Customer Reviews

Lamb [VHS]

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This features Liam Neeson in one of his earliest roles as an Irish priest, Michael Lamb, who befriends a boy at a remand school and takes him away with him, when he suffers a crisis of faith. What makes the film compelling and unusual is in the shifting tone. The initial school scenes play like Dickens, and after Lamb and the boy run away to London, Neeson plays straight man to Hugh O'Conor's Owen, who gives surprisingly funny line readings. The first time we hear him speak is a riot when he tells Lamb "I don't give a f**k". Then as Lamb begins to realise his limited options when he is being hunted for kidnapping, he makes a shocking decision as to how to resolve his predicament. Owen is an epileptic, and I like how director Gregg shows that what makes him have a seizure is a moment of joy. The first one is preceded by a big close-up of his innocent face. I also like the way Gregg shows Lamb's reaction to a death from outside a window, and his use of U2's In the Name of Love when Lamb and Owen have their faces printed onto each other's t-shirts. Neeson is touching as Lamb, particularly in the way he yearns for the boy to return his tenderness, and also his height makes him look great in priest getup. The conclusion of this film is unforgettable, though the Van Morrison music of dread gives us clear warning. We actually open with a frame from the end, but by the time we realise it, it's too late to be prepared.

What a surprise! This early Neeson movie has a lot to offer--good acting by Mr. Neeson, who turns on the compassion very convincingly. The other actors are very believable, especially the young lad who does an amazing job of acting out the seizures his character is subject to. The storyline is pure Irish tragedy: a naive priest (Neeson), an abused child and indifference from the principals. The coastal scenery is just beautiful--though I'm not sure it is the Antrim coast--the credits say it was filmed in the Republic. And I couldn't help but wonder if it ever gets warm enough up there (Antrim coast) to actually take a dip. Worth watching!