The General (1998)

Martin Cahill was this Irish criminal mastermind in the late '80s who seemed destined to become the hero (or anti-hero) of a film.  Director John Boorman gives the world another expertly crafted work of art to impress for generations to come and Brendan Gleeson delivers one of his best performances, seeming to become the real Mr. Cahill.  This larger than life character fearlessly did what he wanted and took what he wanted and he did it by joyfully outsmarting the police and in some cases his own friends.   He is the kind of person that proves life is stranger than fiction.  Sure, eventually this past would come back to ruin him, but not before making him a Dublin legend.  It's weird to praise a film for in some ways celebrating a criminal, but I think there's more going on here than mere glorification.  There's a lot us average folk can learn from those willing to mock society and defy the norms that imprison us.  Grade: A-.