Review of Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008) by Michelle H — 16 Jun 2010

Fifty Dead Men Walking is yet another IRA/Ireland vs. Britain film. It is a popular subject matter/theme for filmmakers as there are a plethora of films made every decade focusing on that dark situation/time period in the two proud nations' histories.

Most of these films have been generally mediocre at best while some are "good" (such as the underseen, Cannes Film Festival pic, 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley' and the Julia Roberts- plays-Irish-lass film, 'Michael Collins' by Neil Jordan) and a few others have been "great" (two are: Jim Sheridan's 'In the Name of the Father' with Daniel Day-Lewis and Emma Thompson and the bestest-best is another Neil Jordan film, 'The Crying Game').

50 DMW will fall into place as a "good" one as there is nothing "bad" about it; but there is also nothing that elevates the film to either "very good" or "great" status.

The movie is based on a true set of events surrounding the central character, Martin McGartland (played by one of the up-and-coming-next-generation of British screen stars Jim Sturgess [from the Beatles music inspired 'Across the Universe' and the more popular to American audiences, '21']).

Set in the late 1980s, Martin lives in Belfast, the war-torn capital city of the protestant Northern Ireland (Ireland proper is catholic and independent while Northern Ireland is mostly protestant and a part of the United Kingdom --there is no need for a history lesson here; but the two factions have been at odds for years over this small portion of the Emerald Isle ALL because of religion).

Martin's family and friends have ties to the IRA (Irish Republican Army -- a terrorist group) but he appears to want to remain above the fray until he is "arrested" by the opposing faction and presented with an opportunity to "do right" by God and the Brits.

Martin gets deeper and deeper into the situations of the opposing sides (it is Britain VS. his family and friends and life as he knows it) and we begin to wonder how he will get himself out of the deadly situation he IS putting himself into all day, every day.

The movie does keep the viewer's attention and I never found it to be boring; but it says something about a film when its audience doesn't really care about a film's outcome (as we actually see the end of the movie at its beginning so .

..). Martin's actions are spelled out for the audience so that we never get lost/confused following him and his accent. 50 DMW is a decent film that won't be winning any major awards because it simply isn't quite good enough.

I am thankful that the movie did not turn out to be an overly-dramatic, sappy weeper as all of the characters -- ALL of them -- know exactly what risks they are undertaking. One other thing of note I took away from the movie was the uncanny resemblance of Sir Ben Kingsley to a hybrid-trio of other, living actors! If one mixed Sam Waterston (of TV's Law & Order) with Chris Cooper (Adaptation and American Beauty) and Alec Baldwin, they would get a Kingsley in 50 Dead Men Walking-look-alike.

... it is true! The film is undoubtably focused on Sturgess's character, but with this performance, Kingsley both kindly and effortlessly reminds us that he can still be understated and great (he did win the Oscar for playing Gandhi and has had two excellent, stellar roles in these last few years --in 'Sexy Beast' he played a maniacally insane/twisted and violent gangster while in 'The House of Sand and Fog' he is an insanely devoted and stoic husband and father who refuses to either back down or step aside at ANY cost.