Oliver Hirschbiegel, who made the multi-award winning, Downfall (about the last days of Hitler), provides a intriguing window into the psyche or two real-life survivors of the Northern Ireland “Troubles”, a period in recent Irish history which pitted Catholic against Protestant in a 25-year war of attrition.
Part psychological drama, part thriller, FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN features Liam Neeson as Mark Davison, a repentant Protestant Militant who murdered an innocent young Catholic man in front of the victim’s 11-year old brother, Joe Griffin. Thirty years later, Griffin is an angry stricken man resentful at the success of Davison who has morphed into an internationally renowned expert on conflict resolution.
A television program has arranged for the two men to meet at last in the hope of fostering some kind of reconciliation. With Davison’s statement that he still feels compelled to kill Griffin on sight, a revenge he imagines would provide "five minutes of heaven," the stage is set for an intriguing, dramatic confrontation. Powerhouse performances by Liam Neeson and James Nesbit and a story based on real characters make this one of the most compelling films ever made about the troubles in Northern Ireland.
Awards:
Best Director and Best Script, World Cinema, Sundance Film Festival.
