Michael Collins

The most contested figure of the Irish independence struggle: the man who organised the guerrilla war, then signed the treaty with Britain knowing his own side might kill him for it. Neil Jordan developed the project for years. He had first discussed it with Liam Neeson on the set of Excalibur, and as producer Stephen Woolley put it, Neeson was always going to be part of it from the moment Jordan started writing. Alan Rickman plays de Valera and Julia Roberts plays Kitty Kiernan. It was among the most expensive Irish productions to that point and became the highest-grossing film in Ireland, passing Jurassic Park with 4.27 million euros. It took 1,160,575 pounds in its opening weekend across the UK and Ireland. It won the Golden Lion at Venice in 1996, with Neeson taking the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, and received Oscar nominations for cinematography and original score. It drew serious criticism over historical accuracy. Jordan defended himself by pointing out that this was a two-hour film that had to work for an international audience rather than an exercise in precision. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 78 percent. Who it is for: viewers interested in Irish history and political biography. Who it is not for: anyone wanting historical exactness. That the film rearranges events is openly acknowledged.