Shadow Dancer (2013)

Best movie of this year hands down!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is the sort of film where "based on a true story" answers the question as to why it is such a morose and un extraordinary affair. This isn't based on a true story but the conception of it was obviously more concerned with a mood of realism than an opportunity to crank up the audiences excitement. On the topic of it being a sobering look at the precarious situation of a Republican female activist turned informer and her surreptitiously fragile relationship with a British Government agent one wonders why amidst growing suspicion no one is given the task of simply following her when she goes out in one of her bright red outfits ostensibly for an afternoon stroll but really to meet her government contact. Overall it is a coherent picture of bleak urban life in Northern Ireland, and the baleful undercurrent stirred by the protagonists exposure to internecine strife incurred by her own actions and the organisations proclivity to use violence are enough to carry the film.

I have to disagree with Ruben Mooijman, who, in his review claims that Shadow Dancer does nothing to add to (or clarify) what we already know about this time period in Ireland, particularly Belfast. I believe this film goes a long way toward further illustrating the confusion and convolution of loyalties experienced by some families living in Northern Ireland at the time. Mooijman has completely ignored an important part of the film (or maybe it just went past him) concerning the fact that the mother of the younger IRA activists featured in the story turns out to have been a long-term "tout" or spy for MI5 (the Brits) and has been since 6 years or so after her own son, Sean, was killed in the crossfire in the '70s (at the beginning of the movie). The current IRA activists to whom I refer are young Gerry - we're never really privy to what has happened to their father, also called Gerry - Connor and Colette, all of whom were there the night their wee brother was sent out for fags for older Gerry, and rushed back into the house, shot in the chest. Later in the film, at the funeral of a fellow member, we can nearly taste the pride and camaraderie shared by the activists as they stand up against the occupiers when they try to bury their fallen friend "as a soldier." I dare say I learned more about the day-to-day life of people caught up in the IRA movement in Shadow Dancer than through any other film I've seen.I was privileged to travel throughout Ireland two years ago (our daughter now has dual British- American citizenship, and resides in Wales, and she arranged and accompanied us throughout our travels). The people of Ireland are wonderful, and most welcoming to Americans, even though many of them are still suffering the after effects of the struggles there (and let's not forget that parts of Ireland are still considered "occupied"). The fact is, some citizens of Ireland continue to feel much the same way as one of the characters in the film who angrily rejected the ceasefire gestures as a sell-out, and some have not been thrilled with the final outcome of the peace agreements. As with people throughout the world, carrying on day-to-day activities while operating within the bounds of ANY government, it often boils down to finally realizing that there are precious few people in one's life (and even in one's immediate family) that a person can really trust.

This movie is based on the novel by well known journalist (in the U.K.) Tom Bradby, who also wrote the screenplay. It's a dark thriller that runs a mere 100 minutes, unusually short for the genre; but it still manages to work, without as much of the character and relationship development I would have enjoyed seeing expanded. Bradby has had all the firsthand experience and knowledge on the subject, covering the Northern Ireland goings-on in the 1990's. He skillfully wrote a screenplay that is apolitical, yet retains convincing elements necessary for the movie to be a genuine thriller. The cast was well chosen and the ensemble delivers the goods without reproach.The opening of the movie brings important context to what will follow next in the movie. It 1973 Belfast, during 'The Troubles', we see young Collette witness the tragedy of the times when her younger brother is killed, collateral damage, and how she is moved by the event. Maria Laird who plays young Collette is an actress I look forward to seeing again soon. Then we fast forward to 1993 when Collette, played by Andrea Riseborough, is now an IRA member; she is apprehended when she planted a bomb in the London Underground, but the IRA doesn't know that for sure. Enters Mac, MI 5 agent played by Clyve Owen, who turns Collette informant. Unbeknownst to Mac, Collette's MI 5 mission is to protect a mole they have in the IRA; Kate Fletcher, played by Gillian Anderson, is Mac's superior but she does not share the information about the existence of a mole, which is something he has to dig up himself, if he's to ensure the protection of Collette. The drama then unfolds. The thriller has just one real twist, but it is a startling one at the end.I have to warn audiences about the very poor audio levelling in the movie. You see, there are two very critical and short pieces of dialogue without which it will be virtually impossible to understand the movie's denouement. So if you see the movie on DVD/BlueRay or some other device that has pause and rewind features, you'll be fine; you can play back and jack up the volume for those two moments, and you'll know I'm sure when those are. I never get how sound editors can miss that sort of stuff, that which can kill the viewing enjoyment. I'm very glad I didn't see this movie at the cinema, but on my big screen at home instead.Given the running time of the movie, I was happy enough with the key actors' interpretations of their role, but can't help but think how much better I would have like it if some twenty more minutes could have been added. I hope those weren't just cut out for reasons I don't want to speculate about. Of course, you get that I recommend the movie despite that.

MI5 Agent Mac (Clive Owen) gives Collette (Andrea Riseborough) a choice: go to prison and lose her son for planting a bomb on English soil or become his informer to take down members of the IRA. She accepts to protect her son, but Mac soon discovers his superior, Kate Fletcher (Gillian Anderson), is also using Collette to protect "her" informer within the IRA. Mac needs to find the identity of that informer. I like Clive Owen movies, but this one was not ready to come to the gate. When the movie ends there are questions that should have been answered within. Didn't happen. We didn't get an inkling that there was a love relationship between Mac and Collette, yet she spontaneously kisses him at one point and nothing happens thereafter. Why did she do that? How did the IRA know that Kate's informer was the mole who they killed? We had no clue to that. Were some scenes cut that we never saw? The surprise ending regarding Mac made absolutely no sense. Again, perhaps some scenes were cut? Huh?I believe directors have a responsibility to allow the audience to hear what is being said. When English and Irish accents are involved the men have a great tendency to talk into their chests, talk so fast the road-runner couldn't keep up, whisper in conspiratorial tones that rewinding the DVD many times just exercises the wrist. This doesn't happen with the women actors. We can hear them fine. The movie centered too much on Collette and that led me to believe that Mac was second fiddle in here. He had no control over anything. And, the contentious relationship with Kate, his boss, didn't help matters. James Bond wouldn't allow things to get this out of control (you really wanted Clive Owen to be the next James Bond, didn't you?) When our hero (Mac) loses control, we don't know what to expect anymore. See?This movie should have been wrapped in suspense and tension but, they were not in evidence. The best part of the movie was the first 20-minutes. After that it all ran downhill with Collette's side of things. Yes, Andrea Riseborough, as Collette, performed well, but we went to see a Clive Owen movie. Oh, he also performed well, as usual, but his Mac lost control. I like going to Clive Owen movies. I hope the next one is better. (3/10)Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Torture: Yes. Language: Yes, mostly in the beginning.