Wonderful character development!

Let's be realistic.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Director Michael Hodges and star Mickey Rourke both disowned "A Prayer for the Dying." I'm not sure what issues they had with this formulaic but suspenseful adaptation of Jack Higgins' novel, but I thought it was a good thriller. Rourke plays Martin Fallon, a seasoned IRA gunman who prefers a sawed off shotgun but abandons his IRA convictions after he witnesses a dreadful but senseless accident over which he exerts no control. Fallon and IRA associate Liam Docherty (Liam Neeson) watch in horror as a school bus mini-van transporting children accelerates past two British lorries, hits a tripwire meant for them, and detonates an explosion that wipes out the kids. Everybody flees, and Docherty is sent to break Liam back, after Fallon has fled country. In London, Martin encounters more trouble. A murderous mortician, Jack Meehan (Alan Bates of "Zorba the Greek") wants to hire Fallon to knock off an adversary. Meehan is prepared to forge Fallon a passport and pay him $50-thousand to eliminate his opponent. Fallon kills Meehan adversary, but things go awry here, too. An unsuspecting priest, Father Michael Da Costa (Bob Hoskins), witnesses Fallon's execution style killing. Instead of shooting the priest on the spot, Fallon turns and walks away. Later, Fallon confronts the Da Costa in the confessional, and Da Costa refuses to identify him. The police question Da Costa, but he refuses to divulge his knowledge about Fallon. This is where "A Prayer for the Dying" lifts part of its plot from the Alfred Hitchcock movie "I, Confess." As it turns out, Da Costa has a relative, Anna (Sammi Davis), who falls in love with Fallon even though she cannot see him. Meanwhile, Docherty and his woman Siobhan Donovan (Alison Doody of "A View to a Kill") track Liam down with order to bring him back or kill him. Docherty cannot bring himself to kill Fallon, but Donovan cherishes no such convictions. She kills Docherty as he is sitting up in bed, blowing his brains out. Meanwhile, Meeham's sleazy brother tries to assault Anna, but she stabs him to death with a pair of scissors. Fallon's death scene is memorable. The performances are all superb, especially Hoskins who plays priest who was once a soldier. Like I wrote, I'm not sure why Hodges and Rourke didn't like this atmospheric thriller.

Mickey Rourke ( who was once a famous movie star ) plays Martin Fallon an IRA terrorist who accidentally blows up a school bus full of children who is so disgusted by his actions decides to leave the IRA and goes on the run in London !!!! MILD SPOILERS !!!!The movie's opening is rather disturbing as the lives of little children are ended in a fireball . Things like this happened throughout the 1970s and 1980s and into the 1990s in Northern Ireland which gives A PRAYER FOR THE DYING a stark realism . However as soon as Fallon decides he's going to give up violence ( What ? He's a terrorist and he's never blown up innocent passerbys before ? ) realism disappears and clichés and ridiculous plot twists take place . Martin is employed by the London underworld ( Don't they have their own hit men ? )to commit a hit while he wears an IRA " uniform " ( Never knew the provos wore uniforms ) at a cemetery in broad daylight ( Wouldn't an IRA man use a bomb placed under a car ? ) where he's spotted by a priest who recognises him while he was in the SAS . Hands up who thinks I'm lying ? I'm not and we're half way through the running time and there's still several clichés to come This all sounds very silly and it is but what do you expect from a novel by Jack Higgins ? Everything is clichéd , contrived and stereotypical and the bits that aren't are just plain bizarre . The critics slaughtered this movie when it came out , most notably they stated that it might have some potential if the movie had Bob Hoskins playing gangster Jack Meehan and Alan Bates playing the SAS soldier turned priest and for once the critics would have been right . They should also noted the film might have been less dire if Fallon was played by someone who was capable of doing an Irish accent . Rourke might be hunky and macho ( Oh gawd another movie with an IRA uberhunk ) but accents aren't his strong point any more than character acting is . To give you an idea how disappointing PRAYER FOR THE DYING IS the director ended up disowning it which is always a bad sign As a footnote the original release of PRAYER FOR THE DYING in Britain was delayed for several months because of " The Enniskillen bombing " . In November 1987 the Provisional IRA exploded a bomb in the centre of Enniskillen where a Remembrance Day parade which commemorates Britain's war dead was being held . Eleven ( 11 ) people were killed and scores more injured . It wasn't an accident and no one left the IRA because of it

A Prayer For The Dying is one of those films which had the ambitions to be well made film like many classic, but it falls on it face.It read stories that the film was re-edited behind the directors back and both Mike Hodges and Mickey Rourke have disowned the theatrical release. This is problem with the film, producers don't make good editors. There are some scenes which doesn't gel, and also the Bill Conti music is too melodramatic. Originally Mike Hodges hired John Scott too compose the soundtrack, then Samuel Goldwyn Jr didn't like it and got in Conti.I read that Mickey Rourke's Irish accent was badly criticized by critics. I actuality thought that Rourke accent was convincing enough and also he is an Irish-American. Rourke is one most under estimated actors around.Alan Bates is good as the Meehan, Bob Hoskins is reasonable as Costa even though at times he looks like he going to explode as a cockney gangster.According to Mike Hodges there is his cut of the film and that MGM own the rights and that there were going to release film on DVD in its correct form.I would like to see that happen as I said earlier it's an ambitious film along with Get Carter, but whereas Get Carter is a classic, A.P.F.D. falls on it face, because of people who meddled with the film not knowing what they are doing.

It is a mystery for me how the great movies sometimes fall through the cracks. I don't expect it to be everyone's favorite but being completely missed by almost everybody? It puzzles me. If you up for a tough and disturbing movie tonight rent it. You won't be disappointed.