Michael Collins (1996)

A Must See!

By Beth  Feb 12, 2000

Michael Collins is one of those rare films that teaches a history lesson in an entertaining way. Yes, it can get heavy at times--we are dealing with the establishment of the I.R.A. here, but it is well handled by the cast and crew. The cineamatograp...hy is beautiful! Every shot is almost flawless. Director Neil Jordan, who also wrote the screenplay, does a great job of showing us what this period was like. He handles this seemingly difficult material very well. He gives us a moving, often brutal, portrait of a real Irish hero. And the acting is superb! Liam Neeson turns in a riveting performance as the title character. He gives us insight into whom Michael Collins was and what he did for Ireland. I was especially impressed by Julia Roberts. At first I thought, "America's favourite actress just to get Americans to see it", but she really gave a wonderful performance. In fact, I believe one of her best yet! This is a definite must-see for those wishing to understand more of the "troubles" in Ireland. And for everyone else it is a fine example of film-making! Read more Less