Conspiracy of Silence

Released May 15, 2003

1 hr. 26 min.

Drama

List

36%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

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John Deery

Director

Jonathan Forbes

Daniel McLaughlin

Jason Barry

David Foley

Brenda Fricker

Annie McLaughlin

Hugh Bonneville

Father Jack Dowling

John Lynch

Father Matthew Francis

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Connie Ogle

Miami Herald

Isn't quite up to the task of intelligently advocating for change.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 18, 2005

Full Review

Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

A good cast (Brenda Fricker, Hugh Bonneville and assorted veterans of British and Irish film and TV) gives Deery's film weight and credibility.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 11, 2005

Full Review

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

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

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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
Executive Producer: Robert Bevan, Keith Hayley, Charlie Savill, Amanda Coombes, Stephen Margolis, Amit Barooah
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

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