'71

Brilliant. Super-intense, smart and compelling from beginning to end.

I don't think everybody will like it, but this film literally hold my breath most of the time. I just couldn't think of anything else after that.

A great movie. Did not know what to expect. Made me realise, once again, that divisions are not what we should strive for. I'd like to avoid a reference here, but Brexit might lead to divisions again, and all this crap happening all over again. Humanity never learns, unbelievable.

The Troubles were a truly fucked up conflict.

The British education on The Troubles is weak, and people are generally unaware of the events that lead to the escalating violence that defined Belfast's recent history. With this context, the film does a good job of humanising and villianising all sides with a level of fairness that is not often seen in British made media about The Troubles.

Soldiers are shown as both young men (often from a tough situation) with very little in the way of stakes in the fight and as the armed support for a ruthless and dehumanising state. Senior officers range from those who want to minimise the use of riot gear (because they're not their to start a riot) to those who are happy to kill their own to escalate the situation. Catholics range from the innocent, the angry, the rage-filled, the tired, and the violent. And it has a shown a decent understanding of what was happening with the IRA at this time in history, and how someone can end up involved in the IRA due to the circumstances of their lives.

All of this is weaved around what is effectively a cat and mouse chase across Belfast after dark when being in the wrong part of town is a death sentence for a British soldier.

I Hold my breath all the time, you stay focused from beginning to end. I really like British movie :)

Good performance from Jack O’connell. Other than the unlogic bullets in a pistol, this was a cracking film beginning to end with a sound cast and at times keeps you on the edge.

Black Hawk Down: Belfast
(onemoreword)

I think the fact that the filmmakers tried to make this movie as realistic looking as possible will put a lot of people of. It´s not an easy watch. I don´t know much about the conflict, I was too young, and in that regard the movie doesn´t helped me understand much. If anything at the end I´m not sure who were the bad guys - but maybe that was the intention.

6,5/10

Gritty UK Release. 2 Great scenes. The irish setting is interesting and the performances are solid. Like Starred Up it is a good film, nothing extraordinary

A tense film that works both as a stripped-down action thriller, but also an insight into a very tough and difficult time in British and Irish history. The film focuses on the viewpoint of a young soldier sent to Belfast for the first time and whilst the audience is primed to root for the soldier throughout the film, importantly the film shows the brutality of both sides. The initial confrontation between the soldiers and residents of the community builds tension brilliantly as matters escalate out of control, and the handheld camerawork lends an authenticity and gritty realism to the film without every becoming incoherent. From there the film essentially becomes a sustained chase/hunt as the protagonist battles to stay alive, but each encounter shows the reality of life in a community ripped apart by years of violence, fear and hatred. Well worth a look.