Not one of those times
I am not a professional film critic. And I do not regularly say, ‘You oughta see this film!’ Frankly, I’m not really very astute in my observations of most movies. Hey, most times I go to the cinema purely for mindless entertainment purposes…escapism and all that. This was not one of those times…
Tonight I saw ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley,’ chronicling the painful, formative years of Ireland’s independence and civil war. I live in Ireland.
It won best picture at Cannes this year. Might be a re-make of ‘Michael Collins,’ I thought, but ought to see it, even if only for Cillian Murphy’s to-die-for cheekbones.
Wow.
It was disturbing.
It was painful.
It was an amazing representation of all the complexities of how this country was formed.
It was crowded.
It was quiet.
It was an indelible mark on the collective psyche of the people around me.
I can only say, ‘You oughta see this film.’ Full stop.