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Variety.com - Packing a high-caliber performance by Jim Sturgess and enough thrills to start a theme park, “Fifty Dead Men Walking” is a classic about the Irish “troubles.” Despite the unavoidably convoluted facts of the real-life story, pic boasts plausibly written, solidly acted characters and a conflict that pushes the viewer’s righteous-indignation buttons, and as such could become a crossover hit.
It’s 1988 Belfast, and the Brits are occupying the Irish streets; the IRA is waging an insurgent war; the innocent are caught in the murderous middle. Any parallels to current-day Iraq are probably intentional, but there’s enough historical distance between the conflicts to make “Fifty Dead Men” more about action than political metaphor.
And Sturgess — as Martin McGartland, the Irish informant for the British whose work reputedly saved at least 50 men from IRA execution — is a wonder. McGartland was a petty hustler and incipient criminal, selling stolen clothes and closing pubs when the British came to town. As such, he makes an ideal, formless informant for Fergus (Ben Kingsley), the intelligence agent tracking Republican activities in Belfast, who knows exactly how to wheedle his way into Martin’s heart.
When Martin’s pal Frankie (Conor MacNeill) is kneecapped by hooded IRA men, Martin is outraged enough that he uses his natural instincts as a con man to get inside the IRA… [Full Story]
