The Devil's Own [Blu-ray]

I thought the story was told well. The filmmakers showed the contrast between the sad bitterness and violence that Brad Pitt's character endures (and embraces), and the warm loving home that Harrison Ford opens to him. We the viewers sympathise with Pitt's character, even though we know -- he's gone too far. Where can he go when he's already gone too far?

The story was well-told, the acting well-done. I am no expert on Irish accents, but I wasn't overly bothered with Brad Pitt's. I thought he did a fine job, in both his acting and his accent. Harrison Ford, as usual, gives an excellent performance. I wished I could have seen more scenes with Margaret Colin (who plays Ford's wife) because she's always good. Treat Williams did a fine job as a menacing arms dealer.

Special kudos go out to James Horner for the musical score. The first time I saw this film, I was so impressed by the music so I trotted out and bought the CD soundtrack; it's been one of my favorites ever since. Horner isn't always my #1 favorite film composer (but he's usually fine) but this beautiful Irish-themed score is something special. It supports the film admirably (which is the whole purpose of soundtrack scores) but is heart-wrenchingly exquisite to listen to on its own.

I recommend this film. Perhaps it has a few flaws, but I really enjoyed it (and was moved by it) the second time around.

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I will be the first to admit that I didn't understand everything that was going on in the plot, but Brad Pitt's character said that "If you aren't confused [about the situation in Ireland], you don't know what is going on," and I found that to be pretty true for the whole story line. In fact, it was more of a slice of life and time passing than a story with an actual beginning and end. Aside from the plot, the movie really shines with the superb acting in the film. I truly cared for these characters, even though one of them was a terrorist shown killing several men. Harrison Ford was excellent as a cop who had to live with slightly tarnished honor to cover for his friend and he did a fine job portraying his character's inner struggle as he tried to decide what to do with Frankie. Brad Pitt was gorgeous, as usual, and I thought that his Irish accent was quite charming. Of course, I don't really know what a real Irish accent sounds like, but when Brad spoke in a soft, melodic ripple of sound, it convinced me. The supporting characters were also great, led by Margaret Colin, who played Sheila O'Meara, Harrison Ford's wife and his 'daughters' including Julia Stiles as Bridget, a snotty, always on the phone teenager who refused to admit she had a crush on Frankie, Ashley Carin as Morgan, who fell head over heels for Frankie and the charming Kelly Singer as Annie, who is the youngest and had the most interaction with the main characters. One of the best things about the film was the music, composed by James Homer. It was just beautiful and had a wonderful Irish feel to it to help draw you in. There is also a heartbreakingly beautiful song written and performed by Melissa Etheridge during the closing credits. I have to admit that the ending wasn't what I wanted it to be, but there really was no way to end this movie in a way that made it a happy "American" ending. As the movie ends, Frankie reminds us that it is an Irish story, not an American one - only American stories always have happy endings. All in all, the movie may be a bit muddled and perhaps could have been improved and cleared up, but I still think that this is a movie worth watching - especially if you are a fan of either of the leads.

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