The Front Line (2006)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

David Gleeson

Writer:

David Gleeson (writer)

Release Date:

12 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Death comes to all who embrace it. But it would not come to him.

Plot:

An African immigrant bank security guard turns the tables on Dublin's nastiest criminals when they force him to be the "inside man" on a bank robbery |

Plot Keywords:

Bigotry | Kidnapped Boy | Heist And The Accomplice | Heist Gone Wrong | n Word

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Eriq Ebouaney	...	Joe Yumba
James Frain	...	Eddie Gilroy
Gerard McSorley	...	Detective Insp. Harbison
Hakeem Kae-Kazim	...	Erasmus
Fatou N'Diaye	...	Kala
Brian Eli Ssebunya	...	Daniel
Orla O'Rourke	...	Detective Susan Clohessey
Gavin O'Connor	...	Detective Duffy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maclean Burke	...	Plank
Dagmar Döring	...	Sales Assistant
Glenn Gannon	...	Frankie
Ben Alexander Hussock
Laura Jane Laughlin	...	Valerie
Garrett Lombard	...	Anton
Ian McElhinney	...	Mikey
Jordan Lee McGrath	...	Detective / Policeman
Christian Senger	...	Detective #1

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Ireland | Germany | UK | Sweden

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Finland:K-13 | Australia:MA (2007) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Wide Eye Films

A Ground breaking film

The Front Line marks a major watershed in Irish cinema. Addressing issues of immigration and the horrors of genocide in Africa in a contemporary thriller which plays out on the streets of Dublin, David Gleeson has raised the bar considerably for an Irish film.

The director's previous film, Cowboys and Angels, which he also wrote, stands as one of the best Irish films of the last decade. Deceptively simple and light in tone Gleeson addressed similar issues of alienation and broke new ground even then by moving away from the ponderous and the frankly dour image which Irish films hitherto presented of Ireland.

Although a very different film and working with a much larger budget, The Front Line is a more rewarding cinematic experience. Graced with a hypnotic central performance from Eriq Ebouaney the film grips from the opening set up in the Garda Immigration bureau.

Supporting cast are exceptional with outstanding turns from Fatou N'Diaye as Kala and Hakeem Kae Kazim as the sinister and hugely charismatic Erasmus. James Frain turns in a chilling performance as the scariest bad guy ever to roam the streets of Dublin. Patrick Cassidy's music also deserves particular praise.

I can't think of any other film with which to compare this. Perhaps Dirty Pretty Things comes closest but for emotional impact this is a far richer experience.