The Journey

The Journey is a biographical drama directed by Nick Hamm and starring Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Toby Stephens, Catherine McCormack, Freddie Highmore, and John Hurt.

The Journey is the gripping account of how two men from opposite sides of the political spectrum came together to change the course of history. In 2006, amidst the ongoing, decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland, representatives from the two warring factions meet for negotiations. In one corner is Ian Paisley (Spall), the deeply conservative British loyalist; in the other is Martin McGuinness (Meaney), a former Irish Republican Army leader who has devoted his life to the cause of Irish reunification. Opposites in every way, the two men at first seem to have little chance of ever finding common ground. But over the course of an impromptu, detour-filled car ride through the Scottish countryside, each begins to see the other less as an enemy, and more as an individual—a breakthrough that promises to at last bring peace to the troubled region.

Hamm credits his actors – particularly Spall – with bringing his film to life. “Tim created an incredibly difficult role to get to know. He took this man, whom many regard as tyrannical, obnoxious, violent even – certainly divisive – but a believer. Somebody who believes passionately in what he’s doing. I think for Tim that was something that was fascinating as well: to go and play a character who was so passionate, so fulfilling and so big. Yet to pull it off was so difficult because his characteristics were so odd. You can’t play that unless you can transform yourself into that part and Tim does that.”

The Journey is rated PG.