Hidden Agenda (1990)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Simply A Masterpiece

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The first surprise that pleased me with this movie is that it shows why Ireland is called the green island ! It's really incredible to see how the soil looks like a gigantic green carpet. The second good surprise is too see that Brian Cox is a terrific actor. I don't remember to have seen him in my previous 840 movies and he's really good ! For sure, I can also praise Frances but there, it's not a surprise since « Mississippi burning ». The definitive surprise of this really good movie is its message. At first, I understood it was about the troubles of Ireland and how England tried to answer by brutality. But then, the movie takes a sharp turn and becomes a study about modern democracy. And if the movies punches hard, a quarter of century later, its analysis rings even more true : it says that democracy is a fake front : power doesn't belong to the sovereign people but to a leech privileged cast that just crave for status quo. Their fake democratic tool is called « public order », « national security » and their fake scapegoat are called « terrorist », « demonstrator »… Their cunning is so acute that they manipulate / help those undemocratic adversaries to achieve unbelievable, fantastic mess. Then, to save the day and keeping the status quo, they can justify their drastic measures. Indeed this hidden agenda is clearly demonstrated in the movie and in every national tragedy since ! In a way, this movie can help to open the eyes and it should be shown in classes to have aware citizens !

Ken Loach has made a career out of directing movies about politically charged topics. A lot of his movies have addressed class issues in the United Kingdom, but he has also looked at foreign policy. One example is "Hidden Agenda", about an investigation into the murder of a human rights lawyer in Belfast. Loach not only indicts the British occupation, but also finds time to take a swipe at Margaret Thatcher's government.* While I was watching the movie I assumed that it was based on the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane. It turns out that the movie is a fictional story, but it still makes sure to show the sorts of things that had become commonplace in Northern Ireland. I read that Loach had the cast members meet with people who had gotten abused by British forces to give them an idea of what the movie was dealing with.Ken Loach also looked at Ireland in "The Wind that Shakes the Barley", about Ireland's war for independence in the early 20th century. Both movies take unflinching looks at what the English did to the Irish for over 800 years. To be certain, "Hidden Agenda" features a scene that should give people pause in the era of the so called war on terrorism: a man sings a song that has the line "you take our land and call us terrorists for resisting". I recommend the movie. Other movies focusing on Northern Ireland that I recommend are "In the Name of the Father", "Bloody Sunday" and "Breakfast on Pluto".*After Thatcher died, Loach proposed that her funeral should be privatized, since she would've wanted it that way.

Nothing to add to any of the above about conspiracy theory movies, the bit that made me laugh was when the Americans were watching an Orange parade and one turns to the other with the comment "Frightening", naturally the other agrees wholeheartedly."Frightening"??Uniformed and disciplined flute bands leading groups of smartly dressed (i.e. suit, white shirt and dark tie) males bearing the traditional Orange Order sash.Well it is Loach so we can expect nothing else.Presumably he would find Republican/Fenian parades inspiring.

"Hidden Agenda" was an enjoyable political thriller. The story was a somewhat typical Irish against the bloody English set in the late 1980's. The strength of the movie was in the fine acting by Frances McDormand, as usual, Brian Cox and many others. The ending some may find unsatisfactory. It tends to be open ended. I thought it provided much speculation on what Frances McDormand would do. I also thought it to be true to life.