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Five Minutes of Heaven
Five
Minutes of Heaven is a semi biographical tale of two men from Ireland
during the 70’s. Alistair Little is 17, and is part of Ulster Volunteer
Force, eager to prove himself to the cause. The job that will do this
involves murdering a young Catholic man to serve as a warning to others.
As he makes his way to his target he encounters an 8 year old boy,
James Griffin playing football outside. Griffin can only watch as Little
walks up to his house, and shoots his older brother dead through the
window. The film picks up thirty years later, as a camera crew intends
for the pair to finally meet again and reconcile on air. Reconciliation
is the last thing on Griffin’s (James Nesbitt) mind though, he has come
only for vengeance on the man who ruined his life (Liam Neeson).
The
film plays itself out as two halves. The first part shows Ireland as it
was in the 70’s, riots being a daily occurrence and petrol bombs lining
the streets. Little and his gang muck around like most rebellious
teenagers, but it doesn’t take long to uncover their sinister motives.
The first part takes up only the first twenty minutes or so of the film,
but it is an engaging way to begin. Little is played with steely eyes by
Mark Davison and makes it easy to believe that a mop topped youth, who
worries about pimples and girls can just as easily put on a mask and
kill a man in cold blood. The films low budget works in its favour
particularly well in this half. It won’t be a film to show off a high
definition television, but the grainy look gives it that 70’s feel.
The
first part is a reconstruction of actual events, the second half is a
work of fiction. Here we see the aftermath of the two who became forever
bound by the event, no matter how unwanted the bind was. The two lead
performances anchor the film and are equally powerful, Neeson’s is one
of quiet intensity, a man who can’t quite come to terms with what he has
done. Nesbitt plays Griffin as almost dangerously unhinged, a man whose
life was taken in a different way than his brothers. Griffin beared the
brunt of the blame from his mother and is full of rage and loathing for
the man who took everything from him. Nesbitt is excellent in this role,
as a man who has become so emotionally run down by these events that it
looks to have aged him incredibly prematurely. Watching him grapple with
the torment Little has brought him, and the torment that killing him
will bring his ‘five minutes of heaven is gripping to watch’.
Five
Minutes of Heaven is elevated by Neeson and Nesbitt. Without them the
film would have been decent, but not nearly as watchable. Too little is
shed on what happened to Little and Griffin, but Neeson and Nesbitt
help fill in the blanks sometimes with their stares alone. The extra
features are on the light side, some on set interviews and a segment
from ‘At the Movies’ are all we are treated too. They are entertaining
enough, but nothing worth sitting through multiple times. The film is
very watchable though, thanks to two great actors at the top of their
game.
DVD Special
Features
Interview with director Oliver
Hirschbiegel and star James Nesbitt from ABC1's At The Movies
On-set interviews with cast & crew
Theatrical trailer |
