The General
1998, Biography/Drama, 2h 3m
49 Reviews 2,500+ RatingsYou might also like
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Movie Info
This fact-based film begins with the murder of Martin Cahill (Brendan Gleeson), one of Ireland's most infamous and violent criminals. Dying, Cahill reflects on his life -- being raised on the hardscrabble streets of Dublin, his years in reform school, learning to steal at an early age and rising from petty thief to powerful crime boss known for his brazen armed robberies. And throughout, tenacious policeman Ned Kenny (Jon Voight) dedicatedly pursuing him.
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Rating: R
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Genre: Biography, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: John Boorman
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Producer: John Boorman
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Writer: John Boorman, Paul Williams
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
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Runtime:
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Sound Mix: Surround
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1), Flat (1.37:1)
Cast & Crew
Critic Reviews for The General
Audience Reviews for The General
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I thought the movie is about some military general. And quite a brave one for that matter, when the beginning describes him as a legend. Apparently, I was amazed when it turned out about some legendary Irish criminal who pulled out heists outwitting the legal authorities. While ruthless and mean to the rest of the world, Martin Cahill cared enough for his family. He even extended his generosity to his sister-in-law. The way he embarrassed the police authorities was a stroke of brilliance. Jon Voight, playing Ned Kelly, does fair enough as an Inspector who is now and again left in an embarrassing position by Martin as he seems to get a kick out of it. Brendan Gleeson portrays Cahill outstandingly. He's simply par excellence. However, his covering the face with one hand constantly caused me a bit of irritation initially. But after a while, I got used to it. How's one to know (if need be, let it be known that there are always exceptions) that the legendary Martin too used to do so for real. Quite an intriguing & worthwhile stuff, and that too based on real events. Sufficient & efficient enough for me. Might not have been so appealing with the foreknowledge about this incredible scumbag, infamously known as The General.
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A criative screenplay and terrific direction, just like the acting, The General is a great motion picture. Fresh.
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A thief, pursued by an old friend from the neighborhood, evades the cops and the IRA. Brendan Gleeson is fantastic as the eponymous character; he's both awkward and wily, not looking the part of the thief but pulling it off believably. The rest of the supporting cast supports Gleeson admirably, but even Jon Voight doesn't deliver a stand-out performance. The story is fairly basic -- a crime drama in which the criminal cleverly eludes his pursuers -- and I can't say that by the end of the film I cared about the characters. The film is so evenly presented that I wondered what it was saying. What is unique about this criminal that we haven't seen before besides his physique (compare Gleeson to George Clooney's Danny Ocean)? Overall, there's not a lot to feel strongly about in this film except Gleeson's superb performance.
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John Boorman delicately handles the life of a criminal. It's always a tough job to do because these are horrible people. They thrive on false placed loyalty and self pity that their lives aren't better. The film succeeds as it presents Cahill (accurately or not) as a mischievous little devil. His crimes are often funny, as is his relationship with the police. Like a good film should, it gradually shows his physical and mental deterioration. It isn't long before he is taken over by paranoia, and when the police begin to use his own form of harassment against him, we see a broken and sad man. As the film progresses, we see his associates as they truly are. Drugs addicts, sex offenders, terrorists, we get the sense that Cahill realises he is not the romanticised character he is. Great stuff all round, with a moody saxophone score, and stunning performances.
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