The Last Rifleman (2023) Poster

(2023)

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7/10
A drama from an age past; full of charm.
falsemailme7 November 2023
Set in modern day with flash backs to the second world world. Mostly English spoken with French, subtitles in English, presents the story of a 92 and a quarter year old Artie looking to attend the celebration of D-day in France.

Our hero, played by Pierce Brosnan, escapes a regiment of pills in a care facility to mission from Dublin to Normandy.

He has to overcome failing health, bureaucracy, and his prejudice to accomplish his mission. The whispers of the horrors of loss in a war taint his memory, however, his determination to represent his regiment stand firm.

At the time of writing this the world is plunged into skirmishes in both Ukraine and Israel; but this is a reminder of a war with a clear clash of ideology and not the rhetoric of today.

Highly recommend.
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7/10
A journey of remembrance, resilience, and friendship.
markthepig-948746 November 2023
I found the film to be a moving and well-acted drama that explores important themes of memory, loss, and friendship. Pierce Brosnan delivers a compelling performance as Artie Crawford, a World War II veteran who embarks on a journey to France to pay his respects to his best friend. The film's cinematography is beautiful and the narrative unfolds with a gentle pace. While the plot may not be entirely unpredictable, it is the strength of the performances and the emotional depth of the story that make The Last Rifleman a worthwhile watch.

I would recommend The Last Rifleman to anyone who enjoys a good drama or who is interested in World War II history.
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7/10
It's a nice movie
hifiman-622706 November 2023
A nice simple movie. Good performance by Brosnan out of his comfort zone. Although based on "real" events u do have to allow for some liberties being taken I suspect. It's a movie we need so we don't forget sactrifices that were made and also a small twist involving relationships etc. Don't expect a deep complex story just watch it as a nice Saturday afternoon matinee that at times is quite amusing at times quite moving and in the end quite uplifting. A simple story . Well told. Well acted well written nicely shot and the type of movie rarely seen nowadays to be fair. I have read it based on real events.
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A slow burn that gets slower
S3pt3m63r21 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Based on a true story of Bernard Jordan, whose life was portrayed by Michael Caine in the Great Escaper. In this story the rifleman is called Artie Crawford, played by Pearce Brosnan, 007 himself.

The pace is slow and seems to get slower as the film goes on. Pearce is in his 70's so has to be aged to make him appear 20 years older, which takes some doing. He's very emotional throughout the film, constantly on the verge of tears and isn't in the best of health, having a couple of health scares on his journey to France. He's plagued by guilt over something he's done in the past regarding his best friend's girl.

The film makers take some liberties with the story which deviate from true life, specifically around his wife and her death before he departs for Normandy. Having seen the Great Escaper, I found myself comparing the two films and these little differences were annoying. I found The Great Escaper the better film by far.

Because Artie was so emotional, he was constantly moaning and it made it difficult to empathise with him, and he mumbled a lot. In retrospect, it would have been better to get a 90 year old to play the role.

The film was made to invoke and rely on emotion and sentiment rather than substance.
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6/10
not brosnans finest
orlw-0929813 November 2023
I came across this film last night and i was a bit surprised by it. It was very poignant, particularly as it was been shown in November. Plodded along quite a bit but credible. I felt that brosnans portrayal of the present day rifleman, was a bit hammy. The facial prosthetics may have been the reason for that. Ok, we all get old, but he was over the top. The story could have been developed a bit more. There could maybe have been a bit better reaction with the meeting between the brit and the german. I was surprised to see the involvement of RTE as the film was far better than their usual standards. But i do recommend that it should be watched.
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10/10
a wonderful film
robcer-822396 November 2023
As an old person in my seventies I found this film wonderful. The acting was superb in my opinion especially the ending. The story line is very believable and I am sure it is based on some true events. The main character shows what happens to some one who loses a very close friend and feels he is somewhat to blame due to his actions at that time. It was very refreshing to see that local French people respected what had happened during the war and still remembered D day and all of the many soldiers who lost their lives . To include the thoughts of a German SS soldier was totally unexpected. A lot of the younger generation would not understand the concept of this film.
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1/10
Too much whimpering
sunnefjord9 November 2023
I love movies about old war veterans so I thought I would enjoy this one. Tried to but this movie with all that whimpering made me turn it off. Oh, uhh, ahh, oh Maggie, uughh, eehh, oughh.. Over and over and over. I never heard an old man acting like that to that extent in my life. It's like listening to a little whiny kid. As an old veteran I would think he would be more manly.

Pierce doesn't come through as an old guy, I know he's around 70 irl but it feels more like watching a young actor trying to portray an old whimpering man feeling sorry for himself. Do yourself a favor and watch something else.
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8/10
Wonderfully warm, charming & emotional slow-burn Brit drama
danieljfarthing8 November 2023
In 'inspired by truth' Brit drama "The Last Rifleman" 92 yr old WWII vet Pierce Brosnan (outstanding), on losing his wife of 68yrs, escapes his Northern Irish care home to get to Normandy on the 75th anniversary of the landings, to complete a personal mission for a fallen friend & comrade. En route, as news of his story spreads (via Ian McElhinney) he meets the likes of Clémence Poésy, John Amos & Jürgen Prochnow... all offering fine support, brought warmly home by director Terry Loane from Kevin Fitzpatrick's terrific debut screenplay. It starts slow, but gently builds in both charm & emotional intensity to end up as a wonderful tribute to that whole incredible generation.
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10/10
An emotional delight
bojotavish8 November 2023
I'm so glad that my wife found this Brit Film. Is was always going to end without laughs but that wasn't what we were looking for. Knowing Pierce Brosnan was an elderly seventy year old like me I was interested to see how he held up as a veteran 23 his senior.

Well, he did so magnificently and convincingly. His tactic was to simply underplay the character as you would expect of such an old man and it worked. No excitement, not many guffaws but nevertheless a good film about real people as their lights fade.

Part of me prefers him as Archie here than James Bond because he's so believable. Steel yourself for the unexpected ending and, oh, have those hankies to hand. A proper gem of a movie.
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9/10
Poignant and Touching
bethannsiviter10 November 2023
I loved this movie. Frailty, vulnerability, but a fierce resiliency.

This man just wants the world to make sense, just once more, after a life-shattering loss. Attending D-Day celebrations became a mission, and no matter the weakness, the PTSD, the man-made obstacles... he gets back.

If I were 20 years younger I maybe would have thought this film hideously emotional... overdone... but when you are older you start to see the world a certain way. You feel things differently. You know what it means to do things one last time, to say goodbye one final time... that's a reality none of us can escape.

And it's from that perspective that I give this move 9/10.
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9/10
Sadly poignant film
robertbuckell30 November 2023
Touching and very poignant. A reminder for the younger generation that Freedom is never free. Beautifully filmed too. Brosnan simply doesn't look old enough to be 92+ and it's clear a fair bit of creative work was done to age him. That his character says very little throughout adds to the realism of the character. The story brings together all ages and nationalities and the whole ethos of the film is anti-war and the waste of it all. The filming around the Commonwealth War graves was important and should attract more attention for them via tourism. I would like to have actually seen some location filming on the beaches of Normandy since this was what the film was about; a return trip to there. I did spot an error though. The super Paxette camera was not produced until long after the war, ironically by Germany.
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9/10
Very moving story definitely worth watching
clurkelly6 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A very moving story, really well written. Knowing hardly anything about D-Day it made it a very personal story which I could relate to. Pierce Brosnan played Artie very well, and a decent Northern Irish accent too. Having recently been to Normandy to visit Omaha beach, it put a lot more meaning into the graves I visited.

The little moments along his journey told a lot as well. Some people helped, some didn't. It reminded me that you never know what someone is going through and that it can mean a lot to offer a small moment to help them.

Definitely worth watching, and I hope that veterans feel it helps to tell some of their stories too, honouring all they gave.

I feel it is a great tribute and a heartfelt reminder of what our ancestors sacrificed for us.
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10/10
Stunning
tpm-5348521 November 2023
A WWII veteran escapes his care home in Northern Ireland and embarks on an arduous but inspirational journey to France to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, finding the courage to face the ghosts of his past.

THE LAST RIFLEMAN is a moving and heartfelt drama that follows Artie Crawford (Brosnan), a World War II veteran living in a care home in Northern Ireland who has just lost his wife. On the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, Artie decides to secretly escape his care home and embarks on an arduous but inspirational journey to France, to pay his final respects to his best friend and find the courage to face the ghosts of his past.
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10/10
Moving and touching story!
usgepo3 May 2024
Never been a fan of Pierce Brosnan, however he deserves an accolade for his work on this film. Well done story and a relevant story we need more considering the current geopolitical environment.

We continue to take freedom and democracy for granted and continue to sleep walk and allow the thugs in leadership positions to threaten the very essence of what we should be fighting to keep and protect. Those who've never experienced freedom and democracy and gain it, like Ukrainians, will fight to their deaths to protect it.

If only I had a magic wand, surely would drop the genocidal usual suspects in the front lines to experience the atrocities of war.

Altogether the movie is heartwarming and the performance of Clemence Poesy, John Amos, Ian McElhinney, Tara Lynne O' Neil and the rest of the cast was top class. Excellent script and narrative, truly enjoyed this film. Which shows you don't need car crashes, explosions, fights, sex, shootings and violence to make a great film.

Keep it simple and tell a good story.
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