'71

"71" (2014 release from the UK; 100 min.) brings the story of Gary Hook, a British soldier. As the movie opens, we see Gary training with the rest of his platoon. It isn't long before they are informed that they are being sent to deal with "a deteriorating situation in Belfast". Before shipping out, Gary spends some quality time with his son. Upon arriving in Belfast, it isn't long before the platoon is sent out in the streets of Belfast. Due to a blunder by the platoon's lieutenant, soon they find themselves in the midst of a street riot, and they retread. In all of the confusion, Hook is left behind and he runs for his life, being chased by several Catholics bent on killing him. At this point we are 15-20 min. into the movie. Will Hook make it out alive? To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Several comments: this is the feature debut from French director Yann Demange, and what a remarkable debut it is. "71" is both a top notch political movie and action thriller. How many movies can make that claim? The tension that builds up in the street riots is incredible, and remain palpable later on. Once Hook escapes the first immediate danger, he catches his breath, and only then realizes the horrible position that he finds himself in, and every choice he makes from here on out can be the wrong one. As to the political side, things are not clearly black and white, and in fact the comment is made several times in the movie that "the situation is confused" and we can't always tell who the "good" guys and the "bad" guys are. I suspect that this is an accurate reflection of how things were like back then in Northern Ireland. The cast is, for me anyway, a cast of unknowns. Jack O'Connell as Hook brings an incredible performance. Last but not least, there is an outstanding score for this movie, courtesy of David Holmes (best known for his scores from the Ocean's 11-12-13 series).

The movie opened finally opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay. Even though I had high expectations going in, they were met, and then some. In fact, the only negative point I will mention is that at times I had trouble understanding all the lives, due to the (fake or real, I'm not sure) Northern Irish accents. Bottom line: if you are in the mood for a top notch quality political and action drama, you cannot go wrong with this. "71" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Understanding the intricacies of the Troubles is by no means an easy task, but director Yann Demange has done an excellent job of presenting this conflict in '71. Demange made something of a name for himself on British television, directing the E4 horror series Dead Set and Channel 4 crime drama Top Boy, and this success has translated very well into a film with much larger political significance.

The characters of '71 are very much forged by their on-screen experience. Little backstory is given to the protagonist, Gary Hook, portrayed by Jack O'Connell, yet he gives a compelling physical and visual performance with an almost empty script. The intimate, personal atmosphere of the film makes the political conflict much easier to grasp for the viewer and the diversity of the opposing factions and characters shines through with an excellent supporting cast.

The only flaw I could find in the film is its difficulty in exploring the "why" behind the conflict we witness on our screens. This in itself may play into the story, however, as British soldiers expecting to be sent abroad found themselves much closer to home, in a conflict they themselves didn't fully understand.

The Troubles are a criminally under-taught and under-represented period so '71 offers an intriguing glimpse into the unrest and disorder that regrettably continues to this day.

In 1971 I was living on the fringes of Derry's Bogside. On several occasions my home was 'collateral damage' in a number of bombings and I remember lying on the floor of my bedroom in case I might fall victim to a stray bullet from one of the gun-battles raging outside. I drank in pubs that would be bombed in time and I was on the march on Bloody Sunday. Things were bad in Derry in 1971 but they were a lot worse in Belfast which is where and when Yann Demange's terrific movie "'71" is set. Maybe it's because I had first-hand experience but I've never really taken to films about 'the Troubles'. Irish film-makers have usually shied away from the subject, (a rare good exception being Jim Sheridan's "In the Name of the Father" and that was set mostly in England), leaving it up to the English and the Americans to tackle them, mostly ineptly, (exceptions again being Alan Clarke's made-for-television film "Elephant" and Steve McQueen's "Hunger"), so my expectations of "'71" were far from high, yet I believe this will be the film about the Northern Ireland 'Troubles' by which all others will be judged. Firstly nothing happens on screen that seems far-fetched or exaggerated, (and here is a film that doesn't pull its punches in showing the collusion between the British Government and paramilitaries on both sides). It's a film that could never have been made in the seventies and even 20 years ago it would have been banned here in Northern Ireland. Politically, it's dynamite but it's as a nail-biting, nerve-shredding thriller that it really makes its mark. In may respects it's a very minimalist work, taking place almost entirely over the course of one night and is really made up of two lengthy set-pieces. It's about Private Hook, (a superb Jack O'Connell), a young British solider who, on his first day of active service in Belfast, is separated from his platoon and forced to go on the run in a totally alien landscape where he is seen as 'the enemy' to be hunted down and killed. We've seen this story before. In "Odd Man Out" James Mason was the IRA man on the run in an equally treacherous Belfast but as they say, it's a tale as old as time. Outstanding American examples have included "Deliverance" and "Southern Comfort", albeit in very different settings, but few have packed the punch of "'71"; this is a terrifyingly tense thriller.

It's also the feature debut of Yann Demange who handles the material with all the assurance of a Paul Greengrass. He shoots it as if it were a newsreel, using mostly a hand-held camera, (the DoP is Tat Radcliffe), putting the audience in the centre of things. For once, all the performances are superb. In the past actors playing either Ulstermen or the occupying forces have often been reduced to nothing more than mouth-pieces; not here. Everyone on screen is utterly believable. This is one of the finest films you will see all year.

Tracking a young British soldier who fights for his life after being stranded by his unit on the vicious streets of Belfast, this 1971-set thriller is as grubby, tense and frenetic as the Northern Ireland conflict itself. Debutant Yann Demange does a sterling job in the director's chair, bringing a Paul Greengrass-esque urgency to the action with a combination of regular close-up shots and (not-too-shaky) hand-held camera work. Demange wisely opts for a quality over quantity approach to the brutal violence too, resulting in a few impactful events of savagery and gore that enhance the tension and dread rather than exploit it. Occurring over one night only, Demange – working from Gregory Burke's sparing, taut script – wrings suspense from moments as small as an uncomfortable conversation in a bar, and as big as a cat-and-mouse set piece in an apartment complex or the dazed aftermath of an explosion. It's not all smooth sailing though. The relatively unexplained bookending scenes are a tad cheesy and add little, whilst the bulk of the supporting characters are rarely more than stereotypes, albeit played with gusto. But this movie unmistakably belongs to lead actor, and recent BAFTA Rising Star winner, Jack O'Connell. His Private Gary Hook is resilient yet fragile, strong-willed yet frightened, making him a relatable everyman who will do anything to stay alive. It's not a film you could call "fun", but it's a riveting watch that rewards those willing to be immersed in its gritty and uncompromising survival story.

I tend to avoid most celluloid representations of Northern Irish Troubles - the longest running terrorist campaign in Europe, costing approximately 3000 lives and hundreds of millions of pounds in property damage and displacement - as oversimplified, glossy and biast; The Devil's Own, The Jackal, The Sons of Anarchy (particularly the last) portray Belfast either as some kind of South Central Los Angeles, or a gaudy Roger and Hammerstein set, with preconceived notions of The Troubles, and frankly unrealistically romantic portrayals of (usually Republican) paramilitaries.

'71 offers a gritty change of direction and pace. Told from the bewildered (and bewildering) viewpoint of one Gary Hook (an excellent portrayal by Jack O'Connell), a young British Army private marooned in Belfast - he's still in the UK his mates are assured! - after a supposedly straightforward raid goes drastically wrong; we're sucked nto a grimy, claustrophobic race for survival; Gary's race is our race. Hotly pursued by a Provo hit squad, Gary soon learns shocking lessons about trust...

Perhaps the thriller element does get somewhat overdone - not as much as Fifty Dead Men Walking, mark - but I was genuinely impressed at the attempt made to grasp the nettle of the turmoil in the early Seventies and break it down for the outsider; how often has the Official v Provisional split been discussed or portrayed in film? The Loyalists are mostly comic relief, but an attempt is made to portray them as real people...just like the ordinary Catholics who risk their lives to aid the stiken Gary.

Sean Harris deserves a mention as the devious Military Reaction Force officer (a real undercover outfit) running numerous Protestant and Catholic players; and contrary to some reviewers, barricades and vigilante patrols were fairly common during the early part of the decade - did he never hear of Free Derry?

This is an honest attempt to unravel the confusion of Ulster's tragedy for the perspective of a confused outsider, particularly a lone British soldier; it deserves praise for its insight and bravery.