Michael Collins (1996)

Title: Michael Collins

Director: Neil Jordan

Starring: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, and Julia Roberts

Rated: R

Released: 1996

Rating: 3/5

Oscars: Nominated for 2

Basic Plot: Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.

Can't Connect to the Characters
I guess since this is based on a true story the audience is supposed to care for the characters already. I'm not too familiar with Irish History so I was having to learn to care for the characters through the movie. For a good majority of the film (around half of it) I couldn't feel for anyone. I kept wondering why I should care for any of the characters. By the end of the film I did understand and care a little for the characters. Not feeling for the characters in a film is a bad thing.

The Romance Subplot
The romance subplot is the most useless thing in this movie. It doesn't go anywhere. Well, it goes somewhere but you don't even care. This subplot is so useless it just takes up time. Time that could've been spent making a better movie.

Lots of Action
The one good thing about this movie is the action. The bad thing is it bored me after a little bit. Bloodshed for the freedom of Ireland shouldn't bore me. But it seems the director was all about getting in as much action as possible. This works great for an action movie but not one where you're trying to make people care for history.

Final Thoughts
I might be biased against this movie since it's not the kind I usually watch. However, I wrote my review while looking at how much the movie made me care. This movie, especially, is one that is trying to make you care about history. If it can't do that, it fails. Plain and simple.