Five Minutes of Heaven

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There's a feeling of gathered moral clarity -- a certain down-to-it, no-mucking-about, time-to-face-it vibe -- in Oliver Hirschbiegel's Five Minutes of Heaven (IFC Films, 8.21). It's basically a film about two veterans of the Irish troubles in the '70s (Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt) looking back at a brutal political killing and trying to do or say something that will put the ghosts to rest. Except ghosts have a tendency to hang around. The darker the memory, the more they rule.

Split between Ireland's present and its violent past in the early '70s, Heaven is basically about Neeson's character of 16 or 17 having shot a young boy from the other side (now that I'm thinking back I can't remember which is Protestant and Catholic), and dealing with the victim's still enraged and inconsolable younger brother (Nesbitt) when an Irish TV show brings them together to talk it over and come to grips.

Nesbitt's character seems a bit dim -- okay, intellectually challenged -- but the ferocity of his feelings about Neeson is quite penetrating. They're so intense that he can't handle them, as evidenced by his darting eyes and hyper breathlessness and a general sense of a looming panic attack.

And the sad, guilt-ravaged expression on Neeson's face seems tethered to some awful place deep in his soul. One look at him and you know there's no way he'll ever get past what he did, and that he himself knows this best of all.

Five Minutes of Heaven is obviously a smaller film than Hirschbiegel's Downfall, a jarring look at the Third Reich's final hours in a bunker in Berlin, but it's about something that not only matters in terms of Ireland's past -- political murder and the personal rage that not only follows but stays alive for decades -- but applies to today's Islamic jihadists.

The film is so tight and focused that Guy Hibbert's screenplay could have been a theatre piece to start with, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. Plays tend to have more of a lean and sharpened quality than films as a general rule, and there's no denying that Five Minutes of Heaven is some kind of hard diamond.

My only real problem is with the title. It alludes to the pleasure of getting revenge, but it's obviously too oblique to mean anything to Joe Popcorn. It doesn't mean that much to me and I've seen the film. I believe that if you lose control and wind up killing someone you hate, you might feel the satisfaction for 10 or 15 seconds, at most. If you're any kind of human being you'll be feeling the guilt pangs in less than a minute. How Hibbert figures that the pleasure would last for five minutes -- an eternity in such a context -- is beyond me.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 11, 2009 at 8:25 AM

comment #1

Admiral82 says ...

I'm there.

I like the title. It works after seeing it in the context of the trailer. I see your point about Joe Schmoe questioning the film based on the title alone though.

Film looks pretty compelling overall.

Posted by Admiral82 at August 11, 2009 9:34 AM

comment #2

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Looks good. From the sounds of it, Neeson's character is a protestant from this organization: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Volunteer_Force

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at August 11, 2009 9:35 AM

comment #3

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

The lad they got to play young Neeson works well too.

James Nesbitt is a strange one. He's capable of quite good performances indeed, but he spends most of his time in the UK doing Yellow Pages adverts and promos for Sky Sports. Still, he's a United fan so I'll forgive him.

Downfall is one of the best films of the decade. The viral video thing has lessened its impact a bit, but it's a really first-rate, compelling film. Fascinating.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at August 11, 2009 9:41 AM

comment #4

Admiral82 says ...

Downfall is great. I saw it at the cinema, and was absolutely floored. I bought the DVD when it was released, was excited for about thirty seconds, and have still yet to watch it. I'd admire the pants off the film. But god damn Downfall's grim! It's so bleak and hard to watch. The pace felt deliberately slow. One day I'll watch it again. Preferably with someone that...

A) Hasn't seen it.

B) Has no idea what they are in for.

Posted by Admiral82 at August 11, 2009 9:56 AM

comment #5

Rich S. says ...

Nesbitt was terrific (if a little over-the-top) in the miniseries Jekyll. Looks like he brings some of that intensity here.

Posted by Rich S. at August 11, 2009 10:01 AM

comment #6

The Bandsaw Vigilante says ...

"Downfall is one of the best films of the decade. The viral video thing has lessened its impact a bit, but it's a really first-rate, compelling film. Fascinating."

Yeah, I was about to ask the same thing, but Bosh beat me to it:

Any really awesome potential-Hitler viral-bits in this one?

But seriously...sounds great. Glad to see Neeson taking on a decent, non-paycheck gig, and one that I know hits close to home for him (growing up dodging bombs on the Belfast streets back in the '70s, when this one is set).

Posted by The Bandsaw Vigilante at August 11, 2009 10:14 AM

comment #7

raygo says ...

Who coined the expression "Joe Popcorn"? Was it Jeff courtesy of Sarah Palin? Just wondering as it screams for a trademark.

Posted by raygo at August 11, 2009 10:15 AM

comment #8

The Bandsaw Vigilante says ...

Also, I'll second the Nesbitt-kudos -- when he's on his game, I mean. Quite dug his work as Ivan Cooper in Greengrass's flick, along with stuff like Jekyll and Millions

Posted by The Bandsaw Vigilante at August 11, 2009 10:19 AM

comment #9

Conan Riquelme says ...

This was co-financed by the BBC and it was shown on tv in the UK about 2 months ago. I can't imagine that a big screen will do its sense of claustrophobia and theatricality any favours (though it may only add to the emotional intensity, I guess) but it is worth a watch. Neeson and Nesbitt are both good and it doesn't take any easy options, never dodges the issues and avoids sensationalism.

Nesbitt is a strange case - in the right role, like Bloody Sunday or the recent BBC miniseries Occupation, he can be fantastic. But he coasts in tv dross too much.

Posted by Conan Riquelme at August 11, 2009 10:47 AM

comment #10

Breedlove says ...

I was watching the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Director's Cut last night when it struck me that Liam Neeson has to be, at least as far as current actors, the King of Sword Fights. STAR WARS, BATMAN BEGINS, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, and ROB ROY, which Ebert calls "one of the great action sequences in movie history," by the way. Insert KINSEY joke here.

Posted by Breedlove at August 11, 2009 10:57 AM

comment #11

Dan Revill says ...

Looks great...hopefully it makes it to Vancouver.

Posted by Dan Revill at August 11, 2009 11:12 AM

comment #12

Pomerania says ...

This wasn't a film at all in the UK. It was shown on TV on a Sunday night. Which shows how hard it is to get "smaller' films off the ground here. Look at Ken Loach's career, he's feted in france and no one over here gives a shit. FYI Nesbitt is in about every UK TV drama going, he does a lot more than ads. I thought his performance was the weak link in this drama - for the first hour or so, his manic-ness was way off kilter.

Posted by Pomerania at August 11, 2009 11:13 AM

comment #13

frankbooth says ...

This looks interesting, though moral dilemma films can be problematic. There's the danger it will boil down to "will he or won't he?"

Speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven DC (hope I don't get in trouble for going off-topic!), I was surprised by how gory it was. What was the theatrical cut rated?

Posted by frankbooth at August 11, 2009 11:51 AM

comment #14

bmcintire says ...

I loved Nesbitt in Greengrass's BLOODY SUNDAY and am very excited to see this one as well. Between this and MICHAEL COLLINS, the stars will have pretty much have The Troubles covered in their resumes.

And the title makes me think only of the wretched 80's Skinemax staple 7 MINUTES OF HEAVEN.

Posted by bmcintire at August 11, 2009 11:54 AM

comment #15

Carl LaFong says ...

First noticed Nesbitt when he walked away with a memorable supporting part in the second act of Peter Chelsom's Hear My Song. He and Adrian Dunbar played off each other like a couple of seasoned vaudevillians.

Anyway, Hirshbiegel's made for TV flick will be coming out on DVD next month, and based on Jeff's description, it might play better on the small screen, no? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002ELEZCM/

Posted by Carl LaFong at August 11, 2009 12:04 PM

comment #16

Travis Crabtree says ...

Looks really good.

I'll check it out for shizzle.

Posted by Travis Crabtree at August 11, 2009 12:24 PM

comment #17

Stringer Bell says ...

Jeff: Based on the last paragraph, you mean to tell me you never killed someone? I find that hard to believe. Just with your laser glare, I figured you killed a few fatties.

Posted by Stringer Bell at August 11, 2009 12:39 PM

comment #18

SpinDozer says ...

'it's about something that not only matters in terms of Ireland's past -- political murder and the personal rage that not only follows but stays alive for decades -- but applies to today's Islamic jihadists.'

I'm not sure this makes all that much sense, certainly Palestinian/Israeli. If its about killing is bad, why single out jihadists? I wouldn't compareany number of Civil conflicts with something like Pan-Islamic nationalism...

Posted by SpinDozer at August 11, 2009 4:08 PM

comment #19

BurmaShave says ...

A little drunk so this is kind of intense, but jesus christ James Nesbitt looks good in this. Maybe it's because I have no frame of reference for him pretending to be American in complete shit.

Posted by BurmaShave at August 11, 2009 10:08 PM

comment #20

free games says ...

Film looks pretty compelling overall.

Posted by free games at November 1, 2009 4:31 AM

comment #21

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comment #22