In Northern Ireland, Alistair Little (Liam Neeson) joined the Ulster Volunteer Force at 15. In 1975, he killed Catholic Jimmy Griffin in his home in front of his younger brother Joe. Thirty three years later, Alistair has been released from prison and a TV show is bringing him together with an adult Joe (James Nesbitt) for the show. Joe is racked with guilt and anger. Vika (Anamaria Marinca) is a TV production assistant.It's an intriguing way of tackling this troubled era. Nesbitt brings out his energetic acting. Neeson is stoically powerful. This culminates into five minutes of power. It's a bit hit-and-miss for the most part. It doesn't always flow but it has a few great scenes.

This movie takes place in northern Ireland. It begins in 1975 with the murder of 19-year-old Jim Griffin by 17-year-old Alistair Little (you can find more info on the real Alistair through searching the forgiveness project on the internet). The second part of the movie takes place in 2008. That second part is very interesting because it shows the effects of the murder on the two main characters (and their surroundings). I liked that this movie showed both sides. The acting of James Nesbitt is also very good because you can see his struggle about what to do when actually confronting the man who killed his brother.If you are interested in the reasons why people in present day can kill for what they believe in, and also like movies based on actual historical events this is a must-see movie.

An interesting and well-intentioned film on the nature of violence, sorrow and guilt on the two individuals involved.Basically a terrorist act is committed in Northern Ireland. The terrorist kills a man but is seen by the younger brother of this murdered man. The terrorist is jailed and the younger brother is tormented the rest of his life by this brutal act.After about 30 years there is a face-to-face between the two – they have never met since the day of the murder. This encounter is sponsored by the TV media and we are to bare witness. This is very well done and we can feel the anguish of both. The film-makers do give us a lasting view that the victims of crime can never hope to completely recover – the scars remain. So this is not a film about reconciliation between oppressor and victim or that revolves entirely around the feelings of guilt of the protagonist.The later encounter, after the media one, was somewhat less satisfying. Nevertheless this film has a strong psychological grip and the acting of the two main characters makes this very worthwhile. And towards the end there is hope for the two of them.

Having watched many over dramatized movies and countless documentaries about the conflict in Northern Ireland, I approached this movie with trepidation..... Apart from a small dialogue about the tit for tat killings (very true) the movie stayed away from politics and focused on the aftermath. Liam Neeson is an incredibly honest actor, I can't remember ever seeing him over act and that is what made this movie and his role amazing! James Nesbitt came across extremely strong but perhaps that's how it was scripted and it balanced the two main characters very well without them coming face to face for most of the movie. Another standout is Anamaria Marinca, she played her role perfectly.This movie is outstanding, will get you thinking and most of all, has a very important message about young minds being manipulated!