IMDb > The General (1998)
The General
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The General (1998) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
The General (1998) -- Open-ended Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
The General (1998) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   3,432 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
John Boorman (writer)
Paul Williams (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for The General on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 December 1998 (USA) more
Tagline:
The extraordinary true story of the rise and fall of the gangster, Martin Cahill. more
Plot:
The real-life story of Dublin folk hero and criminal Martin Cahill, who pulled off two daring robberies in Ireland with his team... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
9 wins & 8 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
10 Most Fascinating 'End of the World' Movies
 (From The Movie Fanatic. 8 November 2009, 4:59 AM, PST)

10 Most Fascinating 'End of the World' Movies
 (From The Movie Fanatic. 8 November 2009, 4:59 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Gritty and Brutal Portrayal more (47 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Brendan Gleeson ... Martin Cahill
Adrian Dunbar ... Noel Curley
Sean McGinley ... Gary
Maria Doyle Kennedy ... Frances

Angeline Ball ... Tina

Jon Voight ... Inspector Ned Kenny
Eanna MacLiam ... Jimmy
Tom Murphy ... Willie Byrne
Paul Hickey ... Anthony
Tommy O'Neill ... Paddy
John O'Toole ... Shea
Ciarán Fitzgerald ... Tommy
Ned Dennehy ... Gay
Vinny Murphy ... Harry (as Vinnie Murphy)
Roxanna Williams ... Orla
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
I Once Had a Life
more
MPAA:
Rated R for violence and pervasive language.
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When the film was shown theaters, it was in black and white but when it aired on American cable television networks, it was shown in color. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Set in 1984, the background of the anti-drug march features a car with a license plate beginning with "96," indicating 1996. more
Quotes:
Martin Cahill: [looking at himself on television] It makes me look fat.
Tina: You're not fat. You're cuddly.
more
Movie Connections:
References Deliverance (1972) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful.
Gritty and Brutal Portrayal, 2 March 2003
9/10
Author: gbheron from Washington, DC

"The General" is the nickname of the real-life, contemporary Irish criminal, Martin Cahill. Brilliantly played by Brendan Gleeson, director John Boorman dramatizes Cahill's odd career as a very successful thief and robber. Shot in black and white the movie has a gritty realism that doesn't glamorize Cahill and his gang. But Cahill, as portrayed by Gleeson and Boorman, is a likable and quirky eccentric who does things his own way, a characteristic which causes him to fall afoul of both the police and the IRA.

Not your typical A-List Hollywood crime melodrama, this movie is not for everyone, especially those looking for the typical Vin Diesel or Al Pacino crime flick. This is more like the Sopranos in the Irish slums. And, I recommend it highly for a Saturday night rental; just be forewarned that it is quite brutal and intense at times.

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