The Renegade

I went to see this expecting it to be the usual anti-English "begod and begorragh" Hollywood nonsense. It pleasantly surprised me. I heard it described as a "potato western" as opposed to a "spaghetti western" and that sort of describes it. A high plains drifter in the rains of Connemara avenging his slain family but with a difference. I wanted to criticise the Irish/ Gaelic used in it....but I couldn't. It was fluid and believable though I felt the lead actor James Frecheville's "Irish" was a bit too "good Dublin school" rather than natural Gaeltacht. What a surprise to learn he isn't Irish at all and that he learned Irish for the part !. Kudos. His accent in English completely fooled me.....I would have sworn he was Irish.....totally amazed to learn he's Australian ! The only bit I can criticise about this film is the "starving" peasentry looked a bit too well fed.....though some of the kids do look scrawny and the safety glass and door handle in the Pub door in the last scene is a bit of a continuity screw up.....other than that it's a stylish film well made and very believable.

This story set in a times of dark history is engaging. I feel for the protagonist, I think he is a hero. It also reminds me of how lucky I am to be alive, and not have to worry about food or shelter.

I liked. A very raw irish drama with strong moments and incredibly good images. The story was simple structed and was pretty basic but its based on true events and that makes it shocking. You have your unbeatable war hero who turns against those who actually praises him to be what he is and everything becomes messy. Then you have the police commissioner whose specialtiy is being a hunter who .. hunts him. But the historic truth behind it makes it extremely authentic. Director Lance Daly really successes in making it a believable drama and avoids every poor cliches to make it more cinematic. The acting worked as well. I really liked Hugo Weaving who shines in the leading role as the trouble commissioner who gets one last chance. James Frecheville delivers with a very silent but extremely raw performance, much in the tradition of Leonardo DiCaprio's Revenant turn. Good Supporting roles by Stephen Rea and especially Jim Broadbent who is in the second half of the movie but pretty much owns every scene he is in. Nice turn by newcomer Barry Keoghan was well.The cinematography was amazing, the scenery excellent (except for those painted village images, which were a bit irritating at times) . It has many shocking moments and some well edited action sequeces. A great mix that works most of the times. Good performances over all. Lovely irish music that adds a lot to the general mood. Very recommendable movie even if it had the one or other dry scene.

Just watched Black 47 tonight in West Belfast with a hushed audience. A story about injustice and famine and how comradeship can redeem the evil in man. A dark and emotional film which will make you cry - and whoop as some of the culprits are served justice by a man of the people.

A great script, cast, acting, covering a great tale of injustice and violence. Incredible the amount of great Cinema that barely gets an airing in the UK. Historical events such as the Famine, Culloden, Easter Rising, Transportation, Glencoe Massacre, Tolpuddle martyrs, Peterloo and the Highland Clearances are stories that deserve telling. Instead the Big Budgets are left to fetishise WW2 again and again.