zardoz-13 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.

barflyer7 Mickey Rourke is great in this film as an Irish hit-man trying to escape his life of violence.Rourke plays Martin Fallon a respected hit-man whose one mistake was allowing Father DA Costa (played by Bob Hoskins) to see his latest and what was to be his last kill. . Fallon is then ordered to kill off Da Costa by his employer and mob boss Jack Meehan (played by Alan Bates). Fallon refuses, he's had enough of killing and living life on the run he wants to make everything right just doesn't know how to yet. Meehan demands Fallon do the job or be killed himself.Enter Da Costa's blind niece Anna(Sammi Davis)and a chance meeting with Fallon. To her he's kind,gentle and unknowing of his past she befriends him and falls in love. Fallon having confessed his sins and given the chance of redemption by Da Costa strives for salvation and his own freedom but freedom always comes with a price.Rourke is great in this film you feel real empathy for his character and there is strong support from Hoskins and Bates. Don't be put off by some reviews and stories of disputes with director and cast this is a great film and a hidden gem for Mickey Rourke fans

EighthSense I won't bore any readers by repeating the plot line, since several others already have.I bought the DVD after renting this movie, so I can enjoy Mickey Rourke's performance many times. It is wonderful, very different from what he has played before, and his Irish accent is just right-quite a pleasure to hear it. I enjoyed the movie altogether, but Rourke's performance made it stand out totally-without it it would have been just another action/suspense movie. However, the blind girl's acting was unnatural and contrived a bit.

blackiceuk In my opinion Mickey Rourke's third best movie, the first being "Angel Heart" and the second being "Year of the Dragon".Rourke teamed up with Mike Hodges the director of such classics as "Get Carter" and the more recent "Croupier" in April of 1986 in London.The whole movie was filmed on location in London, the Irish scenes at the beginning were filmed probably in Herts. The actual church is in Canning in London, near the ill fated Millennium Dome and still stands today. It wasn't being used as a church at the time, and the roof damage was real due to a bombing in the second world war. The church still stands and is currently used as a community centre.Rourke plays Martin Fallon an IRA terrorist with a heart who recently bombed a school bus by accident and fled to London to evade the IRA and start again. He is taken on by local kingpin Jack Meehan played by a very camp Alan Bates whom has a day job of a funeral director and by night a nasty villain who wants Fallon to do one last job and he will pay him well and give him a passport and ticket to the US.The mark Fallon is to kill is another local kingpin whom Meehan wants dead so he can take over his drug business. The mark he has to kill always visits his mother in a local church where Fallon shoots him, but is seen by Father Da Costa played very well by Bob Hoskins. Da Costa won't co-operate with the police after hearing Fallon's confession and the whole movie then is based around Jack Meehan trying to kill Fallon and the Da Costa.Rourke's accent is spot on, maybe not to a true Irishman, but certainly to most it is very good, and his acting is on top form.Hoskins is believable and carries of being a vicar fairly well, and the script also tells he is an ex army officer which gives him a bit of reason to be little rough on some of the villains.Look out for a young Anthony Head (from Buffy) and a blind Sammi Davis whom was very popular in a lot of Ken Russell movies from the early 90's.