In The Land Of Saints And Sinners is a brand new film, shot in Ireland’s County Donegal. A fascinating 5-star cast, with Liam Nesson, Jack Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Colm Meaney and Ciaran Hinds. A promising action film that will take you to the heart of 1970s Ireland.
Ireland, in the 1970s. Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson), flees a dark past by deciding to settle in the quiet coastal village of Glencolmcille in County Donegal.
He leads a serene existence there, far removed from the particularly violent political climate that grips the rest of the country.
But that was without counting on the arrival of anIRA terrorist group, led by a ruthless woman named Doirean (Kerry Condon). Fear soon grips Glencolmcille…
Until Finbar Murphy discovers that one of the members of the terrorist group has been abusing a local girl.
Drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, Finbar must choose between revealing his secret identity or defending his friends and neighbors.
It seems that films set in wild, rural Ireland are all the rage! After the huge success of The Banshee of Inisherin, starring Colin Farell and Brendan Gleeson, it’s the turn of In the Land of Saints and Fishermen to set its action in a small, isolated Irish village.
On this occasion, Liam Neeson reunites with director Robert Lorenz, with whom he previously shot “The Sniper” in 2021.
But it’s a very different film from The Banshee of Inisherin that was shot there.
In the Land of Saints and Fishermen is first and foremost an action film, Liam Neeson’s usual marotte. It’s set against the backdrop of Ireland’s sublime landscapes: craggy cliffs, sandy beaches, stormy oceans… A real change of scenery!
All this is reinforced by a charged historical context: the film is set in the 1970s, when Ireland is torn apart by the Troubles. At the time, Northern Ireland was the scene of armed conflict between Protestant Unionists and Catholic Republicans.
The IRA and other paramilitary groups are fighting for the liberation of Northern Ireland, while the UVF and other militias are fighting for Northern Ireland to retain its status as a British Province.
Attacks are numerous, and injuries and deaths number in the hundreds every year.
This is the backdrop for Robert Lorenz’s film.
And the contrast is striking: the initial tranquility of the village of Glencolmcille stands in stark contrast to the violence of the time! The magnificent shots give the impression of being in an Irish-style western.
What’s more, the Irish trio of Liam Neeson, Jack Gleeson and Ciarán Hinds are not short of character…
But that was without taking into account the heaviness of the script. Only the village and the actors with their real Irish accents seem authentic… As for the action, it’s a succession of scenes of action and violence, with one explosion after another, and machine-gun and handgun shells falling to the ground en masse.
Although the film brings a real freshness, it sometimes struggles to convince us as it accumulates action movie clichés and Irish stereotypes.
But be warned: although the formula is sometimes caricatured, it’s nonetheless fun to watch… as long as it’s viewed from a distance.
Special mention for the beauty of the Irish landscape, captured shot after shot. It’s in these unvarnished panoramas that you’ll find an atmosphere of striking beauty. To tell the truth, it’s the views that literally save the film and keep you going to the end. Ireland’s raw beauty, atmosphere and majesty will bring you the authenticity that the film lacked…
4.75/5 (4 votes)
3.78/5 (9 votes)
