Desmond McAleer Movies
Director Barry Levinson attempts to repeat the success of several recent, low-budget British imports such as The Full Monty (1997), Waking Ned Devine (1998), and Saving Grace (2000) with this comedy about a pair of prison barbers trying to make a success of a hairpiece business in Northern Ireland. Colm (Barry McEvoy), a Catholic, and George (Brian F. O'Byrne), a Protestant, are friends who toil away in a lackluster job cutting the hair of convicts in a prison for the insane where Colm's girlfriend Bronagh (Anna Friel) also works. When the two lads hear of a prisoner nicknamed The Scalper (Billy Connolly), they learn that he was the only seller of hairpieces in the country, and decide to begin crafting their own toupees for sale as a way to start their own business. As they ply their wares through the war-torn country, the friends are not above using their respective religions to make sales, but competition soon arrives in the form of Toupee or Not Toupee, a rival company, and a race to be the first outfit to sell 30 units quickly ensues. Politics, business, and religious beliefs soon intersect to cause big trouble for both men. Actor McEvoy also wrote the script for An Everlasting Piece, loosely basing his character on his real-life father. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry McEvoy, Brian F. O'Byrne, (more)
In this crime drama adapted from a true story, Sinead Hamilton (Joan Allen) is a public relations agent turned journalist who is appalled at the corruption and drug trafficking in her native Dublin; determined to do something about it and make the city a safer place in which to bring up her son, Hamilton begins a series of investigative pieces exposing the major players in the city's dope trade, as well as possible links between drug dealing and the Irish Republican Army. Hamilton's stories win wide acclaim and lead to a public outcry to see that justice is served; they also make Hamilton a number of very dangerous enemies among the underworld, as well as the more corrupt segments of the law enforcement community. When the Sky Falls is based on the true-life story of Irish investigative reporter Veronica Guerin; Guerin worked on the early drafts of the script before she was murdered by members of the drug cartel she helped to expose, leading the producers to change the names of the characters and alter the story's outcome. The supporting cast includes Patrick Bergin as a police investigator, Pete Postlethwaite as a criminal insider who gives information to Hamilton, and Liam Cunningham as another notorious crime boss. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Allen, Patrick Bergin, (more)
Created by Russell Lewis, the four-episode British miniseries Monsignor Renard was set in the French town of St-Josse-des-Bois during the Nazi occupation of the 1940s. The title character, played by John Thaw of Inspector Morse fame, initially tried to keep himself above politics. Ultimately, however, Monsignor Renard became intimately involved with the French Resistance movement, rallying his fellow townsmen against their Nazi "hosts." Monsignor Renard was presented by Carlton Television from March 27 to April 17, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Thaw, Cheryl Campbell, (more)
- 1998
Based on the best-selling memoirs of the late Dame Mary Durack, this big-budget Australian historical drama miniseries traces three generations of the Duracks. After several family deaths, the Duracks flee Irish famines of the 1840s for a better life Down Under, where they make a fortune with Queensland cattle -- only to lose it all in a property crash near the turn of the century, prompting patriarch Patsy Durack (Stephen Dillane, of Welcome to Sarajevo) to reflect, "If it's kings we are, it's kings in grass castles that may be blown away in the wind." Compressing 75 years into four hours, the Durack saga is set against the wider tapestry of pioneering Australian history during the 19th Century. Premiered March 29, and April 5, 1998 on Seven Network Australia. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Dillane, Essie Davis, (more)
- 1997
Mary McGuckian wrote and directed this "Romeo and Juliet"-style story set in Northern Ireland after the 1994 cease fire. Young Hazel Stokes (Samantha Morton) is very much a part of her family's austere, rural Protestant way of life, and her family, despite the cease-fire, feels betrayed by the British. Her neighbor, Old Man Jacobs (Richard Harris) befriends Hazel and convinces her parents to let her go out more often. When Hazel and Jacobs attend a Belfast agricultural show, she meets young Catholic Malachy McAliskey (Ross McDade), and a doomed affair develops during clandestine meetings. Malachy's older brother Padhar (John Lynch) approves of the romance, but his unit leader in the militant underground, Rohan (Gabriel Byrne) is concerned over Malachy's lack of "allegiance to the cause." At the same time, Hazel's brother Jef (Marc O'Shea) spies on Hazel and informs her mother (Dearbhla Molloy). Eventually, the innocent couple is surrounded by violence. Music by the Waterboys, Mike Scott, and Brian Kennedy. Shown at the 1997 London Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samantha Morton, Ross McDade, (more)
- 1996
The religious differences that have for many years torn Northern Ireland asunder were played for laughs on the British sitcom Safe and Sound. Much of the action took place in a Belfast garage, co-owned by longtime buddies Tommy Delaney (Des McAleer) and Dougy Flynn (Sean McGinley). Despite the fact that Tommy was Catholic and Dougy was Protestant, the two men remained close chums, if a bit combative at times. Further cementing the bond between the two protagonists was Dougy's fondness for Tommy's sister, Eleanor (Michelle Fairley), a will-of-the-wisp who preferred partying to marriage. Also in the cast was Gabrielle Reidy as Tommy's ex-wife, Maggie. A Witzend production, Safe and Sound was carried by BBC1 for six half-hour episodes, seen between August 9 and September 13, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Desmond McAleer, Sean McGinley, (more)
This unsettling variation on Thelma and Louise (1991) is an unusual and often macabre love story/black comedy about two peculiar women, played by Amanda Plummer and Saskia Reeves, who roam through Northern England on a killing spree. Plummer is Eunice, a tattooed, schizophrenic free spirit who is wandering in search of her recently departed lover, Judith. She leaves one gas station attendant dead when the person admits to not being Judith. But when she meets Miriam (Reeves), another gas station attendant who longs for love and attention, Eunice doesn't ask the fatal question. Strangely captivated by the eccentric woman, Miriam spends the night with Eunice and falls under her peculiar charm, Calling each other "Eu" and "Mi," they hit the road, where they murder anyone who gets in their way. Both women sense that their actions will ultimately bring about a tragic end, but their dedication to their cause (rebelling against men who trivialize and demean women everywhere) and their love for one another gives them the strength to carry on. Though Plummer's Eunice seems to have the upper hand through most of the film, it is the sacrifice that "Mi" makes for "Eu" that catches and holds the viewer at the conclusion of this bizarre little tale. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Plummer, Saskia Reeves, (more)
- 1994
This British drama, condensed from a four hour televised mini-series, explores the darker side of a working-class family. The Spencers are a classically dysfunctional family. The patriarch, Charlo is a loutish, domineering brute who physically and emotionally batters his wife Paula and their children, John Paul and Nicola, a teenage factory worker. He makes his living as a small-time thief. Like many abusers, Charlo is perfectly charming to others not in his family; he has frequent affairs. John Paul looks as if he will grow up in his daddy's image. Nicola, nearing sexual maturity, is frequently eyed by him. At first, Paula puts up with her husband, believing things may eventually improve, but in time she fights back and eventually gives him the boot. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean McGinley, Ger Ryan, (more)
This political thriller is set against the backdrop of Northern Ireland's "Troubles" and directed in the documentary fashion common to British filmmaker Ken Loach's films. Paul Sullivan (Brad Dourif) and Ingrid Jessner (Frances McDormand) are American attorneys serving on a human rights group working to monitor cases of prisoner mistreatment in war-torn Belfast. When Paul learns of some information that may be injurious to the Thatcher government, he is killed, and a top-secret tape disappears. Assigned to the case, Inspector Kerrigan (Brian Cox) is joined by Ingrid in probing Paul's death, which seems to be related to rumors of a high-ranking cabal within the British government working to undermine the Irish Republican Army and liberal policies toward Irish separatists through violent and illegal means. Ingrid meets with Harris (Maurice Roeves), a former British Secret Service agent who's now turned on his former cronies. Together, they look for the top-secret tape. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances McDormand, Brian Cox, (more)
- 1984
This long, slow-paced but interesting historical docudrama, based on personal diaries, focuses on the role of Anne Devlin in a failed Dublin uprising in the 19th century. Anne was the daughter of a farmer in County Wicklow and when the Irish patriot Robert Emmet went into hiding in a nearby farmhouse to plan his uprising against British rule, Anne agreed to help out at the house. Emmet's rebellion was eventually thwarted by the British, and in 1803 he was captured and executed. The British also arrest Anne Devlin for consorting with the rebel leader, but Anne quietly refuses to acknowledge her involvement, or to provide the British with any information on the subject. As a study in the neglected role of women in history, this docudrama does highlight the courage and bravery of Anne, in contrast to the behavior of many of the others around her. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brid Brennan, Bosco Hogan, (more)
The setting of Mike Leigh's Four Days in July is Belfast in the mid-'80s, just before the annual July 12th march of The Orangemen to celebrate the 17th century victory of the Protestant William of Orange over the Catholic King John II. Two couples prepare to have their first child. Collette (Brid Brennan) and Eugene (Desmond McAleer) are Catholic, while Lorraine (Paula Hamilton) and Billy (Charles Lawson) are Protestant. Eugene is injured and awaiting a disability check, so he has time to dote on his pregnant wife. Billy is in the military, and when he's not manning checkpoints, he hangs out with his fellow soldiers, Big Billy (Brian Hogg) and Little Billy (Adrian Gordon). On the 11th, as the celebrations and bonfires are being prepared, Brendan (Shane Connaughton, who later co-wrote the script for My Left Foot) comes by to fix Collette and Eugene's toilet. Then an old friend of Brendan's, Dixie (Stephen Rea), comes by to clean the building's windows. The four of them sit around for a while and chat. The upcoming marches are a sore spot that is briefly alluded to, and Eugene reveals that his injuries were suffered at the hands of the British military. Lorraine goes with Billy to a bonfire, where there's drinking, singing, and high spirits. The next morning, both women go into labor and are brought to the same hospital. In the waiting room, Eugene strikes up a conversation with Billy. Four Days in July was the last film Leigh made for the BBC and one of the first films scored by composer Rachel Portman. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brid Brennan, Desmond McAleer, (more)
