By George & Josh Bate
In 1996, the murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier at her vacation home in West Cork became one of Ireland’s most shocking unsolved crimes. British journalist Ian Bailey quickly became the prime suspect in the murder and, after an investigation by Irish authorities, was tried and convicted in absentia by the French government. However, Bailey never faced trial in Ireland and remained a free man until his death last year. In the new Tribeca premiere Re-Creation, directors Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father) and David Merriman (Rock Against Homelessness) explore a fictional reality in which Bailey was actually brought to trial in Ireland. The film follows a jury as they deliberate the case, evaluate the evidence, and come to a conclusion about Ian Bailey’s culpability.
The parallels between Re-Creation and 12 Angry Men are striking, and something directors Sheridan and Merriman do not shy away from. Sidney Lumet’s 1957 directorial debut is regarded by many as one of the best films of all time, making any attempt to mirror its narrative structure perilous in the comparisons it invites. Parodies, foreign language remakes, and a 1997 television remake aside, there have been few attempts to recreate what 12 Angry Men did until Re-Creation.
Among the ensemble cast of Re-Creation is Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, Old), who kicks off the story as the lone holdout of the jury. Unlike the others, Krieps’ character believes the case warrants a ‘non-guilty’ verdict , much to the dismay of the other jurors. Much like 12 Angry Men, over the course of the film, other jurors begin to see Krieps’ character’s perspective and evaluate the evidence more critically. With the exception of a handful of scenes, the entirety of Re-Creation takes place in a single room as the jurors deliberate the fate of Ian Bailey.
As the film progresses, a critical error becomes increasingly clear. Re-Creation does very little to orient viewers to the case of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier. Even as viewers who have seen the Netflix documentary Sophie: A Murder in West Cork, we found ourselves struggling to follow all the pieces of evidence under investigation by the jury. As such, the mileage one gets out of Re-Creation heavily depends on prior exposure to and familiarity with the murder of Toscan Du Plantier. If, like us, you approach the film without a rather thorough understanding of the case, there will be more than a few times where you find yourself confused.
In this sense, as a film about an investigation, Re-Creation falls short. However, as a film about human dynamics and perceptions of the truth, it excels. Even when the film becomes muddled in confusing details of the case, the interactions between the members of the jury make for compelling viewing. Seeing how the jurors argue and debate with one another provides a fascinating insight into social dynamics and how random strangers arrive at life-changing conclusions. How the characters influence one another and allow their personal histories to bias their decisions are just some of the interesting interpersonal components at play in Re-Creation.
Re-Creation also benefits from a variety of authentic performances that give the film a grounded, realistic feel. Co-director Jim Sheridan plays Juror 1 with extraordinary naturalism, so much so that one often feels like you’re watching an actual person in a documentary. Playing Juror 3, John Connors is another standout of the cast as the more combative and argumentative member of the jury. The other performances, including that of Krieps, are also strong and add nuance to a layered script from Sheridan and Merriman.
VERDICT: 6.5/10
Re-Creation tells the fictional story of an Irish jury’s deliberation of Ian Bailey as the potential murderer of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier. Borrowing heavily from 12 Angry Men, the film from directing and writing duo Jim Sheridan and David Merriman compels with authentic, natural performances (especially from Sheridan and John Connors) and with its exploration of social dynamics and human psychology. Unfortunately, the investigation of Bailey and the intricate evaluation of evidence falls short, largely due to the film’s failure to properly orient audiences to the murder of Toscan Du Plantier. For those unfamiliar with the case, entire scenes and dialogue exchanges will likely cause confusion and hinder the ability to immerse oneself in the investigation. Re-Creation takes a strong stand about the culpability about Ian Bailey, a decision that will probably invite debate among those close to or familiar with the murder. As viewers without such investment, we found Re-Creation to be a fascinating exploration of human nature and a disappointing exploration of one of Ireland’s most shocking crimes.