But not excellent. Shot in the fashion of "Bloody Sunday," but the jittery hand-held cameras and "natural lighting" come off as contrived here and do not enhance the unfolding of the horror story that was Omagh on August 15th, 1998. I was in Ireland then, but in the South, when we heard the dreadful news.
This film helps to fill in some of the background and make it all very real. Gerard McSorley plays the reluctant hero, Michael Gallagher, a shy mechanic, who is thrust into the spotlight by the other victims' families and heads up the Support Group that hounds the government and police forces for answers and accountability.
Sadly, to this day, there has been no one charged for the atrocity and it appears that the police on both sides of the border, at the urging of politicians, were complicit in not pursuing a thorough investigation. The story carries one along, both in sympathy and a slowly dawning disgust at the way these unfortunate families are treated.
Many small bit parts - Brenda Fricker plays the ombudsman who brings truth to the group. Good television fare but hardly worth the high end rental for the above noted irritants. 8 out of 10.
This film helps to fill in some of the background and make it all very real. Gerard McSorley plays the reluctant hero, Michael Gallagher, a shy mechanic, who is thrust into the spotlight by the other victims' families and heads up the Support Group that hounds the government and police forces for answers and accountability.
Sadly, to this day, there has been no one charged for the atrocity and it appears that the police on both sides of the border, at the urging of politicians, were complicit in not pursuing a thorough investigation. The story carries one along, both in sympathy and a slowly dawning disgust at the way these unfortunate families are treated.
Many small bit parts - Brenda Fricker plays the ombudsman who brings truth to the group. Good television fare but hardly worth the high end rental for the above noted irritants. 8 out of 10.