The Journey takes the 2006 power sharing negotiations for Northern Ireland at its starting point – and shows how a small piece of protocol turned out to be the key to unlocking the door to peace. At the time, senior members of the Democratic Unionist Part and Sinn Fein weren’t allowed to travel alone. So when Ian Paisley decided to go home to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary, a private jet was laid on for him – but he couldn’t travel by himself in the car to the airport or on the plane itself. His travelling companion was his personal and political enemy, Martin McGuinness.
And so The Journey – and their journey – begins. Timothy Spall plays Paisley and Colm Meaney McGuinness, both representing diametrically opposed people and both sensing that here was a chance for genuine peace. And, as we see at the end of the film, their relationship changed to such an extent that they became known colloquially as The Chuckle Brothers.
Flickering Myth’s Freda Cooper talked to the film’s director, Belfast-born Nick Hamm, about discovering the remarkable story and bringing it to the big screen, and to Timothy Spall about uncovering the human side of such a public figure. And why he’s in his element playing controversial characters.
The Journey is released in cinemas on Friday, 5 May. Read our review here.
Freda Cooper. Follow me on Twitter, check out my movie blog and listen to my podcast, Talking Pictures.
Originally published May 4, 2017. Updated October 24, 2022.
