The Troubles: A Dublin Story

An interesting and surprisingly enjoyable take on the troubles. For those (like me) who don't know much about that era and are curious about how complex it was, this film really adds to it.

It basically and quite competently focuses, not on Northern Ireland but a small terrorist cell in the south, in Dublin and delves into the extraordinary and ordinary of their lives.

Low budget limits its scope but it certainly makes up for it in story, characters and actor performances.

If into well acted and directed indie films with a real grit and rawness, I would thoroughly recommend. Even found myself googling The Troubles afterwards to help illuminate the bigger world in which the film exist.

I have some knowledge of affairs up North. The Troubles never was a Dublin story. The film seems set in the mid 1980s or 1990s. They have the Northern vibe right, and very realistic. The 'southern' or 'Dublin' vibe is all wrong. The lop-sided educational system was being levelled out, and young guys were more interested in Drinking pints and chasing girls than in fighting someone else's battles up North. There had been Dublin folk who joined the IRA, but that was strictly in the 1970s. It may have happened later once or twice, but it was not typical. Unlikely to have a firing range in the South, either. I knew of an IRA girl who went from my job to an IRA training camp on Valentia Island. (Very South West).

In their own areas, terrorists ran protection rackets, sold drugs.

1980s working class Dublin, 2 ordinary brothers, 18 years old and probably never left the city decide to join the IRA... to fight and kill British military, and civilians if necessary, again British people they've probably never even met in their closed off world.

This film is not an investigation into the Troubles, the rights and wrongs, the villains and heroes. It and its characters are indifferent, even ignorant to the war going on just up the road.

This film is a case study in why? Why do young underprivileged men, not just in Ireland do this. What drives them? Who are they? What do they believe, if anything?

And this is what this movie does very well. The script and direction are well considered, the cast are excellent, the production design instead of trying stretch itself badly(which many low budget films are guilty of)it cleverly leans into its micro budget by creating a deliberate nearly claustrophobic and solid low budget world. The gritty cinematography compliments this really well.

A hybrid crime/family drama, It's a good story and good watch. 8/10.

Another decent low budget grity film about the troubles in Ireland. I felt it could have gone on a little longer but it was worth the watch. Shows how the IRA changed over the years for a fight for an all Ireland and how some of the IRA became gangsters who were only interested in making money with menaces.

I'm a bit geeky and notice the various props that are not from the actual period, but other than that I still would recommend this. Plenty like it but still worth a watch.

I enjoyed the sound track as well have it an authentic feel to the time as well. Did feel it could have carried on a little bit longer.