Video Americain

Review

Based on an amalgamation of actual scandals, this fictionalized account of official corruption in Northern Ireland is a superb addition to the already substantial library of British films which explore the machinations of the "secret" government. The tightly woven thread of intrigue begins when an American civil rights activist (Dourif) is assassinated in Belfast. McDormand and Cox are both excellent as, respectively, Dourif's girlfriend and an incorruptible Scotland Yard detective who together uncover the biggest political scandal since Watergate and Iran/Contra.