A crime thriller set in Northern Ireland, with Colm Meaney's police detective investigating a series of murders of ex-IRA members, A Belfast Story first came to many peoples attention with a press kit used to promote the film, a wooden box containing a balaclava, a pack of nails, and a roll of duct tape. Considering the films subject matter, it was quickly, and rightly, deemed tasteless, with writer/director Nathan Fox, making his debut here, even apologising for it. But this piece of controversy did its job, it got the film noticed, because considering how woeful the final product is, it wouldn't have stood up on it's own non existent merits.
I have got to admit, A Belfast Story starts out well enough. Meaney plays a world weary detective , close to retirement, called into handle a case that his superiors feel will lead to public out cry if left for too long. It's the kind of scenario we've seen a hundred times before, and using the backdrop of the Troubles, it had the potential to be smart thriller. It is obvious it is going for a serious tone, but most of the time it is just laughable (the constant bodhran, fiddles, and tin whistles on the soundtrack doesn't help matters any). Everything about it feels amateurish, the biggest offender being the woeful script. The film moves at a snails pace, the story stretched too thin over it's 99 minute run time, with far too many characters, that have no real impact on the plot, being introduced, making the overall narrative a muddied mess. Things just happen with no rhyme or reason, making the whole affair non sensical. At times it feels like a low-end t.v. serial, with the characters delivering stilted, groan inducing dialogue. Meaney himself, who barely makes this watchable, is prone to breaking out into long, ponderous monologues. It's obvious they were meant to be insightful, but when they delivered in his front room, cup of tea in hand, they lose any or all impact. Every actor beyond the lead isn't even worth talking about, delivering truly atrocious performances.
A Belfast Story has the dubious honour of being my first one star review since starting on The Movie Bit over a year and a half ago, a cinematic mess that should be avoided at all costs.
I have got to admit, A Belfast Story starts out well enough. Meaney plays a world weary detective , close to retirement, called into handle a case that his superiors feel will lead to public out cry if left for too long. It's the kind of scenario we've seen a hundred times before, and using the backdrop of the Troubles, it had the potential to be smart thriller. It is obvious it is going for a serious tone, but most of the time it is just laughable (the constant bodhran, fiddles, and tin whistles on the soundtrack doesn't help matters any). Everything about it feels amateurish, the biggest offender being the woeful script. The film moves at a snails pace, the story stretched too thin over it's 99 minute run time, with far too many characters, that have no real impact on the plot, being introduced, making the overall narrative a muddied mess. Things just happen with no rhyme or reason, making the whole affair non sensical. At times it feels like a low-end t.v. serial, with the characters delivering stilted, groan inducing dialogue. Meaney himself, who barely makes this watchable, is prone to breaking out into long, ponderous monologues. It's obvious they were meant to be insightful, but when they delivered in his front room, cup of tea in hand, they lose any or all impact. Every actor beyond the lead isn't even worth talking about, delivering truly atrocious performances.
A Belfast Story has the dubious honour of being my first one star review since starting on The Movie Bit over a year and a half ago, a cinematic mess that should be avoided at all costs.
