Danny is a saxophonist with a jobbing band that play in various cheap locations. One late night after a gig he goes outside the venue to get some air and speak to a girl that has taken a shine to him. Shortly after he witnesses the murder of his band manager and an innocent girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. The violence he witnesses sends Danny on a quest for revenge, which will change his life forever. 

Swapping a saxophone for a machine gun, Danny works his way through terrorists that had a hand in the murder of his manager and the destruction that followed. At the same time he tries to keep some semblance of normality in his life, and continues playing with the band and trying to form a meaningful relationship with the lead singer, Dee. However Danny’s journey is fraught with peril and threatens to ruin the relationship he has with his band, plus fail to give him the closure he so desperately seeks. 

Moody and dripping with atmoshphere, this was Neil Jordan’s first directing gig and contains themes (troubles in Northern Ireland) that would echo through his following movies. Stephen Rea is brilliant as Danny, fumbling his way through his quest in seeking retribution for the deaths he has witnessed. The police follow and question Danny, but their motives are vague to say the least. You’re never quite sure just what they are trying to achieve and Danny usually finds himself arousing no suspicion whatsoever. The film leaves you with the feeling that revenge is a fruitless endeavour no matter how you go about it. Some things just have a way of going their own way, no matter your efforts to change the outcome.

The acting is great from everyone involved, and the movie displays a dreamlike quality at times, with the music from Danny’s saxophone playing in the background. It’s one I recommend, though it isn’t the bloody revenge type thriller you may be expecting. 

4/5

JM