Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)

• Year: 2009
• Released: 27 Feb 2009
• Country: United Kingdom, Ireland
• Adwords: Won 1 BAFTA Award9 wins & 12 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1238291/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Five_Minutes_of_Heaven
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/five-minutes-of-heaven
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Drama, Thriller
• Runtime: 89 min
• Writer: Guy Hibbert
• Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
• Cast: Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Anamaria Marinca
• Keywords: revenge,

	6.6/10
	62/100

Five Minutes of Heaven Storyline

In February, 1975, in Northern Ireland, seventeen year-old UVF member Alistair Little kills the catholic Jimmy Griffin in his house in Lurgan in front of his younger brother Joe Griffin. Alistair is arrested and imprisoned for twelve years while Joe is blamed by his mother for not saving his brother. Thirty-three years later, a TV promotes the meeting of Alistair and Joe in a house in River Finn, expecting the truth and the reconciliation of the murderer and the victim who actually seeks five minutes of heaven.

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Five Minutes of Heaven Movie Reviews

Leaving your troubles

Five minutes of Heaven is a rare foray into British television for Irish actor, Liam Neeson.

The first part of the film shows the killing of 19 year old Jim Griffin by a 17 year old Alistair Little in 1975.

The second part of the film depicts a reconciliation meeting for television between Alistair Little and Jim’s brother Joe, three decades later.

Although the incident of the killing is apparently based on true events the rest of the story is fictional.

It is the one of many stories we will encounter in the years to come, now the Troubles are over and people look back on the past with different perspectives.

The story is essentially about two damaged men who are still damaged over 30 years later. One wanting forgiveness, the other unwilling to forgive.

James Nesbitt has the more showy role as Joe, with nervous tics, talkative with pent up frustration as he is about to meet the killer of his brother. He has revenge on his mind.

Neeson who ironically found a new wind with cinema audiences in the Taken films, is more calm, measured and assured as Alistair. He bitterly regrets the mistakes he made. All he craved when he was a youth, was acceptance from the elders of his community.

The final scene when he does get closure is priceless.

This is a small scale film which has something big to say. With Neeson, it attracts an audience and he delivers.

It is not a crash, bang, wallop type of film though. It is thoughtful and a slow burn one. Both Nesbitt and Neeson carry the story.

Revenge and Redemption

In February, 1975, in Northern Ireland, the seventeen year-old UVF member Alistair Little kills the catholic Jimmy Griffin in his house in Lurgan in front of his younger brother Joe Griffin. Alistair is arrested and imprisoned for twelve years while Joe is blamed by his mother for not saving his brother. Thirty-three years later, a TV promotes the meeting of Alistair (Liam Neeson) and Joe (James Nesbitt) in a house in River Finn expecting the truth and the reconciliation of the murderer and the victim that actually seeks five minutes of heaven.

“Five Minutes of Heaven” is a fictional tale about the effects of violence in the lives of the survivors, the victim that seeks revenge and the killer that seeks redemption and spiritual peace after thirty- three years. The pacifist story uses a terrorist act of a young man blinded by the environment of violence in Northern Ireland to disclose the powerful drama, but could be any other sort of violence or fanaticism that are frequently displayed in the headlines of the news and is not specifically about terrorism as mentioned in some reviews. James Nesbitt has an awesome performance in the role of a man that has his family destroyed due to a senseless crime only because his brother was Catholic. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): “Rastros de Justiça” (“Trails of Justice”)

The script has serious flaws

I have to point out – this character’s actions did not make sense – and the script feels like a first draft.

For example – this man agrees to meet the politician who killed his brother thirty years ago – and a film company wants to film their meeting? Why? Why would any of these people agree to do this?

Plus – he goes to kill the politician? Kill him? Why? To go to prison? He has two daughters. Is he truly so hurt – that he would throw away his entire family? If that is so – than how can we as the audience care about him – because his actions are so selfish and destructive?

A stronger choice would have been to motivate these characters to meet in a way that they were forced – not given a choice. The entire way the story is structured – it just opens the door for long winded monologues and narration and unmotivated exposition that bogs down any sense of believability. Honestly – it is just bad screen writing. The dialogue is good – I guess – but the story structure is weak.

Then there is a young girl who talks to the bereaved brother during the interview – and she remains deadly silent about his intentions to kill the politician (unprofessional and unrealistic) and then she later tells the man how much the politician he wants to kill is sorry for what he did – but why did she not say this in the first place? Her entire character existed only to get information out to the audience – and that could have been handled a lot more professional.

It all ends with a fist fight between the two – and Liam gets to jump into action star phase. Very silly and forced. Also – this film has a lot of long monologues and narration that slow down the pace and – if acted well (the film is well acted) it can work – but it is not the strongest choice for a script.

I just feel the movie feels like a draft that should have been revised. Make the man who is in pain really be sympathetic – and not someone who abused the women in his life and came up with a ridiculous plot to murder someone. Make the politician and he be forced to meet by circumstances that is outside of their control. Motivate the exposition dialogue instead of just put characters into place and have them talk – for no good reason. And if a character learns some information – like there is a murder that is being plotted – for goodness sake – have them tell someone and not keep quiet.