Five Minutes Of Heaven

German director Oliver Hirschbiegel won critical acclaim in 2004 for his brilliant film 'Downfall' about the last days of Adolf Hitler. Sadly he followed this up with the critically derided 'The Invasion'. But he is back in the good books with this film.

It has been said that directors who work on a film not from their native country can offer an outsiders perspective on a major issue. That's what Oliver does here. This is a very intimate film about a small event in a major conflict. But says so much about the bigger issue. I'm not know all the intimate details about the conflict in Northern Ireland but have a basic knowledge. However this film could have used any war or conflict as its backdrop. The story of a man confronting the person who killed his brother could occur at any time. This is an excellent drama about a man trying to come to terms with a tragic event in his life. The setting for this meeting is very interesting. For them to meet in such a public place on a television show in some ways can diminish the meeting. I know that most TV producers would say they only have the best intentions when bringing people involved in a conflict together. But when you get shows like 'Jerry Springer' become so popular you begin to get cynical. There are a few moments in this film where my cynicism comes through.

The film though is built on two brilliant performances. Liam Neeson seems to be starring in films at the moment which stand at two ends of the quality spectrum. His role here is quite subdued and restrained. Liam gives a very measured performance that helps to not take too much away from his much better co-star. James Nesbitt is an actor who works mostly in television and that is a shame. I think he is brilliant and I wish we saw him on the big screen more. He is once again brilliant here as a man who must confront a demon in his life. The conflict he is feeling is brought out so wonderfully by James.

An excellent and intimate drama that features a brilliant performance by James Nesbitt. You should also see it to prove Liam Neeson can do small independent films as well as big budget stinkers.