TAFFIN

UK, 1988, 96 minutes, Colour.
Pierce Brosnan, Ray Mc Annally, Allison Doody, Patrick Bergin, Gerald Mc Sorley.
Directed by Francis Megahy.

Taffin is a tough guy Irish thriller - with a surprising enviromental background. Pierce Brosnan is an ex-seminarian who is skilled at stand over tactics to get people to pay their bills. He gradually becomes involved in protests against the building of a chemical factory in his coastal - Irish town. Brosnan seems to be a touch humourless and severe in his tough luvvy-darling role.

However, there is quite a good supporting led by Ray Mc Anally as one of his former professors who is protesting against the factory. There are some scenes of tough action thriller style, some protests and arguments about envitonment, some violence, Irish style - with echoes of IRA terrorism. The Irish setting is unusual - and the town attractive. However, the behaviour, of course, could be from anywhere.

1. Interesting action thriller? Irish setting? Environmental issues?

2. The Irish locations, the town and tis enviornment? Action sequences and editing? Musical score?

2. The title, the focus on Taffin - the tough guv hero?

3. Taffin in action at the opening of the film, people asking him to help, his tough tactics, using his wits as well as his brawn? Getting money paid up? His relationship with his mother and her kindness? His own area, his books and desk? His relationship with his brother and sister-in-law? His reputation in the town? His friendship with O'Rourke, the explanation of his background in the seminary, urging him to go out and confront the world? The encounter with Charlotte, going home with her, living with her, his rough attitudes, her walking out, his brother persuading him to apologise? The resumption of the relationship? Involvement in the chemical factory plan, the discussions with the councillor, photographing with the owner, threatening him with the photos? Exercising his charm with the Councillor's wife? His friends and their shrewdness, using the cordless telephone, etc? Coming up on his victims quietly? Persuasiveness?

4. The thugs from the developers and their bashing him? The attack on Charlotte? The attack on O'Rourke? The reprisals and the burning down of the notice? The warfare in the town? His threatening Martin? The burning of Martin's home and his death? The townspeople turning their back on him? Charlotte and her confronting and bringing him her? His shrewdness in surviving, confronting the thug, the final shootouts? The confrontation with Sprawley and his death? Leaving for more adventures with Charlotte? The convention of the strongarm tough guy film, Pierce Brosnan's interpretation of it?

5. Charlotte, her work, her story, with Taffin, trying to get his story? Friendship,
clashes? The fight, her leaving, his apology? Her continued support, confronting the
townspeople?

6. The family, the mother, his brother? The assault on his brother? Taffin fighting to defend the family?

7. Rourke, his age, teaching in the seminary, retired, protests? The violent threats, the abuse? Supporting Taffin, turning away from him?

8. The range of people in the town: at the bars, at the striptease club, the protesters, Taffin's friends and alies? The owner of the field and his shot gun? The councillors and their corruption, the meetings?

9. Sprawley and Martin, their deals, corruption? The meetings and the plan, the building? Sprawley and his getting Martin killed, his thugs, the confrontation with Taffin and his defeat?

10. The familiar conventions of the tough guy thriller, the champion of the helpless? Themes and the environmental themes and the environmental speeches?