After finding an old roll of 8mm film in her deceased husbands safe, a wealthy matriarch calls in private detective Tom Welles (Nicholas Cage) to determine if the film depicts an actual event or not. On watching the film, Welles sees that it is a scene showing the sexual abuse and murder of a young girl. Though he knows what the film is, he tries to deny the fact to himself and so takes the case and sets out on a missing persons case to find the girl in the film. The search eventually leads him down deeper and darker paths until he is scared for his family.

The director of this film is Joel Schumacher, whose credits range from Batman & Robin through to The Lost Boys and The Client. Unfortunately for this film he tries to take the darkness and bleakness of Seven but falls just a little short. This movie essentially is Seven in the world of porn, B&D/S&M, and kiddie porn. As I was watching the movie I had the feeling that I would leave the cinema in a very disturbed mind as parts of it hit me, but I didn't, with the thoughts of the movie left me fairly soon after I left the cinema. Whether this is an indictment on me or not, I don't know, but I think this film would have benefited from a more accomplished director, such as David Cronenberg, or Clive Barker.

The General was written, produced and directed by John Boorman, who is known for his use of characters who are considered to be 'outsiders' and who exhibit strong character contradictions. The film is about Martin Cahill (Gleeson), an Irish thief who until his assassination by the IRA in 1994, was renowned for his defiance of authority, his colourful, clever and relentless battle with the police and his controversial relationships with his wife and her sister-having children with both.

This film is based on the fictional account of Cahill's life written by Paul Williams. It begins on the day of his assassination and though flashbacks it explores the complexities of Cahill's life from childhood to his eventual rise to gang leader. Cahill emerges as a paradoxical mix of saint and sinner.

The General is filmed in widescreen and black and white, which greatly adds to the intensity of the film and the legendary aspect of its content. The result is a very impressive film about a likeable rogue, presented in an interesting and seductively beautiful style.

[The real Cahill actually did hit Boorman's home some years ago and stole the gold record that had been awarded to him for 'Duelling Banjos' from Deliverance-Ed.]