TIFF 2008: Fifty Dead Men Walking Review

Clinically examining the interoperability of an organization ,warts and all, Fifty Dead Men Walking struggles mainly in stepping outside of its unsavory revelations to acknowledge how it affects those around it aside from some relatively obvious exposition that lacks any real insight. This isn’t to diminish the effectiveness of the dissection, as it is frequently engaging, well paced and presented with appropriate foreboding and tension, however, a lack of audience empathy and interest in the players leaves potential connectivity at the door, making the entire exercise distancing and forgettable.

Furthermore, once the ire of a scene is established and pressure is effectively built, there is rarely an understanding of how to deliver a payoff. The camera never seems to know where to go during these moments, instead shaking around and inadvertently avoiding the crisp centre and visually dramatic fulcrum desperately needed to make any individual moment memorable or arresting.

True Story of IRA spy Martin McGartland

Based on Martin McGartland’s (Jim Sturgess) real life story, Fifty Dead Men Walking follows him from a cocky young man, selling stolen goods, to his involvement with both the IRA and the British Police. It is Martin’s fearless resistance of leadership that causes British Special Branch operative Fergus (Ben Kingsley) to target him as a spy for their cause.

Once targeted, Martin finds himself working his way up the ranks of the IRA volunteer organization with his best friend and hardcore IRA-supporter Sean (Kevin Zegers), eventually winding up near the top with the elusive Rosena Brown (Rose McGowan) and other IRA leaders.

Meanwhile, he struggles to maintain his business relationship with his personal ones, which include his wife (Natalie Press) and their growing family.

A hollow core in need of filling

While there is an interesting parallel drawn between Martin’s persistent concern with the lives of the innocent and Fergus’ lack of interest in casualties (which comes in to play in the final act), it is mostly expositional and dealt with in a manner that leaves the emotional core out of the hands of the capable actors.

This is just one of the many missed opportunities to make a technically interesting film into something emotionally profound and affecting. For all of the successes of Fifty Dead Men Walking there are equal amounts of failures, which depending on perspective may overwhelm the cinematic experience or not influence it at all. This is a case of fact versus feeling.

Some othere films reviewed at the 2008 Toronto International Film festival were Skin and Afterwards,

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds