JACK TAYLOR: PURGATORY
Ireland, 2016, 100 minutes, Colour.
Iain Glen, Siobhan O’ Kelly, Jack Monaghan, Christopher Fulford.
Directed by Charlie Mc Carthy.
The Jack Taylor series, based on novels by Ken Bruen, proved to be very popular, co-productions between Ireland and Germany.
Iain Glen portrays the former police officer, tangles because of his unorthodox behaviour in police crises, and drinker, in a difficult relationship with his mother, retired from the force and acting as a private detective.
Purgatory is the third of a series from 2016, each following on in plotlines from the other.
The story concerns the murder of an IT expert, the stealing of a prototype from the company, the attempts to retrieve it, the use of violence to threaten suspects. However, the main mystery is not about the computer games rather about relationships, one of the computer experts, very sympathetic in a scene where she meets Taylor in a bar but is then murdered, is lesbian and in a relationship with the wife of the company owner.
Kate Noonan, Siobhan O’ Kelly, has had her mastectomy but is back at work, in a relationship with the rehabilitation centre director from the previous film but also in an emotionally complex relationship with Taylor. Her cousin Darragh, Jack Monaghan, has had a taste of working with Taylor in detection and becomes involved here.
An entertaining mystery, a portrait of Taylor, but this film directed by Charlie Mc Carthy while Stuart Orme, director of all the previous films, is a dialogue consultant and executive producer.
1. The popularity of the Jack Taylor series? Taylor himself, detection, relationships?
2. The Galway setting, the details of the city, the Cathedral? Factories and workplaces, computer games? The mountain scenery? The musical score?
3. The continuity from the previous films: Jack and the loss of his finger, Kate and her mastectomy, the relationship with Anthony, tension with Jack, Mason and his attack on Anthony and his being held liable?
4. The initial death, Nick, skateboarding, his being shot? His friends?
5. Computer games, the office, hiring Darragh, his job, the party, getting to know the fellow workers, the fight in the alley, the stealing of the prototype?
6. Mason’s story, the attack on Anthony, Mason and his appeal to Jack, getting the information about Darragh, the deal, finding Skyler, computer game, the confrontation with Farrell and his wife?
7. The party, the bar, Skyler and her sympathy, talking with Jack, visiting her apartment? Kate and Anthony turning up?
8. Alan and Debbie, the situation, Skyler and the problems? Her promoting Nick? Farrell, talking with Jack, the threats? The thugs in the alleyway attacking Alan?
9. Skyler and the news of her death?
10. Farrell and the story of his wife, her being in charge of security, American, her previous husband, her shooting him, her hold over Farrell, his hold over her, love, marriage?
11. Debbie, Darragh interviewing her, antagonism towards Alan, her liking of Skyler, providing the information?
12. Kate, back at the job, interviewing Nick’s father, the skaters?
13. Darragh and Alan, their being taken, hanging from the hooks, Jack arriving, the information from Mason, letting them down? Alan, the loan shark and his being framed?
14. Nick, Alan stealing his ideas, the setup, information on the Dark Net? Jack and Nick’s father – and his remembering Jack’s father and his kindness and providing food? Giving
the computer?
15. The computer expert, finding the pictures of Skyler and Farrell’s wife?
16. The lesbian complication, Skyler and the wife, Mason and the search of her house, finding the prototype? Going to Farrell? The confrontation by his wife, her killing her
husband, shooting Mason? Explanations to Jack, Mason firing the shot, the truth?
17. The relationship with Skyler, Skyler wanting her to be public, the wife saying she would lose everything, the gift of the medal, Jack’s clue?
18. Going to see Nick’s father, the truth, the flashback, the gift of the flowers from Skyler, her visit, her blaming herself, doing the right thing as Jack had advised her to, the father attacking and killing her? Jack phoning and letting him be arrested despite his plea?
19. A satisfying murder mystery and investigation?
