it took me so long to watch this movie. It is one of the many that stayed on the shelf for months, that I started watching but "didn't feel"...Today was the day I did.Someone wrote "schockingly beautiful", and I can only agree.There was some real chemistry between the main actors (and 1 actress!), and I got sympathy for almost all of them (although the villain played his role very well, too). Not being a native English speaker, I had some problems withe the accents, at times, but sometimes words are not that important, it's the eyes, it's the acts, it's... a lot more than words.Is this a "gay themed movie"? I really don't know. Assuming Brendan Behan was bisexual, you could call it a "coming of age" movie, as USA-ers like to do. I don't know, this was just a very beautiful movie.I didn't know Brendan Behan before, but I shall do some research and try to read him (if I can find his works here in Brussels...).Based on the emotions I felt, this is a magnificent 10/10!

Two brilliant but under rated performances by Shawn Hatosy as Brendan Behan and Danny Dyer as Charlie Millwall.This film captures the pithiness of the original play but invokes the intense friendships of an earlier era when emotions such as these had no outlet which was positive.But the love and the pathos which is portrayed by these two brilliant actors is to be recommended.It is a travesty that such a film could not garner the appreciation it deserves on the world stage.The location is filmed just outside of Dublin, so it has the predominant colours of grey and green which enhance the drabness of the borstal scenes.Michael York although past his best, puts in a creditable performance as the Governor of the borstal.This film is a must see for aficionados of Danny Dyer.

I read the book six times, and couldn't wait to see the movie. I was rather put off at first because so much of the movie is pure fiction. Charlie and Brendan only had one slight spat in their three years together in Borstal, and ended up the best of friends anyway. The young lady in the movie never existed, and much of the rest of the movie was oddly fictitious as well. Charlie Millwall was on the Southampton when it was sunk off of Malta (in the Mediterranean), but I assume they used the HMS Prince Of Wales because they had film footage dealing with the sinking of that ship, and it made a good way for Brendan to find out that Charlie was dead (far more powerful than the scene in the book and the one in the play).Despite all of that, I loved the movie. Brendan Behan did actually say "the English can love people without them being seven feet tall or a hundred years dead." I believe he made that statement because he knew Charlie Millwall so well, and had seen many other good people among the English people with whom he was connected in one way or another. The Warden, Mr. Joyce, was a very good person, and so were many others. I do believe that Brendan Behan had a serious relationship with Charlie Millwall (it's obvious in the book, even though it's never spelled out exactly). I would recommend the book to anyone, and believe that the movie was very good, the fictitious content nothwithstanding. Shawn Hatosy does a very good job in the movie, and Danny Dyer is better yet. Don't miss this movie.

(PLOT SPOILERS) An elaboration - (it is pretty much wholly different) of the autobiographical novel of the same name about the early life of Irish writer Brendan Behan this is a very moving film in places and nonsensical and cliched in others.the film begins with Brendan being arrested by English police just prior to planting a terrorist bomb. He briefly meets thievin Cockney sailor Charlie Millwall (Danny Dyer) who ends up in Borstal with him.Charlie warms to Brendan immidietly although Brendan is initially hostile. However as is inevitable, Brendan gradually revises this and they become chinas. the main prompt for this bonding is several adventures - which it must be said are by and large entirely improbable! For instance there is an army vs. boys rugby match!!! They at Brendan's request also stage an all boys "Importance of Being Earnest" which is also too odd a request to grasp! Also they try an escape that ends in tragedy.Another is having to paint a crumbling room into a studio for Liz,(Eva Birtwhistle)the evacuated and dissatisifed duaghter to Borstal head Joyce (Micheal York) who in time develops quite a close relationship with BrendanIn the end Charlie and Brendan's relationship becomes closer too and Brendan realising that he harbours some attraction to Charlie kisses him.However the resident bully Dale (Lee Ingleby) has it in for Charlie and attacks him. This Liz walks in on and is almost raped. Brendan saves Liz abandoning Charlie. Charlie as a result leaves, joining his ship and in the end is killed when it is torpedoed. at the end Brendan kisses Liz and she encourages him to write (which kinda came out of nowhere because this film didn't give any indication he could write till the very end - kinda odd since Behan was a writer!!)Overall this works only because of the strength of the acting, because many elements are hokey and wholly unbelievable. Sometimes the characters are walking cliches. Liz for instance is the atypical poor little rich girl, and Birtwhistle only just pulls it off with any level of sincerity and conviction . The cartoonish super villainy of Dale was awful too, the escapees don't want Dale's involvment. Yet Dale's ears seem to be able to prick up every time they speak about the plan. I understand Dale is being potrayed as evil but does that mean they have to give him supernatural powers of attention too? don't think so! Also Lee Ingleby looks really sweet and non imposing most of the time and you wonder why some of the other boys who are all supposed to be rough criminals of some type or another doesn't smack him when he tries to interfere!the two central performances are what is so special Hatosy is very good as the child desperately trying to be a man and a rebel through being gruff and pretentious "I am a prisoner of war it's my duty to escape!" he says for instance more than once. he had an effective stutter too however the Irish accent is sometimes all over the place but this is also a credit to his performance because this didn't distract me(and normally such things annoy me like you wouldn't beleive)!the true miracle here was Dyer though he was spectacular, pure and simple. If there is any justice in this world this man will in the future be doing more high calibre work than appearing in the likes of "High Heels and Lowlifes". he is beautiful in every sense a soulful, sensitive and sad presence but still a bit of a cheeky and funny wideboy too. And he is capable of conveying heartbreak, and melancholy at being rejected with just a look. He's just the don, the scene where Liz and Brendan cry about his death almost made me cry Danny Dyer rocks!