50 Dead Men Walking

Reviewer: Dylan de Thomas
Rating (out of 5): **½

Watching the IRA-mole-gone-wild, based-on-a-true story, period piece 50 Dead Men Walking, one is put in mind of the recent iPad announcement: nice package, you couldn't come up with a different name?

The unfortunately-titled movie is an engrossing, if jumbled autobiopic based on Martin McGartland's memoir of the same name. McGartland - played with star-making verve by Jim Sturgess, last seen in the blackjack drama 21 - was a Belfast-based informant for the British army as a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army for four long years during "The Troubles" (best pronounced with maximum Irish accentage). Ben Kingsley, as always, very ably plays the part of his British handler (though his hairpiece is suspect).

Playing for the sympathy of moviegoers as an informant for the British against the outlaw IRA is predictably difficult, though director Kari Skogland makes a valiant effort to put us in neither camp and instead have us rooting for Team McGartland. Skogland keeps things moving at a good pace and doesn't give viewers a chance to ruminate too much on the unsavory parts of McGartland's rat-dom.

And when it does, the movie falls apart a bit, leaving the viewer adrift in what may have seemed on paper as morally gray, but on screen is merely dramatically blah. Additionally, the "personal" subplots come off as rather impersonal, though this may be due in part to Natalie Press' (My Summer of Love) performance; Press, playing McGartland's love interest, Lara, is owner of the only supporting part that feels somewhat undercooked.

Match that with a dramatically-slack third act - save for one excellent action sequence - with the drama seeming more and more self-serving (his acting as a stool pigeon saves lives, except when it doesn't) as the movie goes along, ultimately petering out into the longest end-title cards in recent memory.

That said, with the strong character work by most of the actors involved, to some good writing by Skogland, if you're interested in aforementioned Troubles, there is much to recommend here. But if you haven't seen Bloody Sunday or In the Name of the Father lately, give those fine films on the subject a rental first before counting the dead men that Martin McGartland says are walking around because of him.