The Facts:
In 1975, at the height of the conflict that raged between Republican and Loyalist paramilitary groups–the British Army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary–17-year old pro-England protestant, Alistair Little, murdered 19-year old Catholic, Jim Griffin while the 11-year old brother of the victim, Joe Griffin looked on in horror. This unspeakable act of hatred and mindless prejudice effected long lasting and severe psychological, emotional, and moral scarring in both the perpetrator and the witness. Such barbarous acts of violence were the norm in this tumultuous epoch of Northern Ireland’s history.
The Film:
“Downfall” director, Oliver Hirschbiegel, establishes said facts with the powerful combination of carefully structured voice-over and a chilling reenactment of that fateful evening. This event, representative of a much larger conflict–though not necessarily more important–provides the framework upon which screenwriter, Guy Hibbert, fashions a compelling “what if” scenario. What if, years after the murder occurred, Alistair and Joe came face to face again, and confronted their shared source of unimaginable anger, guilt, anguish, and torment? Such a meeting never happened in real life, though it’s reasonable to assume that very same scenario has played out countless times in the minds of our subjects.
35 years after the murder, both Alistair (Liam Neeson) and his vicarious victim, Joe (James Nesbitt), have moved on physically and socially, but not even close spiritually, emotionally, or psychologically. These are broken men.
Alistair is free after serving 12 years in prison, and though he can never escape the guilt and emptiness he feels, he sounds an earnest warning in the ears of those who are as he once was. Joe has made a nice home for himself with a wife and children, but is unable to free himself from the hellish torment of his childhood and the terrible echoes of his delirious mother screaming, “Why didn’t you do something?! You could have stopped him!”
Decades of cankering, festering feelings of the worst kind finally come to a head when a TV show convinces both men to meet on air and face their personal demons.
Liam Neeson is believable as the heartbroken, shell-of-a-man murderer, and James Nesbitt is riveting as a man riddled with insecurities and consumed by revenge.
Driven by a smart script, understated direction, and unforgettable performances, “Five Minutes of Heaven,” delivers a familiar story with uncommon grace and respect for its content. 90 minutes of compelling, heartbreaking, thrilling, and inspiring cinema.
