On I List of Movie Reviews

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In the Name of the Father (1993)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 1/15

NameF
1/15: Let's get one thing out of the way before I criticize the rest of In the Name of the Father: Daniel Day-Lewis is excellent as Gerry Conlon and his acting skills are never questioned.

He puts most of the wannabe actors to shame except for Pete Postlethwaite who held his own opposite him. The two offer contrasting characters, and it makes the father-son relationship interesting. However, the story is long that's filled with many events while the editing work feels rushed.

When the father and son entered prison for the first time, there seems to be a change of editors because I felt difference in the pace. Not much of substance is provided during their stay. So, it's safe to say Jim Sheridan's direction is uneven. That's a shame because the first half works with the characters standing out. But during the second half, they take a back seat and are thus rendered unimportant.

Only freedom, even though it's predictable and has been done many times in the past, for the parties involved is what matters the most. Unfortunately, I don't care about the English-I.R.A. relations, having only watched the film for Daniel Day-Lewis' sake.

All in all, In the Name of the Father is an above-average film.