Widespread Critical Acclaim for Irish Documentary 'Unbreakable: The Mark Pollock Story'
Don’t miss the Irish documentary Unbreakable: The Mark Pollock Story, which has received huge critical acclaim following its release last Friday. The documentary is now showing in selected cinemas.
Harry Guerin for RTÉ Ten gave a five-star review to Unbreakable, praising the film as “guaranteed to be the Irish film of 2014 for many” as well as “heart-rending but ultimately uplifting.” Guerin also hailed the “inspirational cinema” as “a reminder to be thankful for what, and more importantly, who we have.”
Writing in The Irish Times, Tara Brady awarded Unbreakable four stars and called it “an utterly life-affirming film.” She also lauded the film for refusing to fall into “formulaic arcs” and the role of Pollock’s fiancée Simone George.
In the Sunday Independent, Hilary A. White noted that “this film reaches deep, asking questions about what’s important, what real problems look like and what we are capable of” and warned audiences to “Pack the hankies... because you’re going to need them.”
On Entertainment.ie, Gavin Burke praised the film as “stirring and engaging stuff”, as well as Whittaker for “pulling one into his very human story by simply sitting back and letting his well-chosen subjects do what he wants them to do; his non-obtrusive approach... creates an intimate atmosphere.”
Meanwhile Film Ireland described the “spellbinding narrative” of the film, noting that “‘Inspirational’ is a word that gets bandied about as a one-size fits all adjective about stories of human endeavour but in this case it is deserved.” Director Ross Whitaker was also praised for bringing the audience closer to Pollock, stating “it is the minutia of the everyday that makes this film so compelling. It is in this small detail that the story is crafted and a hero is made.”
Unbreakable: The Mark Pollock Story is out now in selected cinemas and will receive special screenings across Ireland over the coming weeks, a number of which will be attended by Whittaker and Pollock. See here for the complete list of screenings near you.