lot of the younger generation would not understand the concept of this film.

In 'inspired by truth' Brit drama "The Last Rifleman" 92 yr old WWII vet Pierce Brosnan (outstanding), on losing his wife of 68yrs, escapes his Northern Irish care home to get to Normandy on the 75th anniversary of the landings, to complete a personal mission for a fallen friend & comrade. En route, as news of his story spreads (via Ian McElhinney) he meets the likes of Clémence Poésy, John Amos & Jürgen Prochnow... all offering fine support, brought warmly home by director Terry Loane from Kevin Fitzpatrick's terrific debut screenplay. It starts slow, but gently builds in both charm & emotional intensity to end up as a wonderful tribute to that whole incredible generation.

What a beautiful movie with one or two nicely spottable eastereggs, if you know your movies. Pierce Brosnan delivers an amazing performance and definitely should get an award, together with the makeup department, which did a great job in aging him. The movie awaits you with a double twist, you should see it for yourself, keep some tissues ready. A must see, in my opinion, if you're into movies with underdogs trying to fulfil a last honourable task.

Don't expect some Private Ryan here, even though WW2 seems to be the backstory. This one is more heart-warming, but heartbreaking the same time.

Most critics will underrate this movie, but you'll miss a very well acted little gem, if you listen to them.

Give it a try.

You know, I can't stand movie critics. They like to diminish wonderful films with their haughty attitudes. This was a charming movie. Touching. Lovely. One of Brosnan's finest, in my opinion. I will be recommending it to my friends. A touching twist at the end. And thankfully, an appropriate ending for closure.

I enjoyed the supporting characters. They highlighted Arty's natural charm on people throughout his journey and how one could not love the man. No over acting. All nicely done and genuine. Each was touched by his resolve and gentleness.

Brosnan artfully played a "92 and three quarters" year old man. The way he cared and doted over his aged wife and mourned her death, his mannerisms, his speech, his body movements. Everything was genuine. The makeup artists were masterful in creating a character 20 years older than his actual age.

I only would give 10 stars to a movie that I would see again, wouldn't mind owning, and would recommend to my friends to see. This earns it.

Pierce Brosnan has been an actor who gets roles based on his appearance, and perhaps he has suffered for that as an actor; other than for James Bond, he always seems to be not quite an A-list actor but perhaps an "A minus"-list actor, so maybe that is why he took this role in a low-budget film.

I understand that the story is "loosely" based on Bernard Jordan, and that Bernard didn't really even "escape" but had already discussed plans to go with his nursing home's approval, so that lessens the appeal of anything based on him. Also, any plans to release this movie to theaters seem to have been scuttled due to another movie based on the same person--The Great Escapist with Michael Caine--getting to theaters first and thus relegating this to streaming.

Thus, few will see Brosnan's performance, which I thought was extremely well-portrayed and deeply moving. There is one flashback of him at his current age, and I'm amazed that a 70-year-old can still be that suave. But as a 93-year-old, the makeup is spot on and his acting matches perfectly. Frankly, I hope that others in the industry see this and offer him the roles that have heretofore eluded him.