Review of In the Name of the Father (1993) by B C — 10 Nov 2009

This film hits very close to home with me.

My Father was Born and raised in Northern Ireland and moved to England when he was 20 Just Like Gerry Conlon, the Character played by Daniel Day Lewis.

And during the Pub Bombings of the 1970s, my Dad was wrongly accused and arrested for being part of the IRA, luckily the police after a few hours of interrogation let him go due to the fact that he was INNOCENT!!!!!!!!!

In the Name of the Father tells the harrowing story of Gerry Conlon, a young Irishmen who tries to leave the troubles of Belfast behind him and moves to London to start a new life.

On the evening of 5 October 1974, the IRA detonated 2 Bombs at a Pub In Guildford England, they targeted that pub because it was used regularly by a lot of British Soldiers.

5 people were killed and 65 were wounded.

In the aftermath of the Bombings, the Police arrest Gerry Conlon and 4 of his friends, and after Torture and abuse and his family Threatened by the Police, Conlon signed a confession and is sentenced to life in Prison, and that's pretty much where this Brilliant Movie begins.

Pete Postlethwaite plays Giuseppe, Gerry Conlon's father, who also gets arrested and is thrown into Prison for allegedly being in the IRA.

Emma Thompson plays Gareth Pierce, an assistant Lawyer who goes through the case and starts to put all the pieces together to help Gerry Conlon and his father get free of the crimes they did not commit.

This film is a tremendous and powerful Drama that showcases 2 excellent performances by Lewis and Postlethwaite,.

It is also a triumph of the human spirit and the will to not give up and keep fighting for your life even if it feels like there is no hope left.

You feel for these characters, especially Giuseppe, who tries his best to keep his family together.

Its a very Gritty movie that does not hold back with a lot the realism, but that just makes it even more engrossing.

Jim Sheridan who directed Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot and The Boxer directs him here also and does a bloody good job of it.

This is one of those films that should not be missed!!!!!!