Five Minutes of Heaven is actually 75 minutes worth of buildup to an ending that's much more fizzle than sizzle.
Comment
11/24/09
Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)
74
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:23
Rotten:8
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Oliver Hirschbiegel's dramatic take on "The Troubles" is an actor's showcase -- and Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt are more than up to the challenge.
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Aug 21, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: Lurgan Northern Ireland, 1975. A low level civil war has been underway, with the IRA targeting British loyalists and the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force exacting revenge on Catholics they claim are... [More]
Starring: Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Anamaria Marinca
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Reviews for Five Minutes of Heaven
[T]his difficult, uncomfortable film... deconstructs the notion of what 'evil' is... Subtle and sharp in how it turns over notions of revenge and grief, forgiveness and empathy, compassion and understanding...
11/12/09
Five Minutes of Heaven is an almost-great film that gets points for sticking with its confused and conflicted characters as long as it does.
11/09/09
Five Minutes of Heaven is a frustrating inconsistent film which provides a vehicle for some truly outstanding acting...
11/06/09
A director whose breakthrough was the story of a madman's last stand has exceeded that feat with the story of an angry man's next step.
11/05/09
Two marvelous performances from two Irish actors turn Oliver Hirschbiegel's Five Minutes of Heaven into a tour de force.
10/15/09
This talky little drama about two men *not* meeting is exceedingly well-written and very efficiently made, with surprisingly good mood-setters and dramatic deflections
10/02/09
It's easy to see what attracted Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt (Bloody Sunday) to Prime Suspect veteran Guy Hibbert's screenplay: it's an actor's showcase.
09/24/09
James Nesbitt is searing in a performance that bubbles both with rage and a tightrope type of wit.
09/16/09
full review at Movies for the Masses
09/11/09
A tense, sad reminder that there's no more persistent attacker than the past.
09/10/09
The movie might have been more tense had it been a little more quiet. Neeson and Nesbitt, however, are so good that narrative hiccups never threaten to lose us...
09/09/09
Top CriticSo many movies set in Northern Ireland are about the Troubles that we might justifiably ask, why another? Five Minutes of Heaven is far from the best of the breed, but it does at least take a new tack.
09/02/09
Excellent...both Neeson and Nesbitt should be worthy end-of-the-year award contenders for their fine, challenging work here.
08/28/09
Ultimately, Five Minutes of Heaven is stronger as a whole than its individual parts.
08/28/09
Top Criticcomes off as somewhat heavy-handed, if not outright pointless.
08/27/09
It's an original movie idea that feels written for the stage, all the more so since so much of our attention is diverted to admiring how the actors act, in roles with a high degree of technical difficulty.
08/26/09
Top CriticA 90-minute tour de force of suspense and intrigue with outstanding, powerhouse performances by James Nesbitt and Liam Neeson. It's one of the most rousing and provocative thrillers of the year.
08/23/09
Early scenes set up the tragedy, but the majority of Oliver Hirschbiegel's movie is set in a TV studio where the two eventually face each other, and the tension, unfortunately, quickly becomes stagey.
08/21/09
Top CriticA feature-length talkathon built on a sketchy premise and strong star turns from Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt.
08/21/09
Top CriticLatest News for Five Minutes of Heaven
August 20, 2009:
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