It is 2006, and the Northern Ireland peace process is underway in St Andrews, Scotland, between representatives of the British and Irish governments and Northern Ireland's political parties, in relation to the devolution of power to the region. The two largest political parties are the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by the Rev. Ian Paisley favouring continued union with Britain and Sinn Féin led by Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, the Irish Republican Party wanting closer links with Ireland. Paisley and McGuinness, both crucial to the success of the peace talks had never met previously and conversed. It's a matter of public record that after an extended private meeting between the two, the talks proceeded along a path to eventual success and the forming of an unlikely political alliance between two former implacable foes. The Journey reimagines that private conversation occurring during an automobile trip to Edinburgh airport, where Dr Paisley is being driven to catch a plane home to allow him to celebrate his golden wedding anniversary. Due to political and security conventions, it is agreed that McGuinness shall accompany him, in a van driven by a British agent and rigged to be observed and listened to, by those remaining at St Andrews, unbeknownst to its two VIP occupants.
The Journey is an example of speculative historical fiction at its most entertaining. Producer/director Nick Hamm has succeeded in fashioning a fact-based fictional story which is both comprehensive, but relatively easy to understand for those not well versed in the "Northern Ireland Troubles" and at the same time is both dramatic, with surprisingly many moments of levity and injections of low-key humour.
This is an actors' movie and it's extremely pleasing to see two such fine character actors as Timothy Spall (Paisley) and Colm Meaney (McGuinness) being given the rare opportunity to both shine in lead roles. Great to see John Hurt in one of his last features, playing a significant part as British intelligence chief Harry Patterson, who has overall coordination of the van journey on behalf of the British Prime Minister played by a suitably, nervously enthusiastic, Tony Blair.
The script/dialogue has been criticised by a number of eminent critics as effectively "dumbing down" the conversation that may or may not have occurred between the two men. But in my opinion, it is pitched at entirely the right tone and philosophical levels. Overintellectualising and deepening the debate that frequently occurs, would have only made it more esoteric for an international audience and likely still raised issues of bias accusations from both sides of the political fence. As it is, we see a younger, more pragmatic, McGuinness, trying hard to bypass the far more reserved, and embedded beliefs and defence mechanisms of the fundamentalist Protestant leader, whose actions, he despises, but for whom, personally, we detect he feels a grudging respect.
In the main, the whole idea of the car trip prompting a forced dialogue between the two parties works well and given that the year was 2006, perhaps the two leaders may well not have realised they were technologically under observation, whereas today, they surely would have. The storyline does threaten to skid off the road so to speak,, when very unlikely third party interventions occur, such as the withdrawal of the accompanying security and the rather contrived episode occurring at the petrol station.
Historically we thankfully know there was a "happy ending" to the peace process and though a fictional mechanism is used, The Journey undoubtedly provides us with a balanced insight into the decades long "Troubles" in Northern Island. It also bears witness to the power and benefits of compromise between leaders, in gaining a lasting peace between the previously warring parties.
