Neil Jordan directs Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman and Julia Roberts in this biopic of the Irish Freedom Fighter who negotiated political independence with the British government.

A Hollywood history lesson that feels wholemeal enough to accept – embellishments and all. Owes as much to Schindler’s List as to Braveheart. Sure, this has all the rousing shoot-outs, rebel heart tragedies and taut espionage sequences but essentially it is about one man having to make compromises and carving out a new set of rules for the greater good. Neeson is cool as fuck as Collins, gadding about Dublin, doing his speeches. Julia Roberts’ love triangle love interest is crowbarred in, possibly as Aidan Quinn’s best pal is so beautiful… and all the male characters spend half the movie crying over him or sharing a safe house bed with him. The period detail feels concrete and lived in. Gets it all done in an admirable two hours.

8

Perfect Double Bill: Rob Roy (1995)

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