Movie review for 50 Dead Men Walking
Synopsis: Belfast hoodlum Martin is recruited by a British agent to infiltrate the IRA during the height of the Northern Irish conflict and quickly beocmes embroiled in a dangerous game that could cost him his life in his secret is found. As other informants are brutally murdered, Martin starts to look for a way out, but his handler urges him to stay undercover in this taut action-packed thriller based on a true story.
Rating: R for strong brutal violence and torture, language and some sexuality.
Run Time: 117 Minutes
Director: Kari Skogland
Dvd Extra’s: Audio Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Behind the Scenes Footage, Theatrical Trailer, English and Spanish Subtitles.
Nudity Factor: A couple sex scenes that don’t show nudity.
Of Note: The film several times shows items that would not have existed during the time the film was set such as cars that are decades newer and Iphones that would not have been out at that time.
Recommendations: Crossing Over – Heartless
This film is set in a period of history that fascinates me. The 1980s in Ireland, when the country was at a level of chaos that hopefully they will never experience again. The main character is doing what he can to survive, and this gets the interest of a handler that wants him to go undercover in the IRA. This is a dangerous game as if the IRA would find out they would kill him. If that does not interest you, it is based on a true story and a real person. He is known for saving the lives of 50 men, hence the title. I will be honest though, the movie is slow paced. As I said to start this review, this time in history fascinates me and for the most part they captured the time and the chaos of it. The acting is decent but at times not great. The story is a good story, just I am not sure the story can be told without making the movie drag at a very slow pace.
Overall, I just kind of lost interest as this film drags on. You get a good sense where things are going and that contributes to the slow pace. It was an ok watch, but not something I would watch again. Most of the dialog is done in a thick Irish accent, and at times this makes it hard to understand the dialog. My final thought is that as the movie goes along, I found little to get excited about.