'71 (2014)

In his debut feature, British mini-series director Yann Demange overdoes everything by half in a by-the-book Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ story. But he’s helped by a rare British Army POV which helps make the first half effectively overdone.*  Jack O’Connell, all wired up, is the newbie British ‘peace-keeper’ soldier, fresh out of training, now lost in the dangerous back alley mazes of a Catholic Belfast neighborhood after a weapons search erupts into a less than purely spontaneous street riot. Running for his life after his partner is shot dead, he lucks into a young Protestant lad who leads him to the relative safety of a Protestant area bar. Safe at last . . . or maybe not to judge from a glimpse at the bomb being readied in the backroom. Pretty exciting stuff, but shortly after this, the situation blows up (literally), and the film starts to overheat from competing factions (military; police; IRA terrorists; less severe IRA operatives; undercover agents; and the traditional suffering Irish women), all splintered into mini-factions working as much against themselves as against any perceived enemy. With this much internecine rivalry, the IRA would have self-imploded in months instead of going on for decades. Style & pacing help Demange keep things moving forward, so too a highly saturated image that gives an ominous sense of something wicked around every corner. Or does until a tricky shootout finale threatens to turn urban drama into Western melodrama.

CONTEST/DOUBLE-BILL: *Trying, and failing, to come up with another ‘Irish Troubles’ pic taken from this POV. Come up with one to win a MAKSQUIBS Write-Up of your choice!