Review of '71 (2014) by Mark M — 08 Feb 2015

Despite Hook being up front and center in '71, the narrative is one that chooses to focus more on the situation that he is dragged into, rather than one which focuses on his character at an intrinsic level. As the coveted person of interest for both the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British Army's Military Reaction Force (MRF), Hook's presence in Belfast - separated and alone - forces not only the hand of Captain Sandy Browning (Sean Harris) of the MRF, but that of the opportunistic Quinn (Killian Scott) and his motley crew of would-be IRA terrorists, as both attempt to secure and/or kill Hook.

Delivered with a barrage of thick, at times incomprehensible mixture of British and Irish accents, '71 has director Yann Demange and screenwriter Gregory Burke impeccably capturing the highly volatile situation in Belfast, as the aforementioned in turn causes the narrative to be largely hit-or-miss, as it does little to expand on the violent ethno-nationalist Northern Ireland conflicts, especially for those who have little to no knowledge on the almost thirty years of violence. Despite being lopsided towards those familiar with history - or that of Northern Ireland's -, '71 at the very least incites within the lesser informed audience a calling to look up 'the Troubles' out of the curiosity that the movie sparks, and fails to be self-contained in a sense due to it.

But '71 delivers outstandingly on its thematic connotations that has to be dug deep to be relished, particularly the "Us vs. Them" social mentality, which Demange nails across early on in the movie in an exchange where Hook replies "I don't know..." when presented with a question on whether he was a Protestant or a Catholic. This deeply embedded and subtle theme is one that Burke continues highlighting throughout the night as Gary Hook fights for survival in an environment where everyone in the conflict seems to be at odds against each other for a spectrum of at times contrived reasons, with characters such as the conflict between Provisional IRA senior Boyle (David Wilmot) with the younger IRA members, or the top-down organizational problems that Hook's CO, Lt. Armitage finds himself in with the MRF captain, Sandy Browning.

As composer David Holmes supplements Demange's intense direction with a tense score, one is left with a craving for a heavier story, or at the very least, having the character of Hook expanded even slightly, as O'Connell is largely underutilized despite how well he performs in scenes that demand his presence. Billed as a historical action film, '71 seems to lean towards being an action thriller set within a historical context, even with there being very little action to go around. Though to its credit and with what little action it has, the movie succeeds with its action delivery, particularly a rather long, visceral chase on foot that nails the beginning of Hook's desperation to survive, and the desperation of his pursuers to capture him.