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The debut film of French director Yann Demange follows Gary Hook (Jack O'Connell), a British soldier who is left behind in a volatile area during a riot in Belfast in 1971 (a period referred to as The Troubles). Hook has to play a cat-and-mouse game to protect himself from different factions of the IRA while trying to return to safety.
The film is very intense and well done. It doesn't rely on big action scenes and explosions, but rather on the tension of whether they will catch Hook or not. Demange, who became popular as a TV director, shows a lot of skill both in handling as well as building the tension. But kudos go to O'Connell as well who is very good in the lead role, conveying the desperation and emotion in a subtle way.
The plot gets a little convoluted in the last half with different double-crossings and backstabbings between the different factions of the IRA, but it doesn't hinder the effect too much. As it is, '71 is a taut, intense, and tight thriller.
Grade:
'71
(2014, Demange)
(2014, Demange)
"Posh ¢-unts telling thick ¢-unts to kill poor ¢-unts."
The debut film of French director Yann Demange follows Gary Hook (Jack O'Connell), a British soldier who is left behind in a volatile area during a riot in Belfast in 1971 (a period referred to as The Troubles). Hook has to play a cat-and-mouse game to protect himself from different factions of the IRA while trying to return to safety.
The film is very intense and well done. It doesn't rely on big action scenes and explosions, but rather on the tension of whether they will catch Hook or not. Demange, who became popular as a TV director, shows a lot of skill both in handling as well as building the tension. But kudos go to O'Connell as well who is very good in the lead role, conveying the desperation and emotion in a subtle way.
The plot gets a little convoluted in the last half with different double-crossings and backstabbings between the different factions of the IRA, but it doesn't hinder the effect too much. As it is, '71 is a taut, intense, and tight thriller.
Grade: