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‘Fifty Dead Men Walking’ director Kari Skogland sets the record straight

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 UTC

By Shannon Nystedt
movieset.com

Hear how Fifty Dead Men Walking director Kari Skogland went from directing episodic television, to making a slick docudrama action flick. Skogland is well known for her intense loyalty to Canadian storytelling, which in turn made Belfast itself very helpful in forming the film knowing Skogland didn’t come in to this true-life Irish tale with the usual Hollywood gloss.
The film follows a reluctant young man who is forced to live a double life after being recruited by the British Police to spy on the IRA.

“…I think Kevin is nothing short of phenomenal,” the director declares. “And he really rose to the occasion here. At moments, I wondered if he would have it. But in the end he was so perfect, it couldn’t have been done better by anyone. It wasn’t exactly a reckless call on my part, but you never really know how an actor will respond when you drag him to a new place, make him learn an incredibly difficult accent, and see just how uncomfortable you can make him…”

Read the full interview here.

Giving the guys a lesson in true grit A couple female film directors show their mettle with tales of war and terrorism

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 UTC

Forget the blockbusters. The most exciting movie of the summer is not Public Enemies or Terminator Salvation or The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. It’s a tough little film called The Hurt Locker, Kathyrn Bigelow’s nail-biting thriller about an American bomb disposal squad in Baghdad. Strangely, there are still very few female directors making mainstream movies, and the number of women directing films about war and terrorism is even more scarce. And yet, along comes another one—Fifty Dead Men Walking, which opens July 31.

Like The Hurt Locker, Fifty Dead Men Walking is a gritty suspense drama about a group of men who become walking targets in the chaos of urban guerrilla warfare, where battles are fought in residential neighbourhoods and no one can be trusted. It too is directed by a middle-aged woman, Ottawa-born filmmaker Kari Skogland. Her previous movie was The Stone Angel, an earnest adaptation of Margaret Laurence’s CanLit classic. But in watching the taut, visceral drama—starring Jim Sturgess as an IRA informant and Ben Kingsley as the British cop who recruits him—you’d never guess that this U.K. co-production is a Canadian movie, or that its director is a woman.

Jim Sturgess is a dead man walking

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 UTC

Jim Sturgess stars in Fifty Dead Men Walking, a new film based on the true story of the IRA's Marting McGartland.

Photograph by : Brightlight Pictres, TVA Films

Jim Sturgess got a very nice compliment recently when he was filming a movie. Some kid threw rocks at his head.

It wasn't because he is a bad actor. It's because he's such a good one.

He was in Belfast was filming a scene from Fifty Dead Men Walking, based on the true story of Martin McGartland, a member of the Irish Republican Army who became an informer for the British. McGartland risked his life and got away with it, although he's been in hiding ever since.

"We filmed on the streets, and local people crowded around and people were a bit worried for my safety at times because it's a very touchy subject," said Sturgess, who plays McGartland in the film. "Once I felt a bang on the back of my head and it was a kid throwing stones at me. So it still exists."

It was also a tribute to Sturgess's performance, which was authentic enough to evoke the kind of anger McGartland himself could expect if he ever returned.

"I don't think he would be too welcome if he came back to Belfast," Sturgess said. "I asked them what would happen if he came back, and they gave me a look that was like, I won't say any further."

Fifty Dead Men Walking was directed by Canadian Kari Skogland, one of the few women filmmakers who makes action thrillers (Kathryn Bigelow, who made The Hurt Locker, is another).

“Fifty Dead Men Walking” to Take U.S.

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 UTC

by Brian Brooks

Jim Sturgess in a scene from Kari Skogland's "Fifty Dead Men Walking." Image courtesy of Phase 4 Films.

U.S. rights to writer/director Kari Skogland’s thriller “Fifty Dead Men Walking,” starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Jim Sturgess (“21”) has been picked up by Phase 4 Films. The company, which is the new theatrical, DVD and television distribution company founded by former Peach Arch Home Entertainment president Berry Meyerowitz, negotiated the deal with Hand Made Films International and plans an August 21 theatrical release.

Inspired by Martin McGartland and Nicholas Davies’s book based on Martin McGartland’s real-life story, the film is set in Belfast in 1980 where the Irish Republican Army is waging an all-out insurgent war against the British occupation. Martin McGartland (Sturgess) is a young small-time Belfast hustler recruited by a wily British intelligence agent (Kingsley) to infiltrate the IRA. Martin quickly uses his natural instincts as a con man to get inside the IRA and starts feeding information to the British, saving hundreds of lives in the process. But with each successful mission, Martin becomes increasingly in danger of being caught and exposed.

“Fifty Dead Men Walking” debuted at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, and won a top prize at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

“‘Fifty Dead Men Walking’ is a perfect blend of story, action and suspense which will take audiences on a wild ride,” Meyerowitz said in a statement. “What’s incredible about this story is this man’s perseverance and luck against many odds.”

Jim Sturgess talks about his role as IRA informer in Fifty Dead Men Walking

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:00:00 UTC

Times Online has published a new interview with Jim Sturgess concerning his role as Marty McGartland in Fifty Dead Men Walking. Below Jim talks about his preparation for the role in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

“…We were introduced to people from all different sides, very much so the people from the IRA. We were introduced to their lives and were vouched for by these guys. We were taken to pubs around Belfast to which we would never have dreamt of going had they not been with us…”

Read the full interview here.

Row 3 - Maria Atunes Review

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 UTC

Fifty Dead Men Walking

Earlier this year I caught up with Kari Skogland’s film The Stone Angel (our review), one I thought showed great potential for the up-and-coming director. Skogland’s follow up couldn’t be more different. Based on a novel and the real life of Martin McGartland, a young man recruited by the British Police to spy on the IRA, Fifty Dead Men Walking has all the trappings of a great film, except it isn’t.

The film features some excellent performances from up and comers Jim Sturgess in the lead role of McGartland and Kevin Zegers is excellent as his best friend Sean. It’s the supporting performances that lack a fair bit. Ben Kingsley is mediocre at best as McGartland’s police contact Fergus (his hair was hot topic of conversation after the screening) and Rose McGowan is laughably bad in her Irish accent. But even with the mixed performances, the real problem with the film is that it goes no where mind you, it does so stylishly.

Skogland’s film is pretty to look at, great cinematography from Jonathan Freeman and excellent production design, but it lacks any heart. The story forges ahead yet there’s never a feeling of angst, fear or excitement; something which is particularly hard to swallow when one considers how fantastically dramatic McGartland’s story is. The problem is partly due to the direction but also the editing which badly breaks up the film’s pacing. Compensating for the lack of emotional connection with music doesn’t do the film any favours either and by the time the credits rolled, I was relieved: I’d had enough of the music which drown out nearly every scene.

Fifty Dead Men Walking was the festival’s biggest disappointment for me. Though the film looked great and I had big expectations from Skogland, I was thoroughly disappointed. I may have been on my own: the film took home the Citytv Western Canada Feature Film Award.

Fifty Dead Men Walking was dead-on according to VIFF jury

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 UTC

The Vancouver International Film Festival signalled the global reach of western filmmakers with its jury's choice for this year's best Western Canadian feature.

By The Vancouver Province

The Vancouver International Film Festival signalled the global reach of western filmmakers with its jury's choice for this year's best Western Canadian feature.

Director Kari Skogland's Fifty Dead Men Walking, the B.C.-produced, filmed in Ireland, true story of an Irish Republican Army mole, won the $12,000 cash prize. Vancouver director Carl Bessai's low-budget comic drama Mothers&Daughters was voted most popular Canadian film by festival audiences. That movie's actor Tantoo Cardinal won Women in Film & Television Vancouver's artistic merit award for her performance.

Fifty Dead Men Walking grabs top prize at Vancouver festival

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 UTC

The Vancouver International Film Festival wrapped up its 16-day run by honouring Kari Skogland's Fifty Dead Men Walking with the Western Canada film award.

The movie, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, circles around the story of a young Irish hustler, enlisted as a British informant, who infiltrates the Irish Republican Army.

Based on the book by British spy Martin McGartland, the film generated lots of buzz this year partly due to McGartland's criticism of Skogland, who used former Irish Republican Army volunteers to screen the film for authenticity.

Movie Review: Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008)

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:00:00 UTC

War. There are countless reasons for them to be waged and I don’t pretend to know a damn thing about any of them. What I do I understand, however, is along with war comes great sacrifice and loss. Fifty Dead Men Walking is a film set in Belfast during the late 80’s that works to capture the sacrifice of two men (one more so than the other) during the bloody fight between the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and the occupying British Army.

It is based on the true accounts of Martin McGartland, a young Irish street hustler who eventually finds his way into the trusted ranks of the PIRA and ultimately into the hands of the British, as an informant. Taking on the complex and conflicted role of Martin is Jim Sturgess, in what I consider to arguably be his best role to date. Initially, Martin supports his countrymen and their fight — he resents the fact he can’t get a decent job (pawning stolen clothing door-to-door, hardly qualifies) and he lashes out, every chance he gets, against the armed British presence on every street corner. After getting hauled in during one of his excursions, Martin catches the eye of handlers in the British Intelligence Anti-Terrorism division. Turns out, with a pregnant girlfriend and the lure of easy cash and a car, Martin is easily swayed to their side of the fight.

Not to be outdone by his co-star, Sir Ben Kingsley turns in a powerful performance himself as Fergus, the man responsible for turning Martin into a mole. Fergus is equally complex; he’s a man caught straddling the line between his country’s wishes to use up and throw away his informant (even if that means causing his death), and his becoming a surrogate father to Martin and not seeing him solely as just another pawn in the war.

Tying the unswaying performances together in Fifty Dead Men Walking is a tough and smartly written screenplay adaptation by Nicholas Davies, Martin McGartland and Kari Skogland. Left on the floor is any possible political agendas; the purpose of the film isn’t to decide which side was right or wrong, it was meant to capture the desperation of the people stuck in this unwinnable situation — and here it succeeds. Skogland, who also directed, keeps the pace moving briskly, slowing down momentarily, now and again, to reflect on the internal struggle Martin finds himself fighting; fighting which causes strife in his relationships with his girlfriend Lara (Nathalie Press) and best friend Sean (Kevin Zegar). More impressively, Skogland doesn’t get bogged down trying to toss in any superfluous violence. Even though there are some very telling fight scenes and a few involving torture, they’re shown as a necessary evil to the development of the story.

Detracting from the telling of the story, however, is the deep Irish/British/Scottish accents which makes following some of the dialogue difficult, if not impossible to do. Some of this is caused by my American ears which, I’ll admit, aren’t in tune with the dialect, but some of it is definitely caused by the overpowering soundtrack (which unto itself wasn’t half bad, although out of place many times) — there were several scenes that literally require lip reading ability to know what is being said. There were also times I found myself confused as to what importance certain characters played. Everyone gets identified when they’re initially introduced (mostly PIRA members), but with so many of them coming in and out of the picture, it was easy to lose track of them.

These things are, at most, minor annoyances when compared to the subject matter. Fifty Dead Men Walking is a very compelling story that provides a very human aspect to the conflict (referred to as “the troubles” by the Irish), and is made stronger by some very good performances by its leads. As is the case with most good movies, it too raises some deep seated questions, most notably — would you be willing to sacrifice your friends, family and life to save 50 people you didn’t know?

Gallery: ‘Fifty Dead Men Walking’ press conference

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 UTC

Canadian director, producer and writer Kari Skogland discussed her latest film, Fifty Dead Men Walking, during a press conference at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. In attendence with Skogland were film stars Jim Sturgess, Sir Ben Kingsley, Rose McGowan, and Kevin Zegers.

The somewhat controversial drama is based on the real life story of Martin McGartland, played in the film by Sturgess, who infiltrated the IRA in the late 80s as an informer for the British-run police.

Skogland had the rare opportunity to make the film in co-operation with local Irish officials and the IRA, who both agreed to help the project if it provided a perspective from both sides of the story.

Screendaily Review

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 UTC

It was only in the aftermath of the Vietnam War that filmmakers were able to create a substantial body of work reflecting the complexities of what had happened there. The same is proving to be true of the recent "Troubles" that tore Northern Ireland apart for the best part of forty years. This year has already seen Steve McQueen's triumphant debut Hunger. Now, Canadian director Kari Skogland brings her eye to bear on the heat of the conflict with a slick thriller that plays like Scorsese lite. A confident production, it has the dynamism and commercial instincts to connect with a mainstream audience and can only benefit from the rising profile of 21 star Jim Sturgess.

A true story, inspired by events in the life of Martin McGartland, Fifty Dead Men Walking begins in the Canada of 1999 where Martin (Sturgess) is gunned down in a hail of bullets. The film is a lengthy flashback to his life in 1988 as a cocky, unemployed ne'er-do-well in Northern Ireland. A youngster who seems fearless and indifferent to the politics that define the region, he is identified as a prime target for recruitment by a British Special Branch operative known as Fergus (Ben Kingsley).

Martin's concerns appear to be making a living and looking after his pregnant girlfriend (Nathalie Press). If the British are willing to pay him money then he is not going to refuse it. That is the first step in a relationship with Fraser that gradually deepens as Martin becomes a high-level informer. He wins the trust of the IRA as he starts to advance through their ranks to a position of power. He would later assert that fifty dead men were alive because of his actions, hence the title of the film.

Martin Scorsese has always shown a fascination with the life of the informer; a trusted insider who eventually betrays the people he has come to know and even respect. It is a primary theme in Goodfellas and The Departed. It is also the means to provide an almost forensic examination of how an organisation works. It is a similar approach that Kari Skogland takes here as Martin's experiences in the IRA allow us an unflinching view of the torture, rough justice and vengeful violence deployed in the name of a cause.

Fifty Dead Men works best as a conventional but politically charged thriller. A heavy-handed use of music and a fondness for burnished visuals tends to over-egg the film, making it feel glossy rather than gritty.

Sturgess once again confirms his ability to carry a film with a performance that is just as commanding but very different from his most notable roles in Across The Universe and 21. Kevin Zegers is virtually unrecognisable and sports an entirely convincing Irish accent as his closest friend and die-hard IRA supporter. Only Ben Kingsley seems miscast as British handler Fergus, although he does invest the character with a dry humour.

Canuck director scores with 'Fifty Dead Men Walking'

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 UTC

TORONTO — Sir Ben Kingsley had some hair issues on the set of "Fifty Dead Men Walking," the gripping new drama by Canadian director Kari Skogland.

Asked to lose his goatee for this spellbinding film the bald actor jokes, "My hairdresser and I thought we could pull a fast on one on Kari. But alas we couldn't do it."

Kingsley, along with actors Jim Sturgess, Rose McGowan and Canadian Kevin Zegers round out the cast for this real-life tale about Martin McGartland, a Belfast hustler who was recruited by British police in the 1980s to infiltrate the IRA and rat on their activities.

The 22-year-old informer fired countless tips to the Brits that foiled deadly murders and bombings hatched by IRA higher-ups. The film's title, in fact, refers to 50 men that were saved by McGartland's cleverly won information.

Yet for all his survival smarts McGartland's cover was blown in 1991. The wily young spy was kidnapped and brutally interrogated. Remarkably McGartland escaped his captors - an ending perfectly suited for great Hollywood fare.

"Unlike World War II there are people alive today who lived through Belfast in the '80s and we were able to talk to them. That first-hand experience was such a benefit," Sturgess told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Sturgess spent 11 weeks in Belfast soaking up the local flavour before shooting began on the Canadian-British production inspired by McGartland's bestselling 1997 memoir. He grew a moustache to be true to the film's era and had his brown hair cut into a mullet. Sturgess also perfected his Irish accent, so much so that the locals did not realize the 27-year-old actor from "21" and "Across the Universe" was British.

"From the minute Jim and Kevin met in Belfast they never dropped the Irish accent. They never knew what their real voices were like until the film wrapped," says Skogland.

"It was a little tricky for me," says Sturgess, who spent time with members of the IRA getting a feel for the times. "I really tried to let everyone around me know that I wasn't taking sides."

As Sturgess says, "There were many complex issues that had to be dealt with in this film. The movie isn't pro-IRA and it doesn't show its members as crazy, evil people. The times weren't black and white. At the end of the day I love that Kari didn't treat them as such."

Fifty Dead Men Walking: TIFF press conference diaries

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 UTC

"It's a story about an everyman hero," said Canadian director Kari Skogland at Wednesday's press conference for the new drama Fifty Dead Men Walking. But the real story concerning the film has been the off-screen controversy that at one point threatened to overshadow it's Gala premiere at TIFF.

Skogland, who directed 2007's The Stone Angel -- Canadiana at its finest -- crosses the pond for Fifty Dead Men Walking. It's the real-life story of Martin McGartland -- played in the film by Jim Sturgess -- a young hoodlum living in Belfast during "The Troubles" of the late 1980s. He's recruited by the British Government to infiltrate the Irish Republican Army, and is put in the care of a handler, codename Fergus, played by Sir Ben Kingsley.

The film has its roots in a bestselling memoir by the real-life McGartland. He's been making noise all summer about his concerns over Skogland's adaptation of his book, saying he was unhappy with the film. Disclaimers were added to the beginning and end of the book, but McGartland still threatened legal action and sought to block its TIFF screening (read this previous article for the backstory) however an agreement was reached between McGartland and the film's producers earlier this week, leaving the director and cast free to discuss the film.

The film was shot on location in Belfast. In an attempt to make the shoot as accurate as possible, Skogland secured the help of former IRA volunteers and members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

"I had many secret meetings in dark places," said Skogland. "There is no question that we were being watched by all sides. Phones were tapped and there were cameras and various things....We were in the land of Oz"

To prepare himself for the role of mole, and to get a sense of how the conflict affected the city, Sturgess went to Belfast early to immerse himself in the city's culture, which a lot of the time involved a pint or two.

"The pub was the best place to find all the stories we were looking for. So there was a lot of drinking," he said. "We just got drunk basically and spoke to a lot of Irishmen. What was great is that Irish people are such storytellers, especially when you're sitting in such a relaxed environment."

The character is a change of pace for Sturgess, who is best known to North American audiences for such films as Beatles-musical Across the Universe and Las Vegas gambling pic 21.

"You never want to just go and repeat yourself," said Jim. "It was nice to go from the sheen and the bright lights of Las Vegas straight dumped into the council estates and streets of Belfast."

Growing up, the 27-year-old British actor said he saw the IRA portrayed as thugs who just blew things up.

"Then I went to Belfast and I actually met some of these people and I found them to be intelligent and these great characters, a lot of fun," he said. "It made me really understand the conflict."

It was understanding the conflict that was paramount for Skogland, who wanted to portray the period authentically and accurately without glorifying either side in the conflict.

"Violence is ugly no matter when it happens," she said. "It's fast and painful to watch, difficult to watch, and I wanted that to come through."

She said the film examines how we cope with conflict as individuals.

"I think if i could leave with anybody the messag of this film," said Skogland, "it would be that in any conflict -- whether it be [the] inner-city or Iraq or Afghanistan or World Ware Two, that it must come down to the individual at the end of the day because the first thing that gets lost in war is truth and it becomes murkier and murkier to the point [where] both sides are questionable in whether they're right or wrong. And right or wrong starts to disappear. So one has to look to self and to your own morals and ethics in order to make the right decision."

IT COULD ONLY BE SAID BY A KNIGHT

"Acting is a very democratizing process," said Sir Ben Kingsley. "We're all equals between action and cut."