Some Mother's Son
Based on the true story of the 1981 hunger strike in a British prison, in which IRA prisoner Bobby Sands led a protest against the treatment of IRA prisoners as criminals rather than as prisoners of war. The film focuses on the mothers of two of the strikers, and their struggle to save the lives of their sons.
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- Cast：
- Helen Mirren , Fionnula Flanagan , Aidan Gillen , David O'Hara , John Lynch , Tom Hollander , Tim Woodward
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Reviews
Touches You
Just perfect...
A Major Disappointment
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
While it is difficult to separate oneself from the politics of "the troubles" I think its important to keep in mind that this is a film, not a documentary. Its goal is to be historically authentic, not accurate. The message is one that speaks to mothers on all sides of the political divide. I think that one of the reviewers unfortunately missed the point of the movie which is featured in the title.As a film this is an incredibly moving portrait of the horror, sacrifice and absurdity of war. The cast is outstanding; Helen Mirren is simply stunning, Fionnula Flanagan gives a powerful performance, Aidan Gillen is stirring as Helen Mirren's son and Bobby Sands' cell mate and finally John Lynch portrays the role of Bobby Sands quite fairly. The writers and director Terry George and Jim Sheridan have done an outstanding job writing and filming a story that transcends conflict and speaks to humanity we all share. While it shows the injustice of the position from which many of the North Ireland Catholics faced (and therein lies its political slant) the title firmly roots this film as so much more. I highly recommend this film for its historical authenticity and the brilliant performance by Helen Mirren.
Obviously the other "reviewer" of this film and other films touching upon any subject related to England and its colonies (past and present) went in with an opinion already formed. If you check the other films this user has commented on, its all the same complaint that no one ever sticks up for the British. For those of you who are capable of making decisions without resorting to cheap emotional attacks, this is an interesting film and one you might consider. Make no mistake, there are no easy answers to these issues, but one would hope that as we are able avoid censoring other peoples' viewing habits by use of incendiary references to 9/11.This film is widely respected and still shown across the country at times on cable. Regardless of your personal political beliefs, it is a very interesting story that transcends the specific location of its events. Issues of honor, family, sacrifice, conflict and ambiguity flow through this film and the impression I got was much more about the struggle to come to terms with an extremely difficult situation as opposed to anything about the factual situation. Any reference to 9/11 and "glamorizing terrorists" when talking about this film is both ridiculous and offensive. Not to mention that it ignores the vast majority of the story and the difficulty of the situation on all sides. Whether or not you agree with the factual depiction, this is a very well acted and well put together film that chronicles some of the pain and anguish of a particularly unpleasant period of time and does so beautifully through its storytelling.
This film is a thought provoking look into the world of the Irish Hunger Strike. Based around the activities of two IRA members who get captured and jailed. They fight for PoW status and begin a hunger strike to win support. One of the strikers (Bobby Sands) is elected to the British Parliament and their hopes are raised only to be dashed by Maggie Thatcher.The dilemma's of the families of the hunger strikers are highlighted and is very moving. The acting is first rate by all and the few action sequences are top notch.If you are into political, humanitarian or real life films, this film is for you.
"Some Mother's Son" is yet another in a long list of films dealing with the strife in Ireland. This film examines the ebb and flow of policies and sentiments surrounding a hunger strike by IRS prisoners. As interesting as the divisive issue is the drama depicting how deeply into the "soldiers'" families the tragedy of the Irish conflict penetrates. An excellent shoot in full color (most of these IRA films are near monochrome) with superb performances and no agenda, "SMS" is a worthwhile watch for anyone interested in serious drama; especially Irish drama.
