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When the Sky Falls

Play trailer Poster for When the Sky Falls R 2000 1h 48m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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20% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 28% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Investigative journalist Sinead Hamilton (Joan Allen) lives in a deteriorating Dublin infested with crime, drugs and corruption. Hamilton risks her life to expose the ruthless drug trade that is holding the city captive, as well as its possible connections to the Irish Republican Army. Her scathing articles win the public's attention, but they also make her the target of an infuriated criminal underworld and a crooked police force. Both will do everything they can to stop her.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Empire Magazine Rated: 2/5 Mar 30, 2001 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Jul 18, 2005 Full Review Christopher Null Filmcritic.com Remarkably little story... Rated: 2/5 Jul 28, 2001 Full Review Cheryl DeWolfe Apollo Guide Rated: 72/100 Jul 19, 2001 Full Review Ian Mantgani UK Critic A witless examination of a woman who is only ever seen in superficial details. Rated: 1/4 Mar 30, 2001 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (5) audience reviews
Audience Member Although it is not as good as the Cate Blanchett's "Veronica Guerrin", based on the same story, it is a fine film on it's own. I am surprised by the poor reviews. Joan Allen does a great job in the main role. It is a very interesting story, moves along well. I found it very interesting and skillfully made. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Dublin, Ireland 1996: Journalist Sinead Hamilton has begun a series of articals on the Dublin Heroin trade and the men behind it. The Heroin dealers are muscling in on the "Ordinary Decient Criminals" and the letting the IRA take the blame for the murders, well the police are powerless restrained by laws that favour the criminals who flaunt them. Driven to protect her own child Sinead begins a crusade to rid Dublin of the smack dealers, aided by a cop at the end of his teether, and a shady contact from within the Dublin underworld, but every Crusader paints a target on his or her own back. Based on the life and murder of Irish Crime Reporter Veronica Guerin in 1996 When the Sky Falls is a gritty story about an insperational woman and the men who killed her. Stripping away Hollywood romanticsm Hamilton (played by Joan Allen) is played as a driven woman but not without her doubts and fears. Patrick Bergen plays Mackie the cop who helps Hamilton and fumes at the system that ties his hands (he mentions soending 5 years putting away a drug smuggler who gets sentenced to 10, reduced to 5 for good behavior and paroled after 2 who then returns to smuggling drugs) and finds he's forced to bend the letter of the law to preserve its spirit. Well acted, suffers a bit from its low budget and it earns its R rating, the activities and crimes of the Heroin smugglers arn't softened (nor is the IRA's response to them). A must see. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member UK draamaa/jannaria tyylipuhtaimmillaan tama reilu parituntinen. Rosvot ovat rumia ja julmia ja toimittajanainen yrittaa toimia kaupunkinsa parhaaksi paljastamalla huumebisneksen salat. Leffaa katsoessa tulee mieleen Taistelupari (Dempsey& Makepiece) sarja, niin paljon samaa on kuvauksessa, toiminnassa ja henkilohahmoissa. Suht ok perusjannari, joka pohjautuu ilmeisesti jollakin lailla tositapahtumiin... Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member how can i watch d fuken film Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member 6.5/10. Although it is not as good as the Cate Blanchett's "Veronica Guerrin", based on the same story, it is a fine film on it's own. I am surprised by the poor reviews. Joan Allen does a great job in the main role. It is a very interesting story, moves along well. I found it very interesting and skillfully made. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
When the Sky Falls

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Movie Info

Synopsis Investigative journalist Sinead Hamilton (Joan Allen) lives in a deteriorating Dublin infested with crime, drugs and corruption. Hamilton risks her life to expose the ruthless drug trade that is holding the city captive, as well as its possible connections to the Irish Republican Army. Her scathing articles win the public's attention, but they also make her the target of an infuriated criminal underworld and a crooked police force. Both will do everything they can to stop her.
Director
John Mackenzie
Producer
Nigel Warren-Green, Michael Wearing
Screenwriter
Ronan Gallagher, Colum McCann, Michael Sheridan
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jul 24, 2001
Runtime
1h 48m