Route Irish

A characteristic Loach film, a gripping conspiracy thriller not unlike Hidden Agenda, his film on the Troubles.

You don't expect Ken Loach to make thrillers, but this one is an angry and relevant film about the perfidies embedded in the Iraq conflict.

The film isn't a write-off, because Loach's simmering rage gives it a sporadic rawness and voltage. Sadly, it also clouds his vision.

No one in this film is stupid or in denial, but some are more open and honest than others. This clear-eyed forthrightness gives Route Irish a backbone many other films lack.