In the Name of the Father (1994) Critic Reviews

But the filmmakers have invigorated and enriched the story through the use of a thousand details, a strong sense of time and place, outstanding characterizations and a display of energy and cinematic flair that marks an advance on "My Left Foot."Read the full review

Jim Sheridan skillfully interweaves a myriad of subplots and themes into a fast-paced, cohesive whole.Read the full review

Sheridan, however, works with such piercing fervor and intelligence that In the Name of the Father just about transcends its tidy moral design.Read the full review

In the Name of the Father is as good a compromise of fact and fiction as you could hope for -- and still call it a movie.Read the full review

And, riskiest of all, the film makers eschewed another grainy documentary go at the subject in favor of a movie drama of one of the most compelling true stories of the modern troubles.Read the full review

Strongly tied to a powerful underlying reality (though it inevitably tends to simplify), this film has the additional advantage of being concerned with the emotional truth of its key relationships, adding an unusual father and son story to its incendiary mix. [29 Dec 1993 Pg. F1]Read the full review

The movie does a harrowing job of showing how, and why, a man might be made to confess to a bombing he didn't commit.Read the full review

But the film's emotional core is father-son reconciliation, and Pete Postlethwaite is very sympathetic as Dad. [29 Dec 1993 Pg. 01.D]Read the full review