The Last Rifleman: Ritorno in Normandia

Yes, this is a bit slow , it takes its time - but, stick it out, there is a sweet and gentle ending for a change. As the protagonist, Pierce Brosnan, is 92, you can hardly expect big bangs and lots of CGI fight scenes.

My Dad was in the South African Irish infantry, so this particular story resonates with me, although he wasn't at Normandy. He regularly attended M. O. T. H meetings and tried to keep in touch with his army compatriots as much as he could. They must surely also all be gone by now.

However, I don't think Pierce Brosnan was all that convincing as a 92 year old, that is just my opinion, but I still enjoyed his performance and the movie overall.

Based on the true story of Bernard Jordan, a British man who escaped his nursing home in the south of England and somehow got from Calais to Normandy to commemorate D-Day.

This wonderful film switches our hero to be from Northern Ireland. This was a brave and commendable choice. For this alone it should be watched as it shines a light on the brave sacrifice of so many loyal Irishman in WW2.

What made it a 10/10 for me were two things. First it was absolutely authentic. The black soldier wasn't "bigged up" but neither did he need to be. This was a superb scene. John Amos was excellent in his role here.

The second was that Terry Loane, as Director, and Kevin Fitzpatrick's writing ensure that tough issues are not ignored. Pierce's Brosnans anger with the SS soldier seems entirely genuine and Kevin does not shirk the difficulty of crafting the scene. Jurgen Prochnow isn't so strong here.

But a special shout out must be made for Clemence Poesy who steals every frame she is in. You will remember her from Harry Potter but here she is older and showing off her acting range.

Of course Pierce is amazing. It breaks my heart that this film was not promoted or marketed. It deserves so much better.

Set in modern day with flash backs to the second world world. Mostly English spoken with French, subtitles in English, presents the story of a 92 and a quarter year old Artie looking to attend the celebration of D-day in France.

Our hero, played by Pierce Brosnan, escapes a regiment of pills in a care facility to mission from Dublin to Normandy.

He has to overcome failing health, bureaucracy, and his prejudice to accomplish his mission. The whispers of the horrors of loss in a war taint his memory, however, his determination to represent his regiment stand firm.

At the time of writing this the world is plunged into skirmishes in both Ukraine and Israel; but this is a reminder of a war with a clear clash of ideology and not the rhetoric of today.

Highly recommend.

You know, I can't stand movie critics. They like to diminish wonderful films with their haughty attitudes. This was a charming movie. Touching. Lovely. One of Brosnan's finest, in my opinion. I will be recommending it to my friends. A touching twist at the end. And thankfully, an appropriate ending for closure.

I enjoyed the supporting characters. They highlighted Arty's natural charm on people throughout his journey and how one could not love the man. No over acting. All nicely done and genuine. Each was touched by his resolve and gentleness.

Brosnan artfully played a "92 and three quarters" year old man. The way he cared and doted over his aged wife and mourned her death, his mannerisms, his speech, his body movements. Everything was genuine. The makeup artists were masterful in creating a character 20 years older than his actual age.

I only would give 10 stars to a movie that I would see again, wouldn't mind owning, and would recommend to my friends to see. This earns it.

Pierce Brosnan has been an actor who gets roles based on his appearance, and perhaps he has suffered for that as an actor; other than for James Bond, he always seems to be not quite an A-list actor but perhaps an "A minus"-list actor, so maybe that is why he took this role in a low-budget film.

I understand that the story is "loosely" based on Bernard Jordan, and that Bernard didn't really even "escape" but had already discussed plans to go with his nursing home's approval, so that lessens the appeal of anything based on him. Also, any plans to release this movie to theaters seem to have been scuttled due to another movie based on the same person--The Great Escapist with Michael Caine--getting to theaters first and thus relegating this to streaming.

Thus, few will see Brosnan's performance, which I thought was extremely well-portrayed and deeply moving. There is one flashback of him at his current age, and I'm amazed that a 70-year-old can still be that suave. But as a 93-year-old, the makeup is spot on and his acting matches perfectly. Frankly, I hope that others in the industry see this and offer him the roles that have heretofore eluded him.