Resurrection Man

If you didn't press stop on your video recorder five minutes into this film due to the shocking nature of some of the opening scenes, you will discover that this is a beautiful film which has more in common with 'Interview With The Vampire', 'The Company Of Wolves', 'Brighton Rock' and 'Frankenstein' than it does with a film about sectarian violence.

Despite the book on which this was based, sectarian violence just provides an underlying base to stage this tale of the vampire like 'Victor Kelly', a young Irishman with a thirst for blood, fame and self destruction.

Stuart Townsend epitomizes evil in the role of Victor, supported by many talented actors.

The evil staring eyes of Victor Kelly, will stay with you long after watching the film. Perhaps this is why Stuart Townsend has been cast in the latest Anne Rice adaption.

Resurrection Man, by Eoin McNamee, is a masterpiece in visceral storytelling and in evoking the back streets of Belfast.

This ''adaptation'' loses almost all of these qualities and leaves us feeling disgusted we wasted our time watching this tripe.

Director Marc Evens thinks that he's Scorsesse and that he can make the Northern Ireland troubles cool by using the same techniques(slow-motion,freeze,70's music) and it just shows what it really is.

A pale imitation of a masterpiece (Goodfellas) and a terrible adaptation

What a cruel, confused film . This could have been the definitive film dealing with the tribal hatred during the Irish troubles , but instead we get an incoherant , rather plotless tale of motiveless murders

I`ve never read the novel RESURRECTION MAN but it`s obvious the screenplay needs to be restructured since it tells us nothing of the reasons why Irishmen kill their fellow Irishmen. What made Victor Kelly this way ? Why is he regarded as a hero ? , and most importantly of all: Why are his gang called "The Resurrection Men " ? These questions are never fully explained

Worst of all the film seems to concentrate more on a wife beating Belfast journalist rather than Kelly . If the film had to revolve round him couldn`t he have been an English or American journalist ignorant of the complex situation of 70`s Belfast ? At least then they`d be some expositional context in the film. And on top of this major flaw most of the characters are superflious , they don`t contribute to the plot.

I might be missing the point that many terrorists in Ireland (Especially Loyalists ) aren`t intrested in politics or religion but are more intrested in venting blood lust , and to it`s credit the film does in gory detail show the suffering of the victims of violence , but after viewing RESURRECTION MAN the viewer will probably be left feeling that the film ( Like political violence ) is a waste of time.

For a detailed and informative study of Lenny Murphy ( Who Victor Kelly is based upon ) try finding Martin Dillon`s book THE SHANKHILL BUTCHERS:A CASE STUDY OF MASS MURDER

Stylishly shot, but predictable, woefully under-developed script with patchy performances other than the compelling lead male actor. Seems to believe it's about violence, but incoherent story and directorial approach to the ultra violence the film purports to explore, results in triple X rated pop video. Not just bad, but stupid on quite a deep level.

Anyone who is familiar with the case of the Shankill Butchers should know that this movie is a travesty, and a disgrace to the victims and their families, and to everyone in Northern Ireland, regardless of their background. 99% fiction with 1% truth. The fact that the writer/director is cashing in on such a horrible era of brutality is almost as shameful as the pathetic popcorn-entertainment we've been subjected to with this movie.

"Artistic license" has been stretched to the point of snapping with this director. If you have an interest in history and the story of the Northern Irish troubles, this movie ain't for you.

Read Martin Dillon's book on the subject, "The Shankill Butchers", for a real insight into the events. I also urge you to try and get your hands on "Lost Lives", a book chronicling every death as a result of the N. Irish troubles from 1968 to 1999.

Failing that, here is Wikipedia's entry on the Butchers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankill_Butchers