THE DEVIL'S OWN
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1997 Ben Hoffman
Catholic Northern and Protestant Southern Ireland have been engaged in a monstrous killing civil war for longer than one can remember. (Some 800 years!) Northern Ireland wants to be separated from England but the latter is not about to allow that and so have supplied troops to quell the guerrilla warfare in which the North is engaged. It is difficult to reconcile that both antagonists are Christians and yet hate each other to the point where they kill without qualms. Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) is a Northerner responsible for the death of many British soldiers as well as Irish citizens. How the British would love to capture him! Frankie's whole life has been devoted to killing as many of the enemy as he can. As a youngster, he saw his father shot to death at the dinner table just as he had finished saying Grace.
Back in New York City lives Tom O'Meara, an honest, dedicated cop whose mission in life is to make New York City a peaceful place and who believes he himself must practice peace in order to live up to his credo. When someone recommends that he take in as a boarder a young newly-arrived Irish immigrant he does not hesitate nor does he inquire about his background. . . The young man is Frankie who has taken on a new name, Rory Devaney. He is in NYC to get money from supporters so that he can buy bigger and better weapons to smuggle back to Northern Ireland.
Tom and Rory hit it off immediately. Tom has never had a son, only daughters: Bridget, Morgan and Annie (Julia Stiles, Ashley Carin and Kelly Singer.) Sheila (Margaret Colin) is his lovely wife; Edwin Diaz (Ruben Blades) is his sidekick and chauffeur in the police car.. Billy Burke, (Treat Williams) is a vicious arms dealer.
When Tom's home is invaded by masked gunmen, where he and his wife seemed about to be killed, the gunmen suddenly leave. Tom, looking over the torn upholstery, the open drawers, realizes the invasion was because someone was searching for something. . . and he discovers the something is money in a bag belonging to Rory. He now realizes Rory is not who he thought and a confrontation takes place.
The film is a dandy thriller. What I did not like is that it takes sides rather than letting the movie speak for itself. I am reminded of the excellent BATTLE OF ALGIERS, with the Algerians trying to drive out their French imperialists. When the leader of the guerrillas is caught, he turns out to be a cultured person. "How," he is asked, "could you let women carry bags with bombs into theaters, dance halls, ice cream parlors?" To which he replies, "If we had your planes, your bombs, your army and navy and tanks, we would not be using ladies, either." That is what this film fails to show and that is its weakness..
Directed by Alan J Pakula
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Ben Hoffman
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