Pierce Brosnan fights for the right to keep his children, in a story of state and church against one man in '50s Ireland. As is revealed on the DVD, the elements of it are all too depressingly true.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture Rich but subdued colours make up this gritty and evocative image transfer.

Sound The 5.1 sound mix is powerfully atmospheric and helps build the dramatic effects of the film.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Audio Commentary One Director Bruce Beresford shouldn't have bothered doing this commentary. The few bits of information he does impart could have made up a short interview instead, and we wouldn't be left with a lot of long silences to contemplate.

Audio Commentary Two Pierce Brosnan makes a far better stab at this commentary lark. He talks about the film's production, and offers some carefully worded opinions on the Ireland the movie attempts to recreate. Pierce also reveals that he can never get drunk on Guinness - it's like milk to him!

Story Behind the Story Writer Paul Pender talks in detail about how he was approached by a woman who felt she had a story to tell. He discovered she wasn't wrong, as he learned all about the life of her father, Desmond Doyle. When she gave Paul a photo of him, Paul was struck by how much he looked like Pierce Brosnan, and started writing the script with him in mind.

Behind the Scenes This is a fairly typical featurette on the making of a film, but it's not too cheesy and there is more information on the fascinating story behind the movie. There's also the rather extraordinary tale of the lengths Pender had to go to get his script before Brosnan.

Additional Extra Features Also on the DVD is a trailer.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Chapters: 16
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Audio Tracks: English
Subtitles: See Captions
Captions: English
Menus: Static, with music
Special Features Subtitles: None of the special features come with subtitles.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-N5 DVD player.