Here's a film guaranteed to satisfy even the most demanding fan of political intrigue, following a massive conspiracy uncovered by a routine investigation into the death of an American civil liberties lawyer in Northern Ireland. Director Ken Loach makes no secret of his anti-occupation bias, but he also takes care to approach the subject with an eye for authenticity rarely seen outside the most unsparing documentary. This is strictly a no-frills thriller: tough, intelligent, complex and all too plausible, combining the best elements of a police procedural with all the compelling ambiguity of an espionage caper. The villains may be cardboard cutouts, and the conspiracy itself perhaps too deeply rooted in classic left-wing paranoia, but the real issue at stake is how otherwise honest defenders of law and order are forced to confront the truth, or not, as the case may be. Stewart Copland's unassuming music score adds just the right touch.
Review of Hidden Agenda
