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Conspiracy of Silence

Play trailer Poster for Conspiracy of Silence Released May 15, 2003 1h 26m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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33% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A young man (Jonathan Forbes) gets kicked out of an Irish seminary, while a reporter (Jason Barry) investigates the suicide of a priest.

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Conspiracy of Silence

Critics Reviews

View All (24) Critics Reviews
Ruthe Stein San Francisco Chronicle The need to portray the powers-that-be at all levels -- from the Vatican to the local parish -- in the worst possible light intrudes upon the movie, making it feel like a personal vendetta. Rated: 2.5/4 Feb 11, 2005 Full Review V.A. Musetto New York Post While the subject of enforced priestly celibacy is important, here it is dealt with in a workman-like manner lacking vibrancy. Rated: 2/4 Dec 3, 2004 Full Review Jack Mathews New York Daily News Deery's points are well-taken, but they would have been a lot better made if he hadn't taken so many easy shots at the church by demonizing its local authorities. Rated: 2/4 Dec 3, 2004 Full Review Bill Stevenson Out Magazine There are gay priests in the Catholic Church, and celibacy is outdated? That’s the less-than-earth-shattering message of Deery’s preachy Irish melodrama. May 26, 2022 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 4/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Christopher Null Filmcritic.com Catholic nay-sayers will probably have a field day with the movie, but most would be better served by any one of the numerous documentaries that cover the same topic. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 8, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (7) audience reviews
Karen J There's A True Story called: Conspiracy Of Silence Written & Directed by: Suzette Couture Lisa Priest & Francis Mankiewicz Actors Michael Mahonen & Michelle St. John I searched & searched for this Movie. I have seen several Movies on Lifetime that I'm unable to find. This Movie being 1 of the Movies I'm Not Able To Find Anywhere! I'm not sure why they are so hard to locate. I'm wondering with these Movies Made In The 90's is the only reason why! But with these Movies I'm wondering if you there might have any suggestions to where I can find them?? Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The Catholic church is guilty of a "Conspiracy Of Silence" and it's up to Daniel McLaughlin (played by a low-key but handsome Jonathan Forbes) to uncover the truth to a reporter. Actually, he's appealing his unwarranted dismissal but there's a suicide that's related. Movie suffers from an overwritten screenplay that implies all priests are either bad or good. The bad ones not only cover up but are hypocrits. It's inexplicable that the Irish parishioners don't express themselves at church or shunning the priests but seem to relish only in gossip. There's an interesting theory that the Catholic wants priests to be celibate so they can leave their wealth, not to wives and children, but the greedy church. The acting is good throughout by John Lynch (as Matthw Francis, the dead man's lover), Brenda Fricker as Daniel's mom, and Fintan McKeown as the rightous priest. The reporter's role is underwritten and as played by Jason Barry, is simply ambitious but surrenders his goal when threatened. The biggest problem is that the movie doesn't break any new ground but reaffirms what we've learned from the headlines. The Catholic church is autocratic, greedy, hypocritical and will do whatever it can to survive Personally, I found the movie more interesting as an inside look of a small Irish town with it's beautiful scenery and small-minded folks. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting insights into the cloistered life of priests. The movie examines the concept of celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church, showing the hypocritical, political, and detrimental effects it has on them. Good cast. Decently done. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Catholic nay-sayers will probably have a field day with the movie, but my hunch is that most would be better served by any one of the numerous documentaries that cover the same topic. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I enjoyed the premise of this movie.. but it was lacking something.. and I think the idea of the Catholic Church using private confessions to control and manipulate is genius.. too bad they didn't expand on these inferences... :-) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member The topic of this movie was a diamond in the rough waiting for the right diamond cutter and a polish that would make it shine. Too bad that the director and the actors left that diamond as rough as what they started with when the movie ended. The script is good but the dialogue is lacking big time, the acting was not that good, and there were too many unanswered questions left. That little blurb of facts at the end of the movie does not make up for what should have been a much better fact presentation. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Conspiracy of Silence

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A young man (Jonathan Forbes) gets kicked out of an Irish seminary, while a reporter (Jason Barry) investigates the suicide of a priest.
Director
John Deery
Producer
Davina Stanley
Screenwriter
John Deery
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 15, 2003, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Jul 19, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.6K
Runtime
1h 26m
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