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Jimmy's Hall

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Jimmy's Hall

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Summary

An Irish socialist is forced into exile in 1921 after local authorities object to him running a dance hall. After 10 years in America, he returns home to care for his ageing mother. Seeing the poverty of the surrounding area, he decides to risk further conflict by reopening his abandoned hall. Ken Loach's fact-based period drama, starring Barry Ward, Simone Kirby and Andrew Scott

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Andrew Collins

Ken Loach alarmed students of British agitprop when he idly threatened that Jimmy's Hall would be his last feature after 50 years of film-making. More intimate, but of a piece historically, geographically and ideologically with The Wind That Shakes the Barley (also written by long-time collaborator Paul Laverty), Jimmy's Hall is a true story that takes place in rural County Leitrim ten years after the Irish War of Independence. Returning communist agitator Jimmy Gralton (charismatically played by Barry Ward) reopens Effrinagh's Pearse-Connolly Hall - which he helped build - as an educational social club for jazz dancing and the exchange of ideas, to the horror of the Church (imperiously embodied by Jim Norton's priest). A little-known Irish cast (save for Sherlock's Andrew Scott in a small role) lends easy authenticity to the drama which, true to Loach form, is didactic and sentimental but guided by a righteous moral compass. As much a drama about community as politics, it humanises the clash of old and new ideas, and marks Ward out as a star.

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6.7/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameJames GraltonBarry WardOonaghSimone KirbyFather SheridanJim NortonMossieFrancis MageeMarieAisling FranciosiFather SeamusAndrew ScottO'KeefeBrian F O'Byrne

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Crew

rolenameDirectorKen Loach

Details

Theatrical distributor

Entertainment One

Released on

2014-05-30

Languages

English | Irish

Guidance

Violence, swearing.

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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