Let's talk about In the Name of The Father

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I first saw this film about a year and a half ago. It tells the story of Gerry Conolly and the Guilford Four--Irishmen accused of blowing up a bar favored by British soldiers (and killing a few in the process). Having seen Jim Sheridan's other Day-Lewis films, I would definitely say this is their best collaboration by far. It's a pity it didn't receive any Academy Awards, but then again, it was going up against SCHINDLER'S LIST.

What are your thoughts?

[DaMovieMan]

Gotta see it again, last time i saw was in cinemas....so yeah, a long frikkin time.

It's the next DDL movie on my DDL list to see, so soon, very soon. I'll come back with thoughts later.

[FilmKing2000]

While it's a tad bit flawed in some areas, I found In the Name of the Father to be an overall truly riveting piece of work. As always, Day-Lewis is indisputably excellent and the bravura supporting performances given by Thompson and Postlethwaite are nothing shorter than Oscar-worthy and possibly bests for their respectable careers.

Plus, any movie that has Daniel Day-Lewis playing air guitar to "Voodoo Child" and singing along to "Like a Rolling Stone" automatically kicks ass. :cool:

[Monotreme]

YES!!

THis was actually the FIRST film on my DDL marathon, and what an opener! DDL is one of those actors that delivers amazing performances in good films. But this is one of the cases of him delivering an amazing performance in an amazing film! The movie is excellent not only in its interesting historical relevance but also in the relationship created between father-and-son Guiseppe and Gerry. I don't know what it is about father-son relationships, but when done well they always strike me as the most touching and poignant of film character relationships - it's what makes Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade the best film of the trilogy, and it's an element that is handled exquisitely well in movies like Catch Me If You Can and, well, The Godfather. The acting is absolutely mind-blowing: Thompson is great and Postlethwaite... well, he's good in everything; but D-Day Lewis is fucking divine! That scene when he's in detainment with Guiseppe and then he just starts to go mental and snap at his father... man you just want to KILL the guy for being so naturally good at acting! Sheridan has directed other good films, most notably My Left Foot which also features DDL's most amazing performance after There Will Be Blood and one of the most amazing of all time, but with In the Name of the Father he actually manages to craft a work of tangible cinema, as opposed to the very naturalistic, unstylized and, frankly, "ugly" visual look of My Left Foot. In the Name of the Father is actually very cinematographically accomplished, as opposed to his other works, which makes it even better. Indeed the film's only glaring flaw are the massive liberties they took in telling the story. For instance - in real life, Gerry and his father were never in the same prison, nor did the man who actually committed the bombing arrive at the same prison as them.

8/10. Great stuff.

[Powerslave]

A damn good movie. DDL and Postlethwaite both gave great performances, as son and father, respectively. Like Monotreme said, the father-son relationship was well-done and quite poignant, and at least for me was the most interesting part of the movie by far, though the historical/political storyline was also fascinating. One thing that also impressed me about the movie when it was over was how DDL manages to really convey the definite growth over time and through experience of his character, which is often done well but not often done this convincingly and thoroughly.

8/10

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I feel silly being the one who started this thread but never adding my own comments. Well, here goes...

Personally, I think AMPAS awarded Day-Lewis too early for My Left Foot (a great performance, but not Day-Lewis' best). This was the work that should have earned him and Emma their first Oscars. Day-Lewis has earned the reputation of being hard to share a scene with, but this film proves that to be utter rubbish. Pete and Emma more than hold their own, and Day-Lewis displays a sensitivity that is notably absent from his other roles. It is not surprising to learn that Terry George, director and co-writer of Hotel Rwanda, was a screenwriter for this film as well (given that both share a strong social conscience).

What makes this Day-Lewis' best collaboration with Sheridan is its timeliness. Watching Conolly's treatment at the hands of overzealous officers, his sham of a trial, and the efforts to cover it all up, it's easy to see the parallels to what is happening now. I think it is especially interesting to note how films chronicling the Troubles of Northern Ireland parallel the current US conflict (Wind that Shakes the Barley is another example). Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned there.

All in all, an excellent film and my second favorite of 1993. My only complaint is with the DVD's inadequate special features. Here's to hoping for a special edition, like they did with MLF.

9.5/10