Defense of the Realm [DVD]

This British political intrique is so fast-paced that you will have to watch in rapt attention so that you don't miss anything, or re-view. It is as entertaining as a movie can be. As a writer who has just finished writing a novel, I am always curious as to who could play the leads in my stories. Gabriel has an uncanny resemblence to my character--could this proud Irishman also emote the body language, timing and speech of my protagonist, an American historical figure? I have viewed as much of Gabe's filmography as I could over the last year and I am convinced he is THE ONE for my fantasy, time-travel,action adventure. He has quite a range, as I have discovered."Defense of the Realm" is one of my favorites from all his movies I have viewed. It is taut with innuendo and "what ifs" that occur as a result of his character's journalistic diggings into a political sex scandal. All of the players are very good as plots unravel before us.Last night (1-11-09) Gabriel Byrne received a well-deserved Golden Globe. About time for this deserving, but somewhat obscure actor to be recognized.

Quite a stunning film. Very surprising quality of the script, the acting, and the feel of the film. Top drawer thriller and if it were made today, it would be full of high tech devices and CG work, which is appropriate in many stories to effectively relay the plot and feel of the film, but in this case, DoR can stand alone as one which needs no high tech wizardry to give you a great experience.In my opinion, this film is a treasure. It is a dark, cold, and eerily filmed story with intrigue and callousness from the bad guys.By all means, if you wish to see how a great, suspenseful British mystery can unfold, you must see this film.Kudos to everyone involved in the production.

All about whistle blowing and why everyone should for a better world.I like Gabriel Byrne and Greta Scacchi so I'm a little prejudiced. I guess this movie shows me up as a frustrated journalist.I guess I would have done exactly what Gabriel Byrne did and suffer a similar fate.A British movie with no screaming sirens, roaring helicopters and screeching tires. A break from Bruce Willis.Very believable but beware of the ending. The Holcroft Covenant

I'm a huge fan of Gabriel Byrne, but he seemed to be phoning in this performance. Greta Scacchi was very good, but sadly, the screenplay was dull and uninteresting. It could have been much better.

Poor cinematography. Intricate plot with an old theme: Evil government is lying and kills anybody in the way. Does anybody actually fall for this these days?

British paranoia film with two big plot problems that destroy its credibility. Firstly warplanes don't fly around with armed warheads. This plot hole has been pointed out by others.Just as bad a plot hole- The incident occurs because a teenager gets on base through an unguarded gate that's close to a runway. An alert is going on at a base with nuclear weapons and a gate is left unguarded.The plot of this movie is too stupid. One last thing- The movie has a very abrupt ending.

Interesting and intelligent story. Would watch again.

Story: Nick Mullen (Gabriel Byrne) is a newspaper reporter with lofty ambitions, so he is always looking for a big story and the wilder the content, the better. After all, juicy stories get the most eyes from the public and that’s how a reporter moves up the ladder, so Mullen is ready to explore any potential breaks. When he discovers that a member of Parliament shared a prostitute with a KGB agent, he knows this could be his chance to shine. There is a public relations nightmare around the disclosure and the politician steps down, but many unanswered questions remain. A colleague of his suggests that there was a cover up and given how much bigger that would make his story, Mullen starts to dig deeper. But while the sales rise from the new drama, can Mullen uncover the truth or has his rushed approach led him to a brick wall?Entertainment Value: This is a solid drama with some light political thriller vibes, while the narrative is complex and unfolds in interesting ways. The story seems simple enough at first, a sex scandal that brings down a politician, but soon the material shows itself to be more complicated and sometimes even unreliable. I appreciated that the narrative sometimes runs on half truths or assumptions, as it adds a layer to how we perceive what we see, which makes sense, as this is about a large scale coverup with a lot of misinformation. While you do need to pay fairly close attention to reap all the benefits of the narrative, it doesn’t feel overly complex or convoluted. We’re taken through the steps by the characters, so we see the work being done to progress the story, so this can be misleading at times, but it is a well told tale. The pace feels appropriate, brisk enough to never feel slow or drawn out, while deliberate enough to allow the slow burn to work as intended. A good story, told effectively and well performed by a gifted cast, so Defense of the Realm earns a recommendation.This movie boasts a terrific cast, including some fantastic lead performances. Gabriel Byrne is excellent here in a grounded, effective turn that anchors the picture. He is serious and believable, keeping the material grounded and that is a benefit, since the narrative finer points are so crucial here. Byrne is reserved, but determined and while this isn’t as actively memorable as some of his performances, I think it is still among his better efforts and that’s a true compliment. Also great here is Denholm Elliott as the voice of experience to Byrne’s ambitious young reporter. Elliott is always a pleasure to watch and he is wonderful here, a strong effort that steals more than a few scenes. The cast also includes Greta Scacchi, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Bannen, Bill Paterson, and Fulton Mackay.

Gabriel Byrne's performance was poor. The film lacked pace. The well-worn theme of a journalist on to furtive govt. dealings was threadbare. Does not compare well with similar films, e.g The Washington Post film on Watergate

Excellent British conspiracy theory film, with some superb acting. Unfortunately, If I told you the plot, I'd have to leave the country...

This movie has not stood the test of time, seems very outdated.