Suit Hung. Tied Tongue.

It's hard to know what you're gonna get from indie cinema considering the restraints in budget and talent available. But by the looks, Dachi and co pulled together a lot of talent for this dark fable about societal rage and revenge. I remember seeing his debut short film at a festival in 2021 and being quite impressed, but this is not the type of film I thought he would go on to make. And maybe that was naive of me, considering how his debut film deconstructed the way horror movies are made, maybe it makes sense he would go on to make a fake documentary that is constantly blurring the lines between perspectives and leaving the viewer unsure of who is in control of the narrative (much like most true crimes, two sides to every story eh?)

It's slow burning at the start, one can only think of "The Manchurian Candidate"'s publicity notices of "if you arrive after 5 minutes, you won't know what this story is about". And that's a good thing, I think viewers should be engaging more with cinema regardless of the maker.

35 minutes or so is the turning point, a dark turning point as we start to realize where this tale is going. It's cleverly told with slick editing (love some of the mirroring and foreshadowing in montages) and possibly one the best musical scores I've heard in an indie feature coming from Ireland, if not further afield. The two leads are the cream that rise to the top in terms of the on-camera talent. Their home video footage feels very personal and natural while being eerily unsettling, similar to the tapes from Columbine or some other well-covered massacre. The strangest thing about this film is that it feels like something that has happened or is going to happen, and given the tense political climate of Ireland today, would you be surprised?

I think it'll lose some people, it's not a standard film nor does it want to be. It's a pseudo documentary that sometimes blurs the lines between fly on the wall and third person perspective and that is something that may be lost on the average viewer. It's slow at the start but it picks up pace and doesn't stop until about two minutes from the end. I look forward to seeing what Sau Dachi does next as I feel this is a very strong start in a director's career. I like seeing filmmakers tell stories in interesting ways, and "Suit Hung Tied Tongue" is definitely one of those stories. Bualadh bos to everyone involved.

When something is indie you really do have to cut it slack when it comes to certain aspects of filmmaking. While I wasn't crazy about a lot of the acting in this debut feature from Sau Dachi, I feel there's a very promising and ambitious director behind the camera. I have never seen an indie film tackle such a huge issue ( a national crime that sparks outrage) and do it in a way that at times feels leagues above what an indie film should be capable of. I feel this film has been getting a lot of unfair treatment in the ratings section so I'm here to set the record straight as an aged cineaste who has seen A LOT of stuff....so here we go. Watch it, it's good, at times epic, at times slow, at times the acting is questionable but it's believable and captures a real disdain for authority and government that I think is becoming very tangible in Europe. Well done everyone involved. I would love to see what this crew could do with an actual budget.

The film plays out in a way that very closely mimics found footage journalism of the modern day with an amazing sense of realism and authentic portrayals of each character.

The amazing cast brings something unique to each role in which the movie could have focused on any of them as a protagonist. However the title character of Sean and Freddie played by Paul St Leger and Alex Eydt shows an amazingly sincere representation of a brotherly bond despite horrific circumstances.

Alex Eydt brings a wealth of talent with his convincing portrayal of a loyal younger brother wrapped up in a conspiracy, as well as his amazing performances of both the song and the poem he composed.

Paul St Leger tops the bill for a reason with an amazing portrayal of a caring brother, a loving boyfriend, an angry son and a calculating charismatic revolutionary. Paul truly steals the show while supporting his fellow cast members with genuine reactions and delivery of great dialogue by Sau Dachi. Paul frames the story of a multifaceted characters evolution into a ruthless radicalist walking a narrow line between fiction and reality

William Morgan as minister Paul Keogh is a perfect casting as while watching I had to check I was not watch a real political performance, scene for scene William shows a exemplary performance embodying the character of Paul Keogh to perfection.

I really appreciate filmmakers like this who are still out there trying to tell stories. I read this film was made with a budget of 10 thousand euro which is impressive considering the story that is told here. I don't want to spoil it but it was slow in the first 20 mins but by about the 35 min mark I was hooked by it till the end. The story just keeps escalating and makes a great point about who is making decisions for you and the effects it has on society as a whole. If you're looking for a giant epic scale in a CGI world...this is not that. If you're interested in a concisely told story that raises some valid questions, you're gonna have a good time 👍 very clever film.

Fantasic watch.

The pacing of the movie builds tension from start to finish, underpinned by a tense and dramatic score. The choice of cameras, as well as the parallels drawn with real events, lend to the feeling that you are watching a true crime documentary.

Some incredible performances throughout, not least by the two leads, Paul St. Leger and Alex Eydt. Their natural chemistry add to the believability of the story and leave you with conflicting emotions as you watch the story unfold.

This will no doubt be a polarizing movie. Whether you agree with the actions of the brothers, or not, this movie will leave you with a knot in your stomach long after the movie ends.