Top 10 Irish films of the decade

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Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands in "Hunger"

Photo by Steffan Hill/Christopher Hill Ph

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6. Gone Baby Gone (2007) 

Based on the novel of the same name by Irish American author Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River, the film is tightly directed by Ben Affleck. The plot centers on two private investigators, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, hunting for an abducted four-year-old girl from the working class Boston neighborhood of Dorchester. The subject and treatment are about as dark as they can be, but Affleck’s film packs a powerful punch. 

7. The Magdalene Sisters (2003) 

At one time, not long ago, becoming a “fallen woman” in Ireland could get you sent to a concentration camp, far away from the care and concern of your society. This film follows the stories of four young women, Margaret who’s "guilty" of being raped by her cousin, Rose the unmarried mother, Bernadette who is too beautiful and coquettish to be allowed out and Crispina the mentally-handicapped single mother, who are all forced by their families or caretakers to go to the Magdalene Asylum.  The film details the disastrous lives of the four girls whilst they are inmates, portraying their harsh daily regimen, their squalid living conditions and the oppressive nature of the Catholic faith at the time. 

8. Hotel Rwanda (2008) 

Irish director Terry George’s film packs a punch that will take the breath out of you. The film, which has been called an African Schindler’s List documents one man’s acts to save the lives of his family and more than a thousand other refugees, by granting them shelter in the besieged Hotel des Mille Collines. As an independent film, it had an initial limited release in theaters, but was nominated for multiple awards, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. 

9. Atonement (2007) 

Saoirse Ronan, the 15-year-old Irish actress and star of Atonement has already been nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar. They’re impressive achievements for a teenager from the small County Carlow village of Adrattin. In Atonement Ronan played Briony Trellis, the imaginative young girl who falsely accuses a family friend of the rape of her cousin, resulting in his imprisonment (and the ruination of her older sisters life). Not only is the film remarkable, it introduced the world to the almost supernaturally self-assured young actress. 

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