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Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008)

Director: Kari Skogland

Time Out rating

Average user rating

5 reviews

Synopsis

An informant is unearthed and kidnapped by the IRA in this true story based on Martin McGartland’s autobiography. Stars Ben Kingsley as a British Services handler.

Movie review

From Time Out London

Kari Skogland’s conventional action-thriller of the life of late-’80s Belfast IRA volunteer and Special Branch informer (‘tout’) Martin McGartland would make for superior TV viewing. But its lack of political nous and cinematic ambition makes it seem small on the big screen.

Viewing events in flashback from an assassination attempt on an on-the-run McGartland in 1999, Skogland races around the streets of Catholic West Belfast tracing the induction and corruption of the cocky young fence and petty criminal (an impressive Jim Sturgess) as he’s nurtured by ageing, lonely Special Branch runner Fergus (an inappropriately effete Ben Kingsley), recruited by IRA squad leader Mikey (a fearsome Tom Collins) and wooed by local sweetheart Lara (Natalie Press in starry-eyed Sissy Spacek mode).

The title comes from a line in McGartland’s autobiography about the number of innocent lives from all sides of the divide his duplicity may have saved. It’s an isolating, crushing irony that Skogland’s movie seeks to exploit as an avenue of impartiality that in the event seems trivial or sophist. She does engineer an atmosphere of verismo – the locations, cultural accoutrements and accents seem accurate enough – but their credibility is undermined by the historical conflations and a seduction by the spectacle of violence. On the plus side is Sturgess’s sympathetic playing, a number of persuasive cameos and some well-mounted, tense widescreen action sequences.

Author: Wally Hammond 2009-04-07 09:39:25

Time Out London Issue 2016, 9-15 April, 2009

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User reviews of this film

adam said...

Posted on Aug 29 2009 01:39 The film was very well made and I thought that the portrayal of each side was very fair. As for the cast, very well thought through, although Rose McGowen's accent needed a little more work.
Previous comments saying that there was no need for the film to be made in my opinion are bull for lack of a better word, this film is just as important as anything else that happened. It may not be completely accurate but it is close enough to the truth that it lets you see the BIG change that has taken place in N,Ireland.
yes there may still be paramilitries in force but is it as bad as it used to be?
sorry for my rant but I thought the film was well made, was well worth making and was as close to the truth than most of us will ever know.

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NIKKIBELFAST said...

Posted on Aug 07 2009 10:10 wALLY GOOD GRIEF WHATS WITH ALL THE BIG WORDS?????

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ARCHGATE said...

Posted on Apr 12 2009 20:36 Jim Sturgess gives a great performance in this film Unfortunately the relationship between his character and the Ben Kingsley character has no chemistry and this failing spoils the film.

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Madison said...

Posted on Apr 11 2009 21:46 Competent performances all round - just not an especially enjoyable film or one that feels like it had to be made,

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Steve said...

Posted on Apr 08 2009 20:04 This film is 100% lies. McGartland was in the Sun Newspaper last week saying the film is a near to the truth as earth is to pluto. Those who made the film have sided with the IRA. Steve North Belfast

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