Trojan Eddie ** (1996, Stephen Rea, Richard Harris, Stuart Townsend, Aislín McGuckin) – Classic Movie Review 2147

Dour and tedious slice of life set in an Irish small-town, where an ex-con called Trojan Eddie (Stephen Rea) lands himself in trouble when he sets up on his own and clashes with a Mr Big named John Power (Richard Harris), who commands his help in marrying much younger Kathleen (Aislín McGuckin).

Depressing, violent and downbeat, this 1996 thriller lacks all the fire, danger, style and invention of the Nineties post-Tarantino new wave thriller. Billy Roche‘s thin script is directed in desultory and unimaginative fashion by Gillies MacKinnon, maker of A Simple Twist of Fate and Small Faces.

The details seem real enough, and the acting is suitably hangdog, but where’s the fun in going out to a movie like this? The material is far better suited to TV, where it can maybe play more involvingly.

Also in the cast are Stuart Townsend as Dermot, Brendan Gleeson, Sean McGinley, Sean Lawlor Pat Laffan and Angeline Ball.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2147

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