Close Enemies is an American film starring Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford in a relentless face-off… In it, he tells the story of 2 men, one a policeman of Irish origin in the USA, the other an IRA activist, who came to the USA to stock up on weapons to help fight the conflict in Northern Ireland… An exceptional pairing for an exceptional encounter!
Rory Devaney (played by Brad Pitt) is a Northern Irishman and active member of the Provisional IRA. Although highly wanted by the police, and accused of terrorism in Northern Ireland, he was asked to travel to the United States to negotiate the price of arms shipments destined to fuel the armed struggle in Belfast.
Not knowing anyone locally, he approached the Irish diaspora, who, in a show of solidarity, managed to find him a roof over his head. He stays with Tom O’Meara (Harrison Ford) and his family, a forty-something policeman who doesn’t suspect the young man’s activities.
Rory Devaney’s cohabitation with Tom O’Meara soon gives rise to a strong friendship between the 2 men… Between family evenings and repeated pool games, the 2 men form an unsuspected friendship… Until the day Rory’s secret activities threaten the safety of the O’Meara family. Tom soon discovers Rory’s terrorist activities…
A worthy policeman, he decides to arrest him despite his friendship for the young man… but without suspecting that Rory won’t let himself be caught so easily…
Ennemis Rapproché is a suspenseful film, mixing drama, sentiment and politics: a rather explosive cocktail, which sets the pace for this well-crafted story from the outset…
Alan J. Pakula deserves little credit: Ennemis Rapproché is a remake of L’Épopée dans l’ombre (Shake Hands with the Devil), a 1959 film directed by Michael Anderson, featuring the confrontation between 2 men whom everything brings together and everything separates.
It’s a theme we’ve seen over and over again, but one that still holds a certain interest for those who enjoy the spectacle of souls torn apart by opposing values.
Thanks to a prestigious cast (Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford) and a 100% Trady and Irish soundtrack, composed by the great James Horner, the film overcomes all the potential pitfalls and gives us a good time.
As a result, we quickly fall in love with these 2 men, who are at once similar and in every way different, capable of sharing their best and worst moments together.
Their respect and trust for each other seems unfailing.
But very soon, the duo between the 2 men begins to falter: Tom, a heroic policeman with unshakeable moral values, discovers that Rory is not what he seems. Masks come off, and friendship gives way to rivalry, misunderstanding and resentment.
The political question in Northern Ireland is tackled with subtlety: Tom and Rory’s fratricidal relationship is one of the most beautiful metaphors, and illustrates the very complexity of the Northern Irish struggle, as well as its impact on men.
