NOTHING PERSONAL
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.5 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United Kingdom, 1995 U.S. Release Date: 5/97 (limited) Running Length: 1:25 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Violence, profanity, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Ian Hart, John Lynch, James Frain, Michael Gambon, Gary Lydon, Jeni Courtney, Maria Doyle Kennedy Director: Thaddeus O'Sullivan Producers: Tracey Seaward, Jonathan Cavendish Screenplay: Daniel Mornin, based on his novel, ALL OUR FAULT Cinematography: Dick Pope Music: Philip Appleby U.S. Distributor: Trimark Pictures
"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned
The best lack all conviction,
while the worst are filled with passionate intensity."
- Yeats (from the beginning of NOTHING PERSONAL)
Over the last few years, a flood of motion pictures about the political turmoil in Northern Ireland has reached these shores. There have been big-budget Hollywood productions (THE DEVIL'S OWN), would-be historical epics (MICHAEL COLLINS), and smaller, more intimate tales (SOME MOTHER'S SON). Cinematographer-turned-director Thaddeus O'Sullivan's contribution, NOTHING PERSONAL, belongs in the last category. And, although it doesn't really offer any new information or a unique perspective on the ongoing conflict, the film presents yet another example of the pointlessness and pain of violence as a means to end a religious war.
NOTHING PERSONAL, much like IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, begins with an IRA bomb blast destroying a pub. The time frame -- the middle '70s - - is the same. Only the location is different -- this is Belfast, not Guildford. However, where IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER used Ireland's troubles as a backdrop for a compelling story about family and justice, NOTHING PERSONAL makes the religious strife its centerpiece. O'Sullivan goes to great pains to show the violence and hatred on both sides, effectively de-politicizing the movie. If balance was the only criteria for a good film about Ireland, NOTHING PERSONAL would get top marks.
Unfortunately, in his pursuit of even-handedness, O'Sullivan fails to create more than a few worthwhile characters. The atmosphere, thick with claustrophobia, paranoia, and a pervasive sense of impending doom, is potent in a way that the protagonists aren't. Most of the men in NOTHING PERSONAL represent different faces of unintelligent bigotry. There's Ginger (Ian Hart), a borderline psycho who enjoys killing Catholics; Kenny (James Frain), the leader of a militant anti-IRA group; Eddie (Gary Lydon), Kenny's right-hand man; Tommy (Ruaidhri Conroy), a 17-year old recruit to the cause; and Leonard (Michael Gambon), Kenny's politically-savvy commander. None of these individuals are nearly as interesting as their cause. The characters who capture our attention are those without a strong political allegiance: Liam (John Lynch), a Catholic who is mistaken for an IRA member; Ann (Maria Doyle Kennedy), Kenny's estranged wife; and Kathleen (Jeni Courtney), Liam's young, headstrong daughter.
While NOTHING PERSONAL might have been more focused had it concentrated on fewer individuals, O'Sullivan elected to try to cram in everyone's story. As a result, the motion picture is frequently confusing (occasionally bordering on chaotic), and Liam, who represents the emotional center, is only on-screen for about a third of the running time. And, while there is power in the way NOTHING PERSONAL is resolved, there's also something about the ending that seems inevitable, obligatory, and more than a little manipulative.
The most telling point addressed by O'Sullivan's film is how a legacy of violence and bloodshed is passed down from generation to generation. NOTHING PERSONAL has its share of young faces -- in addition to Tommy and Kathleen, there's Kathleen's brother, and a teen IRA sympathizer named Michael. Events during the course of this film shape their futures and give us little confidence that there will be a peaceful, reasonable end to the conflict.
Even if their characters aren't all that well-developed, several of the leads give memorable performances -- notably Ian Hart (HOLLOW REED), whose Ginger is a portrait of uncurbed aggression; James Frain, who injects an aspect of humanity into Kenny; and the ever-effective Michael Gambon. John Lynch, who is no stranger to films with this background (he was in both IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER and MOTHER'S SON) has a few effective moments as one of the film's innocents. And Jeni Courtney, who was so impressive in John Sayles' THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH, steals every one of the too-few scenes she's in.
Explorations of violence -- its causes, its meaning, and its effects -- are difficult to present on film because they're so easy to get wrong. With NOTHING PERSONAL, Catholic director O'Sullivan, along with his Protestant screenwriter, Daniel Mornin, has ventured into that uncertain territory. And, while the result is not an unqualified success, there's no denying that O'Sullivan's message comes across loud- and-clear, and NOTHING PERSONAL presents at least one image that will not quickly be forgotten. Too bad there couldn't be more.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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