An absolutely brilliant film - but not one you can watch too often.

Having heard of this film through its many award nominations, and having no knowledge of it being in the cinema when it was initially released, my curiousity got the better of me. It's easy to jump to conclusions about the lead character because of what happens in the first few scenes of the film, but as the story unfolds and we get to know him, he does show that there is a heart in there....somewhere... The film is full of grit, profane language and a smattering of violence for good measure, but none of this is gratuitous, out of place or attention seeking. It is just matter of fact - this is life in this part of the world, and this is how we deal with it. I found the film incredibly engaging and as such, it deserves the viewer's full attention (unlike some of the fluffy films which you can get away with multi tasking during). It is a really rewarding viewing experience and incredibly well made...but I won't be watching it again for a good while because it isn't pretty. It's honest, and this isn't always easy to swallow. Recommended unreservedly.