Route Irish

"The most dangerous road in the world conceals an even deadlier secret."

2011 1h 49m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 108

Drama

Synopsis

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A private security contractor in Iraq rejects the official explanation of his friend's death and sets out to uncover the truth.

“The most dangerous road in the world conceals an even deadlier secret.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Mark Womack
Fergus
John Bishop
Frankie
Andrea Lowe
Rachel
Geoff Bell
Walker
Jack Fortune
Haynes
Talib Hamafraj
Harim
Jamie Michie
Jamie
Najwa Nimri
Marisol

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ken Loach
Writers: Paul Laverty
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 5 countries: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ken Loach, shot by Chris Menges. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jonathan Morris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Mark Womack and John Bishop and Andrea Lowe carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The most dangerous road in the world conceals an even deadlier secret.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1528312 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ken Loach directs. Chris Menges behind the camera. George Fenton scores. Jonathan Morris cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 15 years ago.
2International production across 5 countries: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain.
3Directed by Ken Loach, shot by Chris Menges. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jonathan Morris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Mark Womack and John Bishop and Andrea Lowe carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The most dangerous road in the world conceals an even deadlier secret.".
8IMDB entry: tt1528312 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Chris Menges
Original score: George Fenton
Editing: Jonathan Morris
Production design: Fergus Clegg
Costume design: Sarah Ryan
Sound: Kevin Brazier
Stunt coordinator: Paul Heasman
Runtime: 109 min · 1h 49m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,022,411
Original language: EN
IMDB: Route Irish (2011)

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Ken Loach

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What people are saying

Kenneth Axel Carlsson2014-12-31
★ 7.5/10
A man, Fergus (Mark Womack), has come home to bury his friend. They shared dreams once, of going abroad, seeing the world, and they did, as soldiers, but only one of them came back. He died on the Route Irish, a road while picking up a journalist from the airport. Route Irish, by the way, is a codename for the road going from the Bagdad Airport to the Green Zone (the most dangerous road in the world). The man feels responsible for his friend's death, and now he is investigating the incident. It should be mentioned here that he stole his friend's phone and found some images and films that might incriminate the people he worked for. As he delves into the circumstances leading to his friend's death, he also relives his own experiences abroad. Ken Loach is a master of these films; films that doesn't just tell a story, but explain to us how the world works. This might not be "based on real events", but it could have been; these are the stories we see on the news every day. I recently watched a movie much like this, called In the Valley of Elah, with Tommy Lee Jones. These two movies are kindred spirits in many ways, as they both follow men who are looking for answers, and both involve the military in Iraq. There are major differences, of course, but enough to bind them together. Like one of these and chances are that you'll like the other one as well. Last words... regardless of how you feel about Iraq, watch this movie. It is about people trying to do what they feel is right, about uncovering answers when people would rather that they didn't. The truth is not always pleasant, but it is... the truth.

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