Portions of this page Copyright 1948-2008 Muze Inc. and Muze Europe Ltd. 
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.The General (DVD)
 |
Buy this item
Related items
| Description Brendan Gleeson stars as Martin Cahill, the leading Irish criminal of the 1980s. A protean figure, Cahill was a man of extraordinary intelligence, obsessive secretiveness, and vicious brutality who was never stopped by the Irish police despite having pocketed more than $60 million of other people's money. He was also capable of generosity to those in need and exuded a contagious joie de vivre that made him a hero to Ireland's poor and working-class population. Born into poverty in the slums of Hollyfield, Cahill ends up in reform school after robbing a local merchant. Given his abilities, his rise in the world of crime is swift, abetted by a violent streak that has him nailing a partner to a pool table when he mistakently suspects him of talking to the cops. His creative domestic arrangements have him married to Frances (Maria Doyle Kennedy) while also begetting children with her sister, Tina (Angeline Ball). Although he enjoyed mocking every form of authority from the church and the government to the IRA, he had an unspoken bond with police inspector Ned Kenny (Jon Voight), who curses himself for allowing this latter-day Celtic chieftain to charm even a cop. A completely engrossing film anchored by the brilliant Gleeson and a terrific supporting cast, THE GENERAL was shot by director John Boorman in colour and printed in crisp black and white. Editorial Reviews Time Out |
Reviews  Sad But TrueReview created: 29/02/08 by:  This is the best version of the Martin Cahill story. As far as I know there have been three. A BBC production, an incredible watered down and romanticised America production, (Kevin Spacey, Ordinary Decent Criminal) and this one. Cahill is by no means a Robin Hood type character. He was, (and is portrayed in the film), a violet criminal, who will not let anyone get in hi way, not the Police, not the general public and not the IRA. He did however become a folk hero to many people in Ireland in the 80s, before Celtic Tiger to hold of Ireland and made it what it has become now. The performances are good and fairly understated and even Jon Voight is almost credible as a jaded old Police officer, if not a little miscast, (I assume to placate the American audience). The only problem is with this Region 1 version. As anyone who has ever been to Dublin will tell you, swearing to a Dub is just punctuation. For some reason, (again I think to placate the Americans), the swearing has been quite badly dubbed out. Overall, a very good film, not for the squeamish, (the seen in the snooker hall), well worth a viewing! 7 out of 10 Review ID: 10000000005851498 Was this review helpful? Report this review |
) 
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our About eBay | Announcements | Safety Centre | Partner Centre | VeRO Protecting IP | Policies | Feedback Forum | Site Map | Help | |
Copyright © 1995-2008 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
| |
