Themes: Mistaken Identities, Flight of the Innocent
Main Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Peter McDonald, Peter Caffrey, Tony Doyle, Antoine Byrne
Release Year: 1997
Country: IE/UK
Run Time: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This Irish-British road movie follows the misadventures of some Irish ex-cons. When Dublin hood Tom French (Tony Doyle) comes down hard on slow-witted Anto (David Wilmot), Git (Peter McDonald) intervenes and then is assigned a mission. He is ordered to travel to Cork to bring back French's friend Frank Grogan (Peter Caffrey) and the money Frank in holding. Along for the ride is French's associate Bunny (Brendan Gleeson). The two rescue Grogan from gunmen, but Grogan claims to know nothing about any money, only about his 18-month affair with French's wife. Thus, uncertainty looms on the horizon as the three drive back to Dublin. Shown at the 1997 Edinburgh Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
After serving an eighteen month sentence for breaking and entering, Git Hynes, (Peter McDonald) walks into trouble on the day of his release from jail.
He goes to meet his ex-girlfriend Sabrina Bradley, (Antoine Byrne), who has dumped him for his best friend Anto (David Wilmot). When Git goes to confront Anto about this, he learns that the latter's gambling addiction has left him heavily in debt to the bookies, who are about to take his fingers as collateral. Git jumps in and saves his friend from a beating, but uses a broken bottle to permanently disfigure the ringleader, who happens to be the nephew of mob boss Tom French (Tony Doyle).
At a sit-down, Tom French decrees that Git must work off Anto's debt as punishment for his interference. He is ordered to drive to Cork to find French's associate Frank Grogan (Peter Caffrey); and bring him back to Dublin. Holding Anto as a hostage, French pairs the reluctant Git with half-wit and heavy handed mobster, Bunny Kelly (Brendan Gleeson). While bickering and dodging bullets, the two encounter mayhem and discover each others' deepest secrets. An unlikely friendship begins to develop between them.
Although it became Ireland's most successful independent film when it was released in 1997, I Went Down has only ever been released for home viewing on VHS tape.
