07 December 2014

'71, 2014 - ★★★★


Going into '71 I thought I knew what to expect; a well made film depicting a new British soldier exposed to The Troubles in a way that has been done before. Instead we get a serious version of something like After Hours as Jack O'Connell's soldier gets lost one night and stumbles across the city encountering different groups. The film is always gripping (in what is turning out to be a very edge-of-your-seat year for cinema) and stylishly directed. The frantic camera movements may be off putting to some but the camera almost ends up being a character in the film. The scene outside the pub is one of the best of the year, as the stillness of the camera gives way to action moments before any of the characters have chance to react. My only disappointment is that for a film that manages to be bleak throughout the ending is somewhat conventional in comparison, a darker ending had been earned and would have been a lot more powerful.


December 07, 2014 at 10:45PM

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