Black 47 (2018)

Black 47: Directed by Lance Daly. With Hugo Weaving, James Frecheville, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox. Set in Ireland during the Great Famine, the drama follows an Irish Ranger who has been fighting for the British Army abroad, as he abandons his post to reunite with his family.

“I went to see this expecting it to be the usual anti-English u0026quot;begod and begorraghu0026quot; Hollywood nonsense. It pleasantly surprised me. I heard it described as a u0026quot;potato westernu0026quot; as opposed to a u0026quot;spaghetti westernu0026quot; and that sort of describes it. A high plains drifter in the rains of Connemara avenging his slain family but with a difference. nI wanted to criticise the Irish/ Gaelic used in it….but I couldnu0026#39;t. It was fluid and believable though I felt the lead actor James Frechevilleu0026#39;s u0026quot;Irishu0026quot; was a bit too u0026quot;good Dublin schoolu0026quot; rather than natural Gaeltacht. What a surprise to learn he isnu0026#39;t Irish at all and that he learned Irish for the part !. Kudos. His accent in English completely fooled me…..I would have sworn he was Irish…..totally amazed to learn heu0026#39;s Australian ! nThe only bit I can criticise about this film is the u0026quot;starvingu0026quot; peasentry looked a bit too well fed…..though some of the kids do look scrawny and the safety glass and door handle in the Pub door in the last scene is a bit of a continuity screw up…..other than that itu0026#39;s a stylish film well made and very believable.”