Begorrathon: The General (1998)

This post is part of the Begorrathon hosted by Niall of Raging Fluff.  Check out the other posts all month on his site

“We never should have bought this house. You never own things. You never own things. The things own you. ” – Martin Cahill

Number of Times Seen – 1 (12 Mar 2015)

Brief Synopsis – A pseudo-biopic of legendary Irish gangster Martin Cahill who along with his gang pulled off some of the most daring and amazing robberies in Irish history

My Take on it – Not being from Ireland or knowing anything about Cahill or his gang, I must say that I found the story interesting to watch and absorb.

Because of my non-familiarity, I’m sure there are many nuances, references and situations that went over my head, but I still could enjoy the movie for what it was; a biopic that tried to show the differences between the law and criminals of Ireland where ultimately everything is attached to politics of the day.

I have always liked Brendan Gleeson’s performances, but his portrayal of Cahill was great because he really gave off the vibe of a man who just wanted to help his family and friends and the way to do it was thru crimes.

Thats not to say that we totally sympathize with him and his “crew”, but we learn to understand his motivations and he acts as if he has such a great time committing those crimes.

Bottom Line – Very interesting movie that shows how the Irish underworld worked during a time where the police and the other groups seeking independence by other means could no longer ignore what was happening. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The home of director John Boorman was robbed by the real life Martin Cahill. Among other things, he stole a gold record that Boorman had on the wall, which inspired Boorman to include that scene in the movie.   (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy

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