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The General
The General
7.4
/10
399 Ratings

THE GENERAL

Directed by John Boorman
United Kingdom, Ireland, 1998
Biography, Crime, Drama

Synopsis

The real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who became known as ‘The General’ after co-ordinating a series of armed robberies in Dublin during the 1980s. Cahill attracts the attention of the police and the IRA when he pulls one job too many.

Synopsis

The real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who became known as ‘The General’ after co-ordinating a series of armed robberies in Dublin during the 1980s. Cahill attracts the attention of the police and the IRA when he pulls one job too many.

Our take

Charting the life of Martin Cahill, an Irish gangster who once broke into John Boorman’s own home, The General carves a sympathetic martyr out of an infamous crime boss. Brendan Gleeson delivers a bravura turn as the eccentric Cahill, articulating the working-class anger behind the notorious heists.