This movie is by far the best of its kind. It is the most accurate description of the troubles in Northern Ireland i have seen. Unlike "Michael Collins" and other such movie's, The Informant did not idolise the I.R.A yet showed them for their true selves. Criminals, terrorists... But the movie didn't only focus on violence. It focus'd on a family, trying to get away from it all, trying to turn over a new leaf and start over. but to do so, the man of the family must "Inform" the R.U.C of names of the I.R.A members. In doing so he brings trouble on his family. Shame to his name, being a former I.R.A member, the lead of this movie really played his character to full potential.I would have to rate this movie 9 out of 10.

Unusually accurate telling of the novel with completely rational deletions. Superb acting and screenplay from a terrific novel. I love The Pogues but their music here is topically relevant but distracting and out of tone with the rest of the movie...at least to non-Irish fans of The Pogues music who may not share associations with this music. It's one of those cases where everything is terrific and one element, wonderful on its own, pulls down the rest by its presence. I recommend for students of screen writing contrasting the script with the novel. Nicholas Meyer is a keen master of screen writing and his other adaptations and films he has directed are a textbook study.

This film depicts the work of the IRA with no sentimentality or romanticism and for that I commend it.The storyline is convincingly written. The acting is very good all round but I would give an outstanding mention to Maria Lennon whose work I had never seen before and Timothy Dalton from who this is just one more excellent performance. The one downside were a couple of the accents, including (and maybe most noticeably) Dalton's. Accents have never been his strong point! That said, he lends the role the same toughness yet humanity that he has to several other characters in his career, Bond included - all-round believability.There is a twist that I found disappointing but I won't spoil it for those who have not seen it and may be thinking of doing so.

Engrossing, suspenseful, honest drama: the best film on "the troubles" ever made.Put this up against the other IRA movies of recent years, and they pale by comparison.A visceral experience of the tortured Irish landscape; characters of great depth and complexity.An even-handed look at both sides of the coin, Protestant and Catholic. What goes on there is, after all, a tragedy for everyone. This is a movie all should see.