Kes casts a long shadow over this tale about a Belfast lad who trains a no-hoper greyhound to race-winning success. But failing to match Ken Loach's high-flying classic is no reason to shun Pearse Elliott's compelling yarn.
The so-called `Peace Wall' is given short shrift by an opening scene that shows Catholics playing football in crash helmets to protect them from stones. But it's peace that's the focus of Elliott's script, in which plucky tyke Donal (Tyronne McKenna) has a stark choice between the `Brits Out' enmity of dog-owner Good Joe (Ken Stott) and the more conciliatory tone adopted by reformed terrorist `O' (Robert Carlyle).
Like many a greyhound, the film runs out of steam on the finishing straight, but the impressive cast add lustre to the slightly mangy material. X-Filer Gillian Anderson sporting an Ulster brogue as a chain-smoking single mum is a bonus.
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