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Conspiracy of Silence

Play trailer Poster for Conspiracy of Silence 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

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Ruthe Stein San Francisco Chronicle 02/11/2005
2.5/4
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. Go to Full Review
V.A. Musetto New York Post 12/03/2004
2/4
While the subject of enforced priestly celibacy is important, here it is dealt with in a workman-like manner lacking vibrancy. Go to Full Review
Jack Mathews New York Daily News 12/03/2004
2/4
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. Go to Full Review
Bill Stevenson Out Magazine 05/26/2022
There are gay priests in the Catholic Church, and celibacy is outdated?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. Go to Full Review
Film Threat 12/06/2005
4/5
Christopher Null Filmcritic.com 08/08/2005
2.5/5
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. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Karen J 03/25/2023 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?? See more 10/15/2011 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. See more 03/02/2011 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. See more 08/25/2009 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. See more 07/01/2008 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... :-) See more 10/19/2007 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. See more Read all reviews
Conspiracy of Silence

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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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