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Frederick Forsyth wrote the novel and screenplay for this story about a plot to stage an enormous nuclear accident in England, a catastrophe so large that its source can never be identified but will lead to assumptions that America is behind it. Michael Caine plays an aging intelligence agent who picks up clues that the ingredients for such an apocalypse are being smuggled piece-by-piece into the U.K.--but he cannot seem to get his superiors to care. Caine is outstanding in a role that seems tailor-made for him, and Pierce Brosnan is very good as the Russian agent working undercover in England to effect the planned tragedy. The film perfectly captures a spreading suspicion and resentment toward superpower adventurism, even though such sentiments are, in fact, being exploited by the bad guys. Caine, as always, suggests a man walking a narrow line through a gauntlet of moral compromises. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A very good action-thriller
This is a really good suspense-thriller (based on the Frederick Forsythe nove) which involves a ruthless Russian agent (Pierce Brosnan) who is sent on a mission by a KGB operative to smuggle in and detonate an atomic bomb at the British NATO air-base in hopes that the British will kick out the American bomber-force and thus disrupt NATO. Michael Caine replays his Ipcress File character and plays a smart British operative who stops Brosnan. I enjoyed this movie because it has a plot that makes sense, and it is well-acted and well-directed. If you are fans of Pierce Brosnan, you would enjoy this movie because Brosnan plays a ruthless Russian agent who does not hesitate to use his "license to kill." If you are fans of Michael Caine, you would definitely like this one. The only thing I did not like about the movie was its inexplicable and abrupt ending. Other than that, I felt that it was a suspenseful movie which built up to a good climax. This is one of the better pre-Bond Brosnan movies. Incidentally, Roger Ebert gave this movie three and a half stars.

The greatest spy movie of all time
This is the greatest spy thriller ever produced. Pierce Brosnan is the quintessential cold-blooded, mission-bound, Cold War era Soviet spy. And Michael Caine is superb as an exasperated, mid-level British intelligence agent, on a fast-track to burnout. There were some good supporting performances, but Brosnan and Caine carried the show; they were at the top of their game in this nailbiter. Had Brosnan not been under contract with the Remington Steele show at the time (before 007 went p.c.), and the Bond franchise got its wish, he would have been the greatest Bond, too - you can see it so clearly in this show. Frederick Forsythe wrote The Fourth Protocol, and it was excellent, and the movie followed it faithfully. This same textual fidelity served the industry and fans well with another of Forsythe's works, The Day of the Jackal (the original, not the remake with Bruce Willis and Richard Gere, which was trash). If you like well-conceived, well-written, and well-acted spy movies, this is it. Everything else is make-believe.

Why do British actors make the best movie spies?
After watching THE FOURTH PROTOCOL, I'm left wondering why British actors seem to make the most accomplished spies in releases for the Silver Screen, both big and small. In my mind, the top trio is Michael Caine (as Harry Palmer), Sean Connery (as "007"), and Alec Guinness (as George Smiley). Perhaps it's because, in real life, the UK's international spy agency, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), has so much more traditional panache than the Yanks' CIA. In MI6, martinis are no doubt "shaken, not stirred". It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the drink of choice in the Central Intelligence Agency is simply light beer.

Here, Michael Caine plays John Preston, a domestic Security Service (MI5) agent on the wrong side of his boss. After being banished to Ports and Harbours, Preston stumbles across evidence that the Soviets are smuggling an atomic bomb into the UK. And indeed they are, as part of a renegade plot by KGB Director Govershin (Alan North) to re-heat the Cold War during the days of détente in the late 1980s. Govershin's infiltrates his superagent, Valeri Petrofsky (Pierce Brosnan), who's assumed the English identity of James Ross, to co-ordinate assembly of the explosive device next to a U.S. air base that stores nuclear bombs. Detonation of the Red nuke will thus be blamed on American carelessness, causing stress on the Anglo-American alliance.

More than a decade after the collapse of the U.S.S.R, the plot of THE FOURTH PROTOCOL, which is above average in entertainment value, approaches being quaint, though the danger of a "suitcase nuke" remains real enough in today's world of pan-national terrorism. The real joy of the film is watching Caine's portrayal of the cheekily insubordinate Preston. (Cheekiness is what defines Caine's acting style and makes him so consistently engaging.)

Brosnan's Petrofsky/Ross is baby-faced and not much beyond just sullen. Pierce has yet to acquire the patina of age that makes him one of the better, though never the best, James Bonds. (Brosnan, sure and begorry, was born in the Republic of Ireland, and is decidedly not British. Perhaps his best spy role - and it was truly excellent - was as the Bond-gone-to-seed secret agent in THE TAILOR OF PANEMA.)

Also eminently watchable is Ian Richardson as the MI6 wallah who has more use for Preston than the latter's boss. (Richardson, if you recall, played the Soviet's mole in MI6 in the refreshingly intelligent TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER SPY, in which Alec Guinness debuted as superspy George Smiley, my most favorite of that actor's screen roles.) I'm always mesmerized by Richardson as his character of the moment swings from smooth charm to understated menace.

Michael Caine's ability to play a believable spook has evolved over a continuum from such of his early films as FUNERAL IN BERLIN and THE IPCRESS FILE to the relatively recent THE QUIET AMERICAN. Whereas Sean Connery has abandoned the genre, and the late great Alec Guinness limited his participation to TTSS and SMILEY'S PEOPLE, Caine continues to venture into the espionage shadow world and THE FOURTH PROTOCOL is a rewarding mission impossible from the past.

IMPECCABLY CRAFTED SPY THRILLER WITH TENSE DRAMA
Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan in a cold war spy thriller...you know with those credentials you're in for some topnotch cinema and The Fourth Protocol does not disappoint.

The "thriller" face of the movie is cleverly crafted, it absorbs the viewer with long stretches of drama. The theme veers around the politics of the cold war and the power struggles of governments, both within and without.

As such, the film is thus more about the political conscience and the mindgames of those involved in international sabotage than it is about exploding bombs or rattling guns, a point which some reviewers obviously missed when they lament the lack of "action".

The beauty of the film is in its character development. Brosnan's rendition of a dark, brooding Russian with an outwardly cheerful disposition and a perfect British accent, is marvellous. One can see why he is where he is today as an actor. Michael Caine, needless to say, is sharp yet amusing as an independent-minded but loyal British secret services officer.

A fascinating rental if you aren't expecting a Lethal Weapon. This is so much more of a thriller and so much less of Hollywood.

First Rate Cold War Thriller
I first saw this film on the same night as -- and as an antidote to the utter silliness of -- Kevin Costner's "No Way Out" (don't get me started). It was by far the better film. Like most movies made from Frederick Forsyth novels ("Day of the Jackal," "Dogs of War," "The Odessa File" etc.) the film cannot be expected to convey all the detail of the book, but serves as a useful introduction to it. It is in any case clearly better than most films on similar themes because the novel on which it is based is so carefully crafted and well researched. Although the Cold War is over, the combination of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction that the film protrays can certainly resonate with modern audiences. Both Pierce Brosnan and Michael Caine are excellent in their roles. My only questions are: Why is this film only available on DVD in Europe? And why are the European (Region 2 - PAL) versions not issued as a single DVD with multiple language tracks (E/Fr/G/Sp/I is customary) instead of one separate (expensive) DVD in English only ("The Fourth Protocol") and a less expensive DVD in German only ("Das Vierte Protokoll"). Who makes these nutty decisions, anyway? When the US DVD is issued (and I hope soon) it should have E/Sp/Fr/Port languages and subtitles. If the distributor wants to do us us a real favor it should add the German language track and subtitles, since the these are already available in the European version anyway. Do have a look at this film, however -- it is a very good and unusually intelligent thriller, and the book is even better! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

ok
This all been done before, and in a more effective way (Dead calm and Point break), but it's still mildly entertaining.
It's an interesting cast which saves it.
Rutger Hauer is as reliable as always, although looking a little on the unfit side.
Eric Roberts contributes one of his usual evil performances that come so naturally to him.
Overall: unremarkable, but worth a look.

Relax.It's only a trip...to Hell.
This was one of the best psychological thrillers I've seen in years.Rutger Hauer shines as the hero. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Vengeance is not yours: John Mackenzie's Act of Vengeance
Charles Bronson, mired in awful B action flicks in the 1980's, decided to take this made-for-HBO flick to stretch his acting chops. He should have just made another "Death Wish" movie, instead.

Based on a true story set in 1969, Bronson plays United Mine Workers union official Jock Yablonski. He cowtows to union president Tony Boyle (Wilford Brimley), who is made out to be a ruthless crook immediately. As Jock and his wife Margaret (Ellen Burstyn) coast through life, a mine accident claims the lives of eighty people. Boyle arrives in the grieving West Virginia town and defends the coal company over the miners.

Yablonski is almost run out of town, and decides he has had enough. He announces his candidacy for the union presidency, and begins campaigning. Boyle then orders a hit on his former friend.

The film shifts gears and introduces us to Paul (Robert Schenkkan), a house painter with a lot of guns and a huge ego. Paul is married to the oversexed Annette (Ellen Barkin), who is probably carrying on behind Paul's back. Annette's father Silous (Hoyt Axton) comes to Paul with a job- kill Yablonski and collect ten thousand dollars. Annette uses her feminine wiles to convince Paul, and he hires local petty criminal Claude (Maury Chaykin) to help.

With the campaign in full swing, both sides are confident about victory. Boyle's side is more confident since he has stuffed the ballot box, winning in a landslide. Yablonski decides to challenge the election, and his death becomes more important to Boyle and his gang. Paul hires another killer Buddy (Keanu Reeves), and the trio decide to carry out their plan.

With a good cast and confident direction, this film really should have hit its mark. Unfortunately, it never seems to get momentum going, as the central plot about the campaign takes a back seat to the killers' subplot.

The staged campaign speeches are, well, stagey. The crowd scenes never move, and Boyle is so evil right away, the election's outcome is never in doubt. Bronson tries, but his dramatic scenes are just like other action films he has done, except he does not pull out a gun. Burstyn is wasted in the dutiful wife role, I have a feeling stronger writing would have bolstered her part.

The best performance here? Writer/actor Robert Schenkkan as Paul. He turns Paul into such a desperate loser, he would be pitiful if his actions were not so despicable...

Barely an hour and a half, "Act of Vengeance," a generic name that could serve as a "Death Wish" subtitle, never grabs its audience and proves to be an exercise in predictability, despite the excellent work of Robert Schenkkan.

corruption, greed, and a few other sins.
This 1985 "made for cable" drama is based on a true story about a labor union power struggle.
Charles Bronson is solid and believable as Jock Yablonski, a popular official in the United Mine Workers, who in 1969, challenged Tony Boyle (so well played by Wilford Brimley) for the presidency.

Though there are scenes that are a little flat, the strong cast makes this HBO production watchable. The always wonderful Ellen Burstyn plays Jock's wife, and Ellen Barkin is terrific as a manipulative, horrid little wench.
Keanu Reeves puts in a first rate performance as a sleazy, greasy, loathsome hit man in the last 14 minutes of the film. It's well worth watching for any Keanu fans interested in his early filmography.

Running time is 97 minutes, and there's a good deal of crude violence and language...it's a tough and gritty piece of UMW history, and put a few people behind bars, where they well deserved to rot. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A very impressive British sleeper, this 1979 film features Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa, Who Framed Roger Rabbit) as a ruthless gangster caught up in the competitive turf wars of the London underworld. Just when the gangster thinks he's made a deal to insure his financial security and solidify his power, he is targeted for assassination by an unseen enemy and must go to war for his very survival. Hoskins turns in a tightly coiled yet sympathetic portrayal of a man tragically trapped by his own ambition. Featuring a sexy performance by Helen Mirren (White Nights, Prime Suspect) as the mistress he can't quite trust, The Long Good Friday is a moody, evocative thriller and an undiscovered gem of the crime genre. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (35)

brilliant
I first saw this film way back in 1981 and thought then that it was something special. Bob hoskins had just made a name for himself in the UK appearing in the TV series PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (worth checking out if you have never seen it), and was the perfect choice to play violent cockney gangster Harold Shand, although a nasty piece of work I found the character quite appealling and could not help but sympathise as his empire slowly crumbled around him. An excellent script by Barry Keeffe, and a superb supporting cast, in particular Derek Thompson,whose confrontation with Hoskins on his boat is both riveting and shocking. I must have seen this film at least a dozen times and it never fails to grip me. As a side note watch out for a young Pierce Brosnan as one of the IRA hitmen.

A Great Gangster Film
I second those who found this a clever, brilliantly performed film; one of the best gangster films ever made. With an intricate plot that shifts from social commentary to ironic and deadpan humor to sudden violence with ease and a clear focus. The cast is first rate in all departments, but this was the first big exposure for Bob Hoskins and the short man fills the screen as the tough, ambitious cockney hood trying to raise himself in his world and his complete bewilderment and fury as that world begins to crumble around him. So many things to enjoy in the movie, but absolutely unforgettable is the final haunting scene in closeup as an array of emotions play across Hoskin's face. A great, gritty, tough film.

The british answer to the Godfather
The clever script allows to build a sollid story. Bob Hoskins surpasses all his performances, past, present or even future. He gave the best performance of his monumental career.
The progressive tension around Hoskins literally overflows the screen and struggles us. That hopeless, that certainless of facing against an enemy of the IRA dimensions and the irreverent mood assumed by Hoskins in that unforgettable dialogue with his american partners lead to a smart and unexpecting ending.
Helen Mirren , combines her talent and amazing beuty and Pierce Brossnan has a little cameo in the end of the movie.
Under any circunstance you can avoid watching this brilliant and even underrated film of the eighties.
A true gem.

A Long Goodbye to Britain
After watching the extras interview with Hoskins and the director, Mackenzie, I finally realized that this film is intended to be an allegory of Britain's alleged decline under Thatcher. It's a sort of "Beggar's Opera", I suppose, where low-life represents high-life. But it really doesn't work: not for me at least. The dialogue isn't sharp enough, the slang is self-consciously laboured, the actors try hard but you can see they're acting. This must be down to the writing and the direction. There's a heap of machinery here, including even a reference to the crucifixion, but it's all very clunky, and unsubtly assembled, when it should be natural and organic. In retrospect, there are a lot of nudges and winks about the inner meaning of everything, and how the boss has lost the plot. Unfortunately, since there isn't a single sympathetic character anywhere, it doesn't engage the emotions and it's not intelligent enough to engage the mind. There isn't much that's less lovable than a lovable cockney criminal. Perhaps that's part of the plan. Perhaps the Hoskins character isn't even a criminal, merely a semi-successful seedy businessman in the property, catering and leisure industry. We all know that England is only a theme park for tourists these days. Tourists like to go slumming in a quaint old banana country with a lot of history. The music is annoying and obtrusive. The story doesn't work properly at the gangster level, because it isn't convincing, so it can't work at the allegorical level. For a really great political allegory, try High Noon.

a cool film with great music
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD version of the film.

This film is a bit different for me given that Bob Hoskins is in it. The first film with Bob Hoskins I saw was "Who framed roger rabbit" I had seen it countless times before seeing this and have thought of his faked American accent in that film to be his normal one. Seeing this film, where he does a Cockney British accent is more unusual than his regular British accent.

The film starts with the unexplained murder of several people. We later learn that they all are members of a Harold's (Bob hoskins) gang. He begins to have difficulty running his gang and trying to close a deal with another gang.

The film also has a short appearance by Pierce Brosnan in one of his very first film roles. 007 fans would know him best.

The DVD only has the British and American theatrical trailers as special features. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A tightly directed and acted thriller
QUICKSAND is a terrific action drama that wears a good script well acted by a strong cast headed by Michael Keaton and Michael Caine and well directed by fully in-control Director John Mackenzie. The topic of money laundering is particularly timely at this point in our history so gathering information about the ins and outs of this type of scam is apropos. Michael Keaton is an obsessive-compulsive American investigator sent to France in his role as investigator and ends up being setup as an accused assassin. He is forced into escape and into hiding until he uncovers the truth about the company under investigation (actually a porn industry) and with the help of a has-been actor (played superlatively by Michael Caine) finds a way out. The mechanisms for this good guy-bad guy chase and intrigue make for edge-of-the seat suspense. Not a great movie but certainly one of the better intrigue films greatly enhanced by a strong cast of supporting actors in excellent cameo roles. Recommended.

Nice Change Of Pace For Two Great Stars!
Thoroughly enjoyable film, great soundtrack, locations and story.
Miichael Keaton is well-cast as a mild-mannered excecutive whose life is sent into turmoil when he goes to investigate shady deals being made through his company. Michael Caine as always is superb and really has fun with his role as Movie Star Jake Mellows. The supporting cast is great and the plot is well written.
Note: Watch the featurette after you see the film. ... Read more

Description

Based on the shocking true story of one journalist who risked his life to infiltrate the Neo-Nazi gangs of present day Germany. What he found there - including ties to US white supremacists - makes for a powerful, high-risk thriller. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great movie, wrong choice for main character.
Based on a true story, Yaron Svoray (Oliver Platt) an Israeli freelance journalist goes to Germany to write an article about the rising Neo Nazi movement. While visiting a Turkish refugee camp a gang of skinheads attack. When the police arrive, he is mistakenly arrested which gives the skinheads the impression that he is a sympathiser for the Nazi cause. I can't see this part as being believable. It's one thing to try and "hang out" with the skinheads but it's very, very unlikely that some new guy is ever going to be taken to meet people who are important to the cause. Yaron sees the opportunity and slowly infiltrates the group. He is appalled and disgusted by what he sees, but he's determined to dig deeper.
I found Oliver Platt to be a terrible choice for this movie. He's sloppy looking and rather annoying.

TRUE - TRUER THAN WE WANT TO BELIEVE
The person from Seattle, WA must have been sleeping during the film and if he does not believe these things happen he lives in a fantasy world. The following reviews says it all.

Badly acted film with Ridiculous Scenario
I give this film 2 stars for a few interesting scenes. Based on the book, In Hitler's Shadow, a journal of a German-Isreali who went "undercover" in the Neo-Nazi movement of Germany. The book itself is a bit ridiculous, as it tells how the author, Yaron Svoray (Oliver Platt) contacted the Wiesenthal Center to "infiltrate" the Berlin Neo-Nazis. What we see are basically a gang of thugs beating up Turks, and in order not to "blow his cover" he doesn't stop them. How despicable to let your friends get beat up so you can play some useless spy game. On the other hand, he seems proud to have established a genuine friendship with a Nazi. The impression the film gives of the "movement" is that it's some cult, and Svoray and his cohorts laughably pretend to be Nazis, and also pretend that what they're doing has any value whatsoever, while accomplishing nothing. I don't minimize Neo-Nazis as a threat, but this film unintentionally does because it makes them look so ridiculous. The neoNazi topic begs serious content which this film lacks.

Passionate true account of journalist turned Nazi-Hunter.
Based on the true story of Yaron Svoray, an Israeli freelance reporter living in the US. "The Infiltrator" recounts Svoray's infiltration of Nazi-sympathizers in Germany and beyond.

Oliver Platt plays Svoray, and does a good job in a very serious role. But Svoray's self-imposed mission, with the cooperation and support of the Wiesenthal Center is a Bunyonesques task, and, he is somewhat ill-equipped. If the film initially is to show us how direct exposure to the atrocities of Nazism might fuel unbridled fire within a person, Jewish or otherwise, then it fails in act one.

It's exposition regarding the state of Nazism today, is important, somewhat startling, and much more dramatic. That a Jewish reporter could infiltrate this infra-structure is somewhat unbelievable, but it serves to validate Svoray's passion.

All in all, the film struggles in no-man's land between documentary and thriller, battling to fill time between real life events. Curiously, actor Arliss Howard takes a major role as an Israeli agent-he will go on to play Mossad operative Peter Malkin in the bio-pic 'The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996)".

Svoray's story is compelling, sadly the film gives us a less than satisfying conclusion. A worthwhile watch, nonetheless.

Viewer from Ohio
Great movie! Brings you inside Germany's Neo Nazi movement. You will find out that the Neo Nazi movement is much more organized then the American Movement and that many of the Neo Nazi's in Germany arent outcasts like the ones in the U.S. This is a very suspensful movie. Try the book In Hitler's Shadow by Yoran Svoray. The movie was based after the fact based book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The "fictionalized" version of the Veronica Guerin story
I am not alone in checking out "When the Sky Falls" after watching the Cate Blanchett film "Veronica Guerin" since the 2000 film is a "fictionalized" account of the same story of the Irish reporter who was assassinated by mobsters in 1996. The obvious question was why would director John Mackenzie turn the real Veronica Guerin into the fictional Sinead Hamilton (Joan Allen). I did not know the answer until I watched the featurette on the "When the Sky Falls" DVD.

Before her murder Veronica Guerin was collaborating with writing Michael Sheriden on early drafts of the screenplay. The idea was to tell a realistic story about the Dublin criminal underworld and at some point it became obvious that the story should be about a crime correspondent investigating the story; in other words, a character modeled on Guerin. However, the reporter insisted that her name not be used and even when she was murdered and the story of "When the Sky Falls" became her story, director John MacKenzie respected her wishes and kept the name change. The film was supposed to end with the reporter being honored for blowing the lid of the drug lords, but when Guerin was murdered the story by screenwriters Michael Sheridan and Ronan Gallagher changed to not only end with her death but explain why the mother of a young boy continued to investigate and write stories any being shot and repeatedly threatened.

The story is about a journalist doing writing exposés on the Dublin drug trade. One of her key sources, Mickey O'Fagan (Jimmy Smallhorne) is not to be trusted and Mackey (Patrick Bergin), the cop in charge of the investigation, is more than willing to break the rules to bring down the drug lord Dave Hackett (Gerard Flynn). However, what Mackey and the police think of Hamilton is not clear; it seems they run warm and cold on her. Then there is her husband, Tom (Kevin McNally), who knows it is pointless to try and stop her from doing her work, despite the danger, and the journalistic community that seems to be content to watch her from the sidelines.

The performances are also solid enough, not that we would ever expect anything less from Allen, who has a more sainted version of the character to play than Blanchett. That distinction emphasizes that the key difference between the two films is not the details of the story but the meaning ascribed to them. The bottom line is that this film was not as effective. Perhaps it is because I know the basics of the story and there are several key scenes in "When the Sky Falls" that we saw in "Veronica Guerin." Mackenzie made the neo-classic Brit mobster movie "The Long Good Friday" two decades earlier and this film has the appropriate look, but when you compare those scenes you find his approach is much quicker, the scenes more abbreviated, and the violence more subdued than in Joel Schumacher's 2003 film. There is a sense in which we are rushing through some of these scenes.

"Veronica Guerin" is a slicker film, which is not necessarily appropriate for the telling of this story, but "When the Sky Falls" fails to really take advantage of the grittier tack. You should check both of them out because you are not going to be able to go wrong with Allen or Blanchett in a leading role. Having seen both films my recommendation would be to watch "When the Sky Falls" first, not just because it came out first, but also because it is, to some degree, the fictional version and because I think it is the correct order for best appreciating the efforts of the two actresses.

Veronica Guerin by another name
2003 saw the extraordinary Cate Blanchett star in VERONICA GUERIN in the title role of the Irish investigative reporter for "The Sunday Independent" who ran afoul of Dublin's criminal underworld and was murdered on June 26, 1996. WHEN THE SKY FALLS, starring Joan Allen and released three years earlier, is a fictionalized version of the same story.

It would be difficult to choose between the two films. Allen and Blanchett are two of the best actresses in the business. The latter brought more effervescence - perhaps too much - to the role. The former ratchets the glamour of the Guerin persona down a notch to a more credible level. Indeed, for the purpose of the story, Allen takes on a fictional identity - Sinead Hamilton.

Key events in the efforts by Guerin/Hamilton to expose those behind Dublin's illegal drug traffic are common to both productions: the invasion of Guerin's home by a pistol wielding thug who shot her in the leg as a warning, her beating by the mobster John Gilligan - here named "Dave Hackett" (Gerard Flynn), and her fatal shooting by a couple of motorcycle riders while her cherry red sports car was stationary at a stoplight. WHEN THE SKY FALLS places greater emphasis on the emotional support provided by her husband, here played by Kevin McNally, while VERONICA GUERIN is a bit grittier in its depiction of heroin's effects on young addicts. Both movies provide an unsparing look at the violence employed by those controlling the drug trade, both show the importance of criminal informants to Guerin's/Hamilton's information gathering, and both portray the uneasy but ultimately symbiotic relationship the reporter had with local law enforcement.

If I was forced to pick my favorite of the two films, I guess I'd have to go with VERONICA GUERIN simply because I'm so smitten with Cate Blanchett. But both are eminently watchable, and both are a tribute to the quixotic bravery of the woman who paid the ultimate price.

It's About Time
The story is finally told. "When the Sky Falls" is a fact-based drama of the events surrounding the high profile murder of crime reporter Veronica Guerin in Ireland in 1996. In the movie, Joan Allen plays Sinead Hamilton, a reporter for a Dublin newspaper (the names are changed, probably because of strict Irish libel laws). Hamilton probes Dublin's underworld, writing stories about the city's growing drug epidemic and in particular about a powerful drug lord named Hackett. As one might expect, Hackett (whose real name is John Gilligan) and his cronies are not pleased with Hamilton's exposure of their criminal activities. Hamilton soon becomes the target of intimidation and violence. Unwilling to be silenced, she continues to speak out against Hackett despite the danger to herself. Ultimately, she puts her life on the line for her devotion to the truth. Who would have thought that this would happen in a "safe" European country like Ireland? "When the Sky Falls" is a gritty and unblinking study of Guerin, the people out to stop her, and Dublin's drug problem. Allen does a respectable job portraying Guerin alias Hamilton, a reporter, wife, and mother risking her life for a just cause. Patrick Bergin also appears in the movie. He plays an unorthodox Garda (Irish police) detective who helps Hamilton and is determined to put Hackett away. Again, another good performance. This movie is a must see for people who like crime dramas or those who want know the full story of Veronica Guerin and her sacrifice. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Well done (rare today)
An excellent dramatization of a true story. The film captures the emotional highs and lows of a spy - his rewards and his fears. You really see into his mind. Good suspense. Great work by Timothy Hutton.

Top Grade Spy Thriller
We found this movie to be a very well written movie based on the true story of America's most notorious spy. It is in the vain of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Very Highly recommended ! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Disappointing waste of star cast
Anglo-Paraguyan doctor Eduardo Plarr (Gere) moves into Corrientes, meets the honorary British Consul, Charlie Fortnum (Caine), an incorrigable drunk. Fortnum and the local chief of police, Colonel Perez (Hoskins), introduce him to the realities of life in the border town, which is under military occupation due to the high incidence of Paraguayan terrorism in the area. Eduardo starts having a passionless affair with Fortnum's 19 year old ex-prostitute wife and gets involved with terrorists who kidnap Charlie instead of the American Ambassador. It ends badly.

Despite the excellent cast, the performances in this film are disappointing across the board: Gere's trying to hard, Caine's trying only as hard as he has to and the usually reliable Hoskins has a worse Spanish accent than Gere's English one. The characters are one-dimensional and unsympathetic and Mackenzie directs at a snail's pace, which adds to the general feeling that nothing interesting is happening. ... Read more

Description

Based on the terrifying true story of one ship and the nine stowaways hiding beneath its decks. When their existence threatens the captain?s career, a means must be found of disposing of them - and so the hunt is on. There can be no survivors who might tell the tale of this deadly voyage. ' 'A chilling, nerve-jangling film.' ' (N.Y. Daily News) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Disturbing...
HBO prides itself--with some justification--on its hard hitting, made for cable fare. "Deadly Voyage," based on a real-life incident, in which several African stowaways on a cargo ship to France (and ultimately, they hope, to the U.S.) are caught by the crew and brutally murdered. The lone survivor sees to it that justice is eventually served, but not before a harrowing escape that stays with you well after the film is over.

The racial theme is but one of the many explored here. The murderous crew are post-Communist Russians and Romanians whose desperate attempt to preserve their jobs (if the stowaways are discovered they'll likely be sacked by the international shipping firm they feel lucky to have found work with). It thus becomes a battle of wills between representatives of two desperate camps. (At one point, a Russian sailor asks the Africans how much they make a day in their home country. Told that the Africans make about $3.00 a day, he responds that in contemporary Russia and the Ukraine, they could only make $1.00. This kind of one-downsmanship suggests that the real reason they resort to murder has less to do with race--although that certainly is a factor--and more to do with the dehumanizing effects of poverty and social turmoil.

The pacing of "Deadly Voyage" could have been better. The fact that it's relatively low budget does show. Despite the fact that it is a very well acted film, we probably could have used a little more time to get to know the characters before it all explodes. Still, the filmmakers have done a remarkable job working under obvious time and budget constraints. There are moments in this film that could break your heart.

Excellent film
This movie is a very intense and emotional film. Omar Epps is great in this movie. It is based on a true story. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I am curious Rubenstein
since one-half of my lineage is undoubtedly related to Jack, I am curious about all things Rubenstein, and this just came on The Box so I'm cking it out...but I have a beef...why does Hollywood persist in casting non-Jewish actors as Jewish characters, esp. Danny Aiello (in this and at least one other, which title I dis-remember, it's about Jewish widows in Pittsburgh(?)) are there NO jewish actors available to do this schlock and who can bring to the role, at the very least, an authentic rendering of "schmuck" and "schlmiel"? Aw schucks, this whole thing schux! Aiello is just not believable when he says he says "I'm Jewish", zei gesundt, mit latkes, Shalom, Alex

muddled but fascinating
There are spoilers in this review, but you should already know the historical details anyway.

"Ruby" isn't a good movie, but it *almost* was, and long stretches of the movie show us glimpses of the great movie it could have been. These portions of the movie are good enough to be worth owning the DVD for (especially if you enjoyed Oliver Stone's "JFK" for the look and feel of it rather than factual analysis).

The story takes what little is known about Ruby's shady life - that he was a burlesque club owner who had connections to organized crime and the CIA - and riffs on this entertainingly. However, the idea that Ruby's motive for shooting Oswald was "to expose the whole thing" makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, especially knowing that he made no great revelations about the conspiracy after he thrust himself into the public eye. How do you expose a conspiracy by silencing a key conspirator?

For some reason, the director chose to portray the mobster Santos Trafficante under the transparent guise of a character named Alicante. The fictional character of Candy Cane is rather pointless, especially since she seems to be a total fabrication and not based on any of Ruby's actual strippers. The infamous Jada is nowhere to be seen in the film, which is one of the biggest disappointments for me.

The look and feel of the film is great, though. It's an enjoyable immersion in gangsters, burlesque, spies, and politics, in late-50s-early-60s surroundings. Their period portrayal of Cuba is extremely well done, but rather than recreate Las Vegas, they simply pillaged stock footage from Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas". This perfectly illustrates the film's uneven level of quality.

An addition to the intrigue
In "Ruby", veteran actor Danny Aiello does a superb job of portraying the man who will forever be remembered for silencing the accused assassin of President Kennedy.
Aiello almost makes a better Jack Ruby than Jack Ruby himself.
Aiello gives a memorable performance and gives valuable insight as to why Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Hint: It wasnt why the Warren Commission said he did. There were much more conspiratorial and sinister reasons.
This movie will certainly add to the intrigue of the JFK Assassination conspiracy.
It paints Ruby as somewhat of a patsy himself, like Lee Oswald was.
Sherilyn Fenn does a great job as "Candy Cane" one of Ruby's strippers.
You really feel for Ruby and Cane at the end of this movie.
This movie also has a very stunning scene of the JFK Assassination, and it was filmed in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy was killed.
If you are interested in the JFK assassination, the Mafia's vendetta against Castro, or the corruption of the Dallas Police at the time of the JFK murder, you will find this movie very interesting.
I hope you enjoy it.

good movie
this is a good movie for anybody interested in the JFK assassination or for just anybody who wants to watch a good movie.
this movie has very little to do with the actual facts, for instance, the girl, Candy Cane dosen't exist, but they put her in anyway.

the actual assassination is pretty good.
only 2 shooters though, but not a bad re-enactment.
Robert Groden also got involved in this movie, Groden is the author of several books and helped recreate the Dealey Plaza scene for JFK.

the saddest part of the movie is the assassination of JFK.
you see the motorcade come down Elm Street in front of the book depository and in the background you hear Amazing Grace.
kinda sad.

i like the theme song when he's going to kill Oswald, but the actual Oswald assassination scence is pretty corny. in the movie, Oswald sees Ruby coming at him and he prepares for the shot, in reality, that never happened, but this isn't a documentry, it's a movie.

so enjoy it.

Interesting speculation
Aiello gives a superb performance (in a fictionalized speculation) as Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner who is willing to exploit the mob but at the same time be connected to it, and later murders President JFK's assassin. Terrific score, top-knotch supporting cast, but a little too much plot. A must if your interests include the Kennedy murder conspiracy. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great movie, wrong choice for main character.
Based on a true story, Yaron Svoray (Oliver Platt) an Israeli freelance journalist goes to Germany to write an article about the rising Neo Nazi movement. While visiting a Turkish refugee camp a gang of skinheads attack. When the police arrive, he is mistakenly arrested which gives the skinheads the impression that he is a sympathiser for the Nazi cause. I can't see this part as being believable. It's one thing to try and "hang out" with the skinheads but it's very, very unlikely that some new guy is ever going to be taken to meet people who are important to the cause. Yaron sees the opportunity and slowly infiltrates the group. He is appalled and disgusted by what he sees, but he's determined to dig deeper.
I found Oliver Platt to be a terrible choice for this movie. He's sloppy looking and rather annoying.

TRUE - TRUER THAN WE WANT TO BELIEVE
The person from Seattle, WA must have been sleeping during the film and if he does not believe these things happen he lives in a fantasy world. The following reviews says it all.

Badly acted film with Ridiculous Scenario
I give this film 2 stars for a few interesting scenes. Based on the book, In Hitler's Shadow, a journal of a German-Isreali who went "undercover" in the Neo-Nazi movement of Germany. The book itself is a bit ridiculous, as it tells how the author, Yaron Svoray (Oliver Platt) contacted the Wiesenthal Center to "infiltrate" the Berlin Neo-Nazis. What we see are basically a gang of thugs beating up Turks, and in order not to "blow his cover" he doesn't stop them. How despicable to let your friends get beat up so you can play some useless spy game. On the other hand, he seems proud to have established a genuine friendship with a Nazi. The impression the film gives of the "movement" is that it's some cult, and Svoray and his cohorts laughably pretend to be Nazis, and also pretend that what they're doing has any value whatsoever, while accomplishing nothing. I don't minimize Neo-Nazis as a threat, but this film unintentionally does because it makes them look so ridiculous. The neoNazi topic begs serious content which this film lacks.

Passionate true account of journalist turned Nazi-Hunter.
Based on the true story of Yaron Svoray, an Israeli freelance reporter living in the US. "The Infiltrator" recounts Svoray's infiltration of Nazi-sympathizers in Germany and beyond.

Oliver Platt plays Svoray, and does a good job in a very serious role. But Svoray's self-imposed mission, with the cooperation and support of the Wiesenthal Center is a Bunyonesques task, and, he is somewhat ill-equipped. If the film initially is to show us how direct exposure to the atrocities of Nazism might fuel unbridled fire within a person, Jewish or otherwise, then it fails in act one.

It's exposition regarding the state of Nazism today, is important, somewhat startling, and much more dramatic. That a Jewish reporter could infiltrate this infra-structure is somewhat unbelievable, but it serves to validate Svoray's passion.

All in all, the film struggles in no-man's land between documentary and thriller, battling to fill time between real life events. Curiously, actor Arliss Howard takes a major role as an Israeli agent-he will go on to play Mossad operative Peter Malkin in the bio-pic 'The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996)".

Svoray's story is compelling, sadly the film gives us a less than satisfying conclusion. A worthwhile watch, nonetheless.

Viewer from Ohio
Great movie! Brings you inside Germany's Neo Nazi movement. You will find out that the Neo Nazi movement is much more organized then the American Movement and that many of the Neo Nazi's in Germany arent outcasts like the ones in the U.S. This is a very suspensful movie. Try the book In Hitler's Shadow by Yoran Svoray. The movie was based after the fact based book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The "fictionalized" version of the Veronica Guerin story
I am not alone in checking out "When the Sky Falls" after watching the Cate Blanchett film "Veronica Guerin" since the 2000 film is a "fictionalized" account of the same story of the Irish reporter who was assassinated by mobsters in 1996. The obvious question was why would director John Mackenzie turn the real Veronica Guerin into the fictional Sinead Hamilton (Joan Allen). I did not know the answer until I watched the featurette on the "When the Sky Falls" DVD.

Before her murder Veronica Guerin was collaborating with writing Michael Sheriden on early drafts of the screenplay. The idea was to tell a realistic story about the Dublin criminal underworld and at some point it became obvious that the story should be about a crime correspondent investigating the story; in other words, a character modeled on Guerin. However, the reporter insisted that her name not be used and even when she was murdered and the story of "When the Sky Falls" became her story, director John MacKenzie respected her wishes and kept the name change. The film was supposed to end with the reporter being honored for blowing the lid of the drug lords, but when Guerin was murdered the story by screenwriters Michael Sheridan and Ronan Gallagher changed to not only end with her death but explain why the mother of a young boy continued to investigate and write stories any being shot and repeatedly threatened.

The story is about a journalist doing writing exposés on the Dublin drug trade. One of her key sources, Mickey O'Fagan (Jimmy Smallhorne) is not to be trusted and Mackey (Patrick Bergin), the cop in charge of the investigation, is more than willing to break the rules to bring down the drug lord Dave Hackett (Gerard Flynn). However, what Mackey and the police think of Hamilton is not clear; it seems they run warm and cold on her. Then there is her husband, Tom (Kevin McNally), who knows it is pointless to try and stop her from doing her work, despite the danger, and the journalistic community that seems to be content to watch her from the sidelines.

The performances are also solid enough, not that we would ever expect anything less from Allen, who has a more sainted version of the character to play than Blanchett. That distinction emphasizes that the key difference between the two films is not the details of the story but the meaning ascribed to them. The bottom line is that this film was not as effective. Perhaps it is because I know the basics of the story and there are several key scenes in "When the Sky Falls" that we saw in "Veronica Guerin." Mackenzie made the neo-classic Brit mobster movie "The Long Good Friday" two decades earlier and this film has the appropriate look, but when you compare those scenes you find his approach is much quicker, the scenes more abbreviated, and the violence more subdued than in Joel Schumacher's 2003 film. There is a sense in which we are rushing through some of these scenes.

"Veronica Guerin" is a slicker film, which is not necessarily appropriate for the telling of this story, but "When the Sky Falls" fails to really take advantage of the grittier tack. You should check both of them out because you are not going to be able to go wrong with Allen or Blanchett in a leading role. Having seen both films my recommendation would be to watch "When the Sky Falls" first, not just because it came out first, but also because it is, to some degree, the fictional version and because I think it is the correct order for best appreciating the efforts of the two actresses.

Veronica Guerin by another name
2003 saw the extraordinary Cate Blanchett star in VERONICA GUERIN in the title role of the Irish investigative reporter for "The Sunday Independent" who ran afoul of Dublin's criminal underworld and was murdered on June 26, 1996. WHEN THE SKY FALLS, starring Joan Allen and released three years earlier, is a fictionalized version of the same story.

It would be difficult to choose between the two films. Allen and Blanchett are two of the best actresses in the business. The latter brought more effervescence - perhaps too much - to the role. The former ratchets the glamour of the Guerin persona down a notch to a more credible level. Indeed, for the purpose of the story, Allen takes on a fictional identity - Sinead Hamilton.

Key events in the efforts by Guerin/Hamilton to expose those behind Dublin's illegal drug traffic are common to both productions: the invasion of Guerin's home by a pistol wielding thug who shot her in the leg as a warning, her beating by the mobster John Gilligan - here named "Dave Hackett" (Gerard Flynn), and her fatal shooting by a couple of motorcycle riders while her cherry red sports car was stationary at a stoplight. WHEN THE SKY FALLS places greater emphasis on the emotional support provided by her husband, here played by Kevin McNally, while VERONICA GUERIN is a bit grittier in its depiction of heroin's effects on young addicts. Both movies provide an unsparing look at the violence employed by those controlling the drug trade, both show the importance of criminal informants to Guerin's/Hamilton's information gathering, and both portray the uneasy but ultimately symbiotic relationship the reporter had with local law enforcement.

If I was forced to pick my favorite of the two films, I guess I'd have to go with VERONICA GUERIN simply because I'm so smitten with Cate Blanchett. But both are eminently watchable, and both are a tribute to the quixotic bravery of the woman who paid the ultimate price.

It's About Time
The story is finally told. "When the Sky Falls" is a fact-based drama of the events surrounding the high profile murder of crime reporter Veronica Guerin in Ireland in 1996. In the movie, Joan Allen plays Sinead Hamilton, a reporter for a Dublin newspaper (the names are changed, probably because of strict Irish libel laws). Hamilton probes Dublin's underworld, writing stories about the city's growing drug epidemic and in particular about a powerful drug lord named Hackett. As one might expect, Hackett (whose real name is John Gilligan) and his cronies are not pleased with Hamilton's exposure of their criminal activities. Hamilton soon becomes the target of intimidation and violence. Unwilling to be silenced, she continues to speak out against Hackett despite the danger to herself. Ultimately, she puts her life on the line for her devotion to the truth. Who would have thought that this would happen in a "safe" European country like Ireland? "When the Sky Falls" is a gritty and unblinking study of Guerin, the people out to stop her, and Dublin's drug problem. Allen does a respectable job portraying Guerin alias Hamilton, a reporter, wife, and mother risking her life for a just cause. Patrick Bergin also appears in the movie. He plays an unorthodox Garda (Irish police) detective who helps Hamilton and is determined to put Hackett away. Again, another good performance. This movie is a must see for people who like crime dramas or those who want know the full story of Veronica Guerin and her sacrifice. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A tightly directed and acted thriller
QUICKSAND is a terrific action drama that wears a good script well acted by a strong cast headed by Michael Keaton and Michael Caine and well directed by fully in-control Director John Mackenzie. The topic of money laundering is particularly timely at this point in our history so gathering information about the ins and outs of this type of scam is apropos. Michael Keaton is an obsessive-compulsive American investigator sent to France in his role as investigator and ends up being setup as an accused assassin. He is forced into escape and into hiding until he uncovers the truth about the company under investigation (actually a porn industry) and with the help of a has-been actor (played superlatively by Michael Caine) finds a way out. The mechanisms for this good guy-bad guy chase and intrigue make for edge-of-the seat suspense. Not a great movie but certainly one of the better intrigue films greatly enhanced by a strong cast of supporting actors in excellent cameo roles. Recommended.

Nice Change Of Pace For Two Great Stars!
Thoroughly enjoyable film, great soundtrack, locations and story.
Miichael Keaton is well-cast as a mild-mannered excecutive whose life is sent into turmoil when he goes to investigate shady deals being made through his company. Michael Caine as always is superb and really has fun with his role as Movie Star Jake Mellows. The supporting cast is great and the plot is well written.
Note: Watch the featurette after you see the film. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Disturbing...
HBO prides itself--with some justification--on its hard hitting, made for cable fare. "Deadly Voyage," based on a real-life incident, in which several African stowaways on a cargo ship to France (and ultimately, they hope, to the U.S.) are caught by the crew and brutally murdered. The lone survivor sees to it that justice is eventually served, but not before a harrowing escape that stays with you well after the film is over.

The racial theme is but one of the many explored here. The murderous crew are post-Communist Russians and Romanians whose desperate attempt to preserve their jobs (if the stowaways are discovered they'll likely be sacked by the international shipping firm they feel lucky to have found work with). It thus becomes a battle of wills between representatives of two desperate camps. (At one point, a Russian sailor asks the Africans how much they make a day in their home country. Told that the Africans make about $3.00 a day, he responds that in contemporary Russia and the Ukraine, they could only make $1.00. This kind of one-downsmanship suggests that the real reason they resort to murder has less to do with race--although that certainly is a factor--and more to do with the dehumanizing effects of poverty and social turmoil.

The pacing of "Deadly Voyage" could have been better. The fact that it's relatively low budget does show. Despite the fact that it is a very well acted film, we probably could have used a little more time to get to know the characters before it all explodes. Still, the filmmakers have done a remarkable job working under obvious time and budget constraints. There are moments in this film that could break your heart.

Excellent film
This movie is a very intense and emotional film. Omar Epps is great in this movie. It is based on a true story. ... Read more