I recently watched this relatively new (to the U.S.) release of this Irish film. I was greatly impressed with it and I plan to Hub an adequate review in the near future. I really would like to think about this thought-provoking and complex film before I do though as I remain unsettled on some of the layers - to me the absolute sign of a movie which contains significant input.

I will say I read online current reviews after the fact and I found none of them satisfactory in touching on the overwhelming glory of this little import. Almost all of the reviews glossed over the political aspects which provided the background and some of them are factually wrong as well, hence my desire to write my own personal review - if I get around to it rather than becoming sidetracked. :p

In the meantime, I've written this little poem that one might consider a poetic general synopsis of the story.

I hope some of you choose to see this film and might be willing to discuss it with me here on Hubs.

Here is the IMdb link - 48 Angels - "Seamus is a 9 year old boy who has been diagnosed with a serious illness. In search of a miracle, he sets off to find God before God comes for him..."

The best review I've found online for this film is here.

"48 ANGELS is set in present day Northern Ireland. Seamus, eight years old, a Catholic, is dying from an incurable illness. He is desperate for a miracle. Witnessing the death of his father traumatizes James, a fourteen-year-old Protestant. Seamus is young and impressionable. James is emotionally wounded and isolated.

Seamus, while on holiday with his family meets up with his friend Grace, who captivates him with the tales of the ancient Celts especially Colmeille and his journey to the island of Iona. Seamus decides to set out on a "journey" in a small wooden boat with neither oars nor sail, as did Colmeille, in order to find God and got his miracle.

Meanwhile. James lost and not comprehending the emotions caused by his father's recent murder, runs away from home in a desperate bid to escape his feelings of anger and pain. Seeking solitude he makes his way across a small land bridge, to an old ruin of a church in the middle of a lake. And here the two paths collide.

Darry McDonell, recently released from prison after serving seven years for terrorist offences, now finds himself in a changed world. Darry is unable to let go of the past; he is a man at war with everyone, but mostly himself. In an attempt to flee from the police, Darry has escaped to a small island. Lying wounded and unconscious with the police closing in, our two young runaways stumble across him and initially mistake him for the Jesus Seamus has been searching for. As the story unfolds the boys and Darry ultimately examine their inner world and as a result of the journey together, the trio experience a healing of both heart and soul."

two simple wooden cups adorn 

the carpenter's table in the barn 

we make our choice and drink our lives 

by doing so god's will arrives 

the gift of freedom to have choice 

god's way of giving us a voice 

we can drink the poison made in hell 

or by 48 angels from god's well 

climb in saint columcille's boat 

only faith keeps us afloat 

without sail and without oar 

we search adrift for something more 

we look for heroes in the mist 

we try to hold god in clenched fists 

but god is found not in a man 

but in the journey we don't plan 

we find our angels drenched in sin 

we tend their wounds, we look within 

and notice as we heal their pain 

we've found our faith inside again 

remember jesus comes to stay 

with those who choose to meet halfway 

the glory of love in it's most human form 

which tides us through the roughest storm 

god's not an icon on a shelf 

we all know god, he is ourself 

what we would reap we ourselves sow 

and with god's grace our joy will grow

I finally finished my alternative unrhymed and quasi-unrelated version of this poem and it can be found here.

I found the top image by micahhayes here~