As someone who grew up during the troubles between Ireland and the United Kingdom over Northern Ireland, it’s a struggle to find decent media that accurately displays the times we used to live in, but all that’s about to change with the rather marvellous Shadow Dancer.
Born and raised in an IRA membership family, Colette McVeigh (Andrea Riseborough, Made In Dagenham) grows up as a solider for the Irish Republican force during the troubles in the 1990’s. After a botched bombing in London, she gets taken in by MI5 member Mac (Clive Owen, Shoot ‘Em Up) who makes her an offer she can’t refuse – become an informant for the British or go to jail and never see her young son again. Colette now has to risk everything to keep herself safe and satisfy her Brit taskmasters but at the same time she has to deal with huge pressure from the terrifying Kevin (David Wilmot, The Guard) whose trying to sniff out the rat of the IRA.
It’s such a pleasure to see Riseborough’s superb, star making performance as Colette. She is magnificent as the young mother whose both trying to raise her son on her own and dealing with the immense pressure of being a “double agent” of MI5 and the IRA. She’s made even more sympathetic when you realise the reality of the horrific situation ,and how she has no real way out. Also Wilmot, as Kevin, is highly enjoyable as the IRA “problem solver” who will do anything for his cause (even kill), and is played with such conviction it’s scary, and both a mesmerising character and performance.
Dancer is peppered with star power, and whilst not being the performance that will get him back headlining Hollywood blockbusters, it’s a grand return to form for Owen as Mac; he’s also sympathetic (being stuck between a rock and a hard place by his commitment to his country and looking after the well being of Colette and her son). Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) shows up in a decent turn as Mac’s superior who will do anything to stop the troubles, and Games Of Thrones’ Aidan Gillen is memorable as the local area leader of the Republican army who has to make tough decision throughout.
However the best thing about Shadow Dancer is easily the massive amount of tension held throughout the runtime; the entire, near 100 minute, runtime is tenser than a first place performance in a bodybuilder competition; the stakes are high from the opening sequence (with the 5 minute tracking shot of Colette walking about the London underground and placing the bomb before escaping into a tunnel), and that scene establishes how the world is completely oblivious to Colette’s actions, whilst the audience knows how nervous she is, practically dripping in calmed nerves as she walks from train to station. It is marvellous to set the tone for the rest of the film and gladly eaten up throughout the runtime.
The troubles are also well represented; the feel of the early 1990s Northern Ireland are captured superbly (with eerily accurate Guard costumes and armoured vehicles), the Maze prison where the SAS took IRA members to be interrogated is shown as a miserable blank place to get into people’s minds (equally as mind-numbing to the success of the MI5 members trying to restore order), and the IRA funeral scene also accurately represents the terrorist group’s beliefs and religions. It’s so well shot that it makes you believe that there is going to be a massive fight at any second between the mourning army and the watching British occupant forces.
To be fair, being British I’m supposed to not care too much for the IRA, but they really did came across as reasonably sympathetic; they believe that they are righteous in their actions and will do anything they can to accomplish their ends, no matter how dark they have to be. It’s not that they want to, they have to. The attacks on political leaders and bombings are what they believe they must do to achieve their goals.
The cinematography captured by director James Marsh is wonderful; it portrays Belfast as the bleakest concrete jungle on the planet, giving it a distinct feeling of no hope for any of the players involved in Shadow Dancer. The miserable estate where the IRA members are based and live is very working class and suggests that they’re doing their actions out of habit rather than a sense of wanting to. It has a plain film capture which suits the natural aspects of the film compared to something like a Hollywood blockbuster, and the colour palette of the film is suitably kept in extremely dull colours (like greys and browns) all except for Colette’s wardrobe (the red and blue jackets she wears shining through and establishing her main role).
It’s not all perfect though; there’s no clear mentioning of the motivations of the IRA. I know what they want – the return of Northern Irish land to the Irish republic from Great Britain – but younger and international audiences may struggle. Despite being very well done and powered by fantastic performances, you also can’t help but think there was no real punch at times; yes, the stakes are high but unless we see some possible consequences, there are doubts audiences can hold onto this much tension, for this long, without some sort of payoff. The twist at the end isn’t great either; sure it’s set up okay, but there’s nowhere near as much emotional investment for this character being in the background throughout the film.
An excellent thriller on a subject matter which doesn’t have enough said about it, Shadow Dancer grabs hold of your attention and doesn’t let go until the credits have run. Peppered with fantastic performances, attention-to-detail-directing, and awkwardly sympathetic antagonists, Shadow Dancer is a real must-see.
Terry Lewis – @thatterrylewis.
