Synopsis
The real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies in Ireland with his team, but attracted unwanted attention from the police, the I.R.A., the U.V.F., and members of his own team.
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Cast
- Brendan GleesonMartin Cahill
- Adrian DunbarNoel Curley
- Sean McGinleyGary
- Maria Doyle KennedyFrances
- Angeline BallTina
- Jon VoightInspector Ned Kenny
- Eanna MacLiamJimmy
- Tom MurphyWillie Byrne
- John CroninAiden
- Paul HickeyAnthony
Recommendations
- 100
San Francisco Chronicle
Boorman enlivens The General with a number of scenes, like that one, that play against the con ventions of crime movies. He and Gleeson, both of whom were denied the Oscar nominations they deserve for this film, do exemplary work and give us one of the liveliest, smartest and most surprising films in a long time. - 90
The New York Times
Mr. Boorman, working in top form with a keenly acerbic overview, has written the film so sharply that the facts speak well for themselves. - 90
Time Out London
All the performances are impressive, but Gleeson and Voight are especially memorable, lending an almost tragic air of inexorability to Cahill and Kenny's cat-and-mouse games. - 90
Variety
Rarely has a veteran filmmaker rejuvenated his career to such startling effect as John Boorman with The General, a fresh-off-the-slab biopic of maverick Irish crime lord Martin Cahill that both challenges and entertains the audience at a variety of levels, as well as reviving the vitality of the helmer's earliest, mid-'60s pics. - 88
Chicago Sun-Times
Boorman's film is shot in wide-screen black and white, and as it often does, black and white emphasizes the characters and the story, instead of setting them awash in atmosphere. And Boorman's narrative style has a nice offhand feel about it. - 80
Slate
Boorman pays a price for his neutrality: The General isn't an emotional grabber. But on its own terms it's nearly perfect. The magic is there but below the surface. - 80
The A.V. Club
Credit director John Boorman with bringing a life like Cahill's to the screen with such acuity that it's easy to overlook the many familiar elements of his mobster movie. - 75
TV Guide Magazine
Boorman's original script is razor sharp and very funny, and Gleeson's portrayal is nothing short of brilliant
