In the Name of the Father

by Jim Sheridan

This dramatic film tells the story of an Irish family in the 70's when the IRA (Irish Republican Army) was fighting against the UK soldiers. Gerry Colon (Daniel Day-Lewis), a young Irish rebel without a job and a little childish, has problems with the Britain's troops in his country. His father tells him to leave Belfast and to go to London. There, Gerry and some friends sleep in a park while there are two bombing attacks with the result of various victims. He and his friend are interrogated by the police and later will be tortured and forced to sign a false statement as perpetrators of the offenses. This signing even involves his father and other members of the family in the activities of the IRA. In prison, father and son start a long fight to prove their innocence. A lawyer (Emma Thomson) finds police documents in the file marked as “Not to be shown to the Defence”. During the course of their appeal, this document leads to a final triumphant scene in court when she produces the evidence that the police officers have been lying. Consequently, theses evidences lead to the acquittal of all the accused.

by Amando Reboleiro