OMAGH tells the story of a terrorist bombing in a northern Ireland hamlet that killed 29 people in the mid 90s. It follows a father and several others who try over the next several years to get justice for their murdered kin. The movie ends on an ambivalent note, as it was based on a true story. No one is ever held responsible for the bombing, although several terrorists that may have been involved are eventually incarcerated for other misdeeds. The movie is filmed and told in documentary fashion, using a jittery, swooping hand-held camera, and it works most of the time. The film is actually very subdued, very low key, and in the end this lack of heightened histrionics tends to work against it. We are happy when it is finally over, especially as we are led to understand halfway through that the bombers will never be caught or prosecuted. Brenda Fricker has a cameo as an ombudsman. Otherwise, the rather large cast, presumably including some real villagers, is unknown to American audiences.
Review of Omagh
