Love Lies Bleeding (22 Sep. 1993)

Conn is an IRA murderer serving a life sentence in an Irish prison. He is given a 24 hour home leave during which he goes from point to point in Belfast looking to revenge his lover's murder.

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writer:

Ronan Bennett

Stars:

Mark Rylance, Élisabeth Bourgine, John Kavanagh

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Rylance	...	Conn
Élisabeth Bourgine	...	Sophie Allen (as Elizabeth Bourgine)
John Kavanagh	...	Sean Kerrigan
Brendan Gleeson	...	Thomas Macken
Tony Doyle	...	Geordie Wilson
Robert Patterson	...	Artie Flynn
George Shane	...	Gerry Ellis
James Nesbitt	...	Niall
Emma Jordan	...	Layla
Stuart Graham	...	Alex Mallie
Tim Loane	...	Robinson
James Durrell	...	Frankie
Michael Liebmann	...	Marty (as Michael Liebman)
Bosco Hogan	...	Rory McGinn
Margaret D'Arcy	...	Lily

Storyline

Conn is an IRA murderer serving a life sentence in an Irish prison. He is given a 24 hour home leave during which he goes from point to point in Belfast looking to revenge his lover's murder.

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Plot Keywords:

independent film

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 1993 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Northern Ireland, Télécip

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Difficult but rewarding

Another dark and gritty film belmed by Michael Winterbottom, this time set in the tangle and poverty of Belfast, not where one would expect this Oxbridge director to appear.

Mark Rylance (Angels & Insects) gives a superb and challenging performance as Conn, a murderer who has served 12 years and is let out for a 24 hr pass to spend with his family. His mind says the political struggle is behind him but he is obsessed with revenge for his lover Laile.

His 24 hr journey goes from Catholic to Orange territory and back and weaves through the infolded divisiveness that is the state of Northern Ireland. But politics is not the issue, nor violence; instead, nothing is simply laid out. The low key speaking voices and the twisting plot make this film difficult to follow at times but its insistence at keeping at Conn's level and avoidance of exploding the issue work to maintain a superior psychological portrait.

Another realist portrait by Winterbottom and another success.