Sinead O’Connor as the Virgin Mary? Yep. The virgin Sinead appears to young Francie Brady when his life is getting a little tough and believe me, his life is pretty tough. Crazy mom and Alky dad send Francie over the edge. Soon, he is a homicidal maniac. It’s hard tell what sent him over the edge – his family, his Margaret Hamilton-esque neighbor or cold war horror movies. I personally think it was Sinead.

Is there a Neil Jordan film without Stephen Rea? Not that I can think of off hand. Rea is the most obnoxious drunk since Ernest Hemingway. His acting is mostly physical, since he doesn’t do much except mutter obscenities and pass out. I also kept expecting Francie’s mom to take off her clothes and reveal a dick.

On the whole, a very entertaining film. The violence is picturesque, as are the lush Irish settings. Francie is more of a bastard than Alex (A Clockwork Orange) and you’ll love him a lot more.