Alan Devine Movies
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joel Schumacher take on the real-life story of an assassinated Irish journalist in the dramatic thriller Veronica Guerin. Cate Blanchett appears as the title character, a relentless crime reporter for The Sunday Independent during the early '90s. Guerin's violent murder in 1996 led to a revision of Ireland's laws and the creation of the Criminal Assets Bureau. The movie picks up with her pursuit of the underground drug trade in Dublin, which she suspects is led by mobster Martin "The General" Cahill (Gerry O'Brien). When Cahill's gang is attacked, she suspects mobster Gerry "The Monk" Hutch (Alan Devine) is responsible. Not deterred by threats or gunshot wounds, she uses thug John Traynor (Ciarán Hinds) as an informer to help out her investigation of psychotic mobster John Gilligan (Gerard McSorley). Schumacher's protégé Colin Farell appears in a small role. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorley, (more)
A drug peddler discovers the bigger he tries to get, the further he has to fall in this independent drama from Ireland. Jack Flinter (David Murray) is a small-time drug dealer known to his friends as "Flick"; he wants to move on to bigger things, and with the help of his friend Des (David Wilmot), Jack smuggles ten kilos of hashish from Morocco into Dublin. While Jack and Des are excited about their big score, they also know they don't have the means to move that much hash by themselves, and are looking for an associate to help them unload the dope. Des suggests that they join forces with Gerry (Aaron Harris) and Pop (Alan Devlin), two major-league dealers in Dublin, but Jack is afraid their involvement will attract the attention of the police and cause more problems. Jack also finds he's on the outs with his girlfriend Alice (Catherine Punch), who is tired of dealing with his life on the wrong side of the law; Jack meets and begins courting Isabelle (Isabelle Menke), a girl he meets at a dance club, but as his big drug deal starts to go sour, Jack finds his life in danger and circumstances spiraling out of control. Flick had its North American premiere at the 2000 American Film Institute Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Murray, David Wilmot, (more)
- 1997
A tale of lost-love, idealism and steadfast commitment that alternates between comedy and drama. Passionate and tragic Angela Mooney (Mia Farrow) is a woman prepared to die for her ideals and attempts suicide rather frequently, something that never fails to draw a crowd. Outwardly, her reason for killing herself centers on the local creamery, a business run by her husband, who has spent his life building it up, that is about to be taken over by the America-based Little Rooster Corporation. Angela is afraid that the American company will destroy the quaint character of the town. Unfortunately, Angela is alone in her struggle as everyone else supports the buy-out. Angela's real reasons for fighting are revealed via flashback and have to do with the handsome young Scottish soldier to whom she gave her virginity when she was an impressionable young girl. He was an idealist and transferred his sense of justice to her. Later he was run out of town and so moved to America where he became a wealthy tycoon. Years pass and now the soldier/business magnate prepares to return to the village, something that has caused a flurry of activity amongst the townsfolk. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mia Farrow, Brendan Gleeson, (more)
- 1995
- R
A small man with a big story examines the facts of his life in this drama. As Frank Bois enjoys the success of his first novel, he finds himself looking back on his highly unusual life. Frank's mother Bernadette (Anne Parillaud) was a French woman who, after the death of her parents and several close friends in World War II, smuggled herself aboard an Allied troop ship sailing to Ireland, exchanging sexual favors for silence among the soldiers who discovered her on board. A kind-hearted customs agent, Jack Kelly (Gabriel Byrne), allowed Bernadette to enter Ireland, and they soon became lovers, even though she was already carrying the child of one of the soldiers from the ship. Bernadette soon gave birth to young Frankie (Alan Pentony), who suffered from dwarfism. As he grew older, Frankie fell for Jack's daughter Emma (Georgina Cates), who clearly didn't care for him, while Jack generously shared his knowledge of astronomy with Frankie. Eventually, Bernadette encountered Terry Klout (Matt Dillon), an American soldier from the troop ship, who offered to marry her. Bernadette and Frankie accompanied Terry to his home in Texas, but both mother and son felt like fish out of water in the American West, and they returned to the Irish home they came to love. A sadder but wiser Bernadette eventually committed suicide, and Frank began to draw upon his life experiences as he put pen to paper for his first book. Based on the novel The Dork of Cork by Chet Raymo, Frankie Starlight was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anne Parillaud, Matt Dillon, (more)
