Shadow Dancer: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
As an IRA member, Collette (Andrea Riseborough) finds herself in an unwanted predicament after her failed bomb attempt in London. She is caught by Mac (Clive Owen), who is part of MI5, and offers her a way out of jail but at a price. Collette makes a decision to become a spy for MI5, with the promises to keep her family safe, only to find out her outcome may not be so black and white. Directed by James Marsh and based on the novel by Tom Bradby.
The film started with an emotional scene where Collette’s younger brother is fatally shot. I was not sure where the film was headed after this and didn’t quite see the connection between this scene and the rest of the film. Perhaps we were made to see how Collette’s story slowly unfolds and why she was involved with the IRA? Or maybe I missed it. If I were to comment on the actual film itself, being from the United States, I did have to research a bit on the whole IRA vs. MI5 debacle. I was rather confused at first, but after a little reading caught on a bit. I do remember hearing the word “tout” and being a bit lost, but again I kept my laptop near to understand a few references and got back on board. I wouldn’t consider the film something someone can just jump into without understanding a bit of the background, but with a bit of digging it was a gripping story. The actors were fantastic in the film. Very raw and compelling. I also liked the way the film was shot, somewhat of a documentary-esque feel to it. Overall, riveting drama with the occasional lost in translation moments.
Special Features:
Behind the Scenes of Shadow Dancer – We are giving a one on one with a few of the actors, writer, as well as the director on how the film was created/adapted.
Cast & Crew Interviews – Interviews with Clive Owen, Andrea Riseborough, Gillian Anderson, Brid Brennan, James Marsh, Tom Bradby, and Chris Coen.
AXS TV: A Look at Shadow Dancer – Somewhat of a long trailer for this film with a lot of clips used from the Behind the Scenes feature and the official trailer.
