Five Minutes of Heaven

Five Minutes of Heaven, or 33 years of Hell? What happens when a man that is ready to kill wants to die, and a boy ready to live is now a man ready to kill? This is the subject of possibly one of the more poignant films I've seen lately.

The story starts off with the lives of 2 men that will for the next 33yrs be torn into their own personal hell, and how to make a reconciliation, if it's possible to do so.

The plot: (Bit of a spoiler alert)

Lurgan, Ireland, 1975. A young boy (Alistair Little played by Liam Neeson) has joined the UFV (Ulster Volunteer Force) and is looking to make a name for himself killing Jim Griffen. When he gets to Jim's house to shoot him, he's seen by Jim's little brother Joe Griffen (played by James Nesbitt). After killing Jim, Alistair and his friends go out to a "Hop" to be seen and have an alibi for the night. We are then re-introduced to these two men 33yrs later, as they are going towards a TV show's recording of their meeting, in hopes that the two men will be able to reconcile their differences. The only problem is, that while Alistair is looking to remove the memory of Joe's face haunting him every morning for the last 33yrs, Joe himself is looking for revenge for the death of his brother.

The cast.

Liam Neeson (of course) is perfect in this one. Without a doubt, Liam's ability to be both brave and terrified in seconds comes through. When their meeting is about to take place, you can tell that this known killer is more frightened of this one moment than the 12yrs he had to spend in jail. What's even better, is that with the additional voice-overs, we get to see how truly devistating it is to take another person's life.

James Nesbitt is slowly becoming one of my favorite (relatively unknown in America) actors. His performance of a man out for revenge is magnificent. He's constantly bouncing the line between outright insanity and trying to keep his own humanity intact by avoiding the situation. If you've seen James Nesbitt in "Jekyll" you will understand what I mean, when I say that this is an actor that plays the best "Terrifying/Terrified" type characters around.

Anamaria Marinca playing the show's "Runner" Vika, plays someone that has met both men prior to their meeting together, and understands that one is now "broken" and the other is "dangerous". While her part is a "go-between" type character that interacts with both characters, she's also the one that can see outside the situation and tell what's really going on.

The rest of the cast

While none of them were bad actors, for the most part they are forgettable. The majority of the remaining cast is regulated to the "TV show crew members". The only exception would have to be the "Joe's Chuaffer" played by Barry McEvoy. While his part is a small part, it's vital to show us just how conflicted Joe is inside.

The Good parts

Wonderful casting involved all around. Without a doubt, two powerhouse performances from people that have their own inner demons to deal with.

The script is something that will keep you on edge with what's going to happen. Especially when Nesbitt does a rapid-fire diatribe about what life must be like for Alistair one the "Talking circuit", not realizing that Alistair's talks are to prevent other young men from being the blind killer-type that he was in his youth.

The locations. WOW, did someone do some wonderful selections to set the mood for the film. The overwhelming "Meeting" takes place in an overwhelming location. The "isolation" of Alistair Little is felt when you are introduced to his "Flat". And the world of Joe Griffen is solidified by the surrounding of the a "solid neighborhood". It's magnificent to see such an eye for detail to the setting of a scene.

The unexpected twist. Sorry, I was expecting something sort of "foreseen" by the time the two men actually meet. But instead of being something that you would be able to go "Saw it coming", there's a twist that takes you by surprise. Even when you still THINK you know what's going to happen, you don't get it. There's a point where you sit back for a second and go "Oh, well, yeah they both sort of were going that direction all along", and yet still get surprised how it avoids that pitfall.

The use of sound Whoever did the sound editing was really on the ball with this one. There are audio cues to help make the mental state actually audible. When the killers are getting ready for their mission, a slammed door sounds like a gun-shot, and they physically jump. You can FEEL how on edge they are. When Alistair is writing a note, the tea-kettle's "scream/whistle" shows the feeling of his own mind screaming out for peace. It's wonderful to have someone give you audio cues to the mental state of the actors on the screen.


The bad parts.

Joe's Mother. Sorry, but I'm still trying to figure out how she could have been so short-sighted. I know she's upset about the death of a son, but why blame the younger one instead of the killer? Plus, she clearly would have been the type that was LESS upset if her younger son had died. Which makes no sense, other than a means to torment Joe for the rest of his life.

The accents. Okay, look. I'm going to do a small rant here. This is an Irish made film, with Irish actors, in Irish locations, speaking with Irish dialects and speech-patterns. If your "Ears can't take it" then shut the fuck up, and go watch Barney. This is something of a personal complaint that I have with a lot of people (Mostly Americans) who complain about how it's "Hard to understand what someone said". This is a cop-out, and honestly, if you can't be bothered to actually LISTEN to the actors on the screen, then stop going to movies. I'm a southerner, and we've got all sorts of "accents" in the south. If I'm able to understand EVERY WORD said by an actor, so can you. Get your head out of your ass, and pay attention. You'll find you can understand people CLEARLY if you pay attention to what's going on.

The pacing
While never really "Boring", it is a SLOW movie. There are no explosions, there are no titties, there are no gratuitous blood scenes (outside of one killing). If you are looking for something that is loud, action packed, and filled with rivers of blood while people run around the countryside, this isn't for you. If you are looking for a movie that will tell a story of two men that are conflicted internally and trying to find an answer out of the madness they've created, you'll find this one for you.

The Rating
As this was mostly a Festival film, or Limited Release film, it's going to be really hard for me to give it anything but a "Rental" should you run across it on Netflix or in Blockbusters. However, as a movie that should get a "Wide-release":
FULL PRICE