Divorcing Jack

If a madcap comedy-thriller about Northern Ireland sounds like a dubious proposition, think again. Ulsterman Colin Bateman's screenplay from his own novel is the first to capture Northern Ireland's pitch black sense of humour fully on screen. Thewlis plays boozy newspaper columnist Dan Starkey, used to shit-stirring on both sides of the political divide, but not to landing in the thick of it himself when murder pitches up at his door. On the run from gunmen of unknown persuasion, he hooks up with nurse and part-time Nun-o-Gram Griffiths, as the trail leads back to Robert Lindsay's slick prime ministerial candidate, who promises to heal the sectarian rift forever. This first feature impressively sidesteps the old questions of Orange or Green affiliation, so we can enjoy its whirl of sarky remarks, killer plot twists and genuine Belfast locations.