ACTOR Colm Meaney has been hailed for his “haunting” performance as Ian Bailey in Jim Sheridan’s new film about the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.
Re-Creation premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on Sunday night.
Inspired by the unsolved slaying of Sophie, 39, in Schull, Co Cork, the 89-minute film imagines a jury’s deliberations if the main suspect, Bailey, had been tried in Ireland.
The British journalist was investigated by Gardai but never went on trial here for the French filmmaker’s killing — despite the fact he was tried and convicted in absentia by the French.
But the Irish High Court refused to surrender Bailey to French authorities.
He died in January 2024 from a heart attack, aged 66.
Sophie’s uncle Jean Pierre Gazeau, while acknowledging Sheridan as a “gifted and accomplished film maker”, has criticised the project as it is based on “questionable evidence” about the case.
Undoubtedly there will be much interest in how Bailey, played by Meaney, 72, comes out of the new movie.
While the Bailey character appears only in silence, website Nextbestpicture.com writes that: “His presence looms large. His mute performance is haunting — it reflects how Bailey, a man loudly protesting his innocence for decades, was silenced more by public opinion than by any court.”
However, reviews of the film have been fairly mixed, with one website awarding it just 6.5 out of 10.
The HoloFiles wrote: “As the film progresses, a critical error becomes clear. Re- Creation does very little to orient viewers to the case of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier.
“It heavily depends on prior exposure to and familiarity with the murder of Toscan Du Plantier.
“If, like us, you approach the film without a rather thorough understanding of the case, there will be more than a few times where you find yourself confused.”
‘COMPELLING VIEWING’
But the reviewer added: “Even when the film becomes muddled in confusing details of the case, the interactions between the members of the jury make for compelling viewing.”
HoloFiles also praised the movie’s “authentic performances”.
They include director Jim, who plays Juror 1, who the website lauds for his “extraordinary naturalism, so much so that one often feels like you’re watching an actual person in a documentary”.
Contacted by The Irish Sun, a critic who reviewed the movie for Life Is A Film Fest website, told us: “The details of his (Bailey’s) life that are discussed in the film paint him as not a particularly nice guy.
“Not a likeable character, regardless of whether he was the killer of not.”
“As the film progresses, a critical error becomes clear. Re- Creation does very little to orient viewers to the case of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier.”
HoloFiles
Critics also praised Phantom Thread actress Vicky Krieps as Juror 8, who kicks off the story as the lone holdout of the jury.
Unlike the others, Krieps’ character feels the murder case warrants
a not-guilty verdict, much to the utter dismay of the other jurors.
The film shows flashbacks to evidence being presented by Aidan Gillen, who plays prosecutor Hamilton Barnes, while Vicky intensely battles over the verdict with Love/Hate actor John Connors.
But website The HoloFiles said that “as a film about an investigation, Re-Creation falls short”.
‘NOT TRYING TO UPSET THEM’
Sheridan, a six-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker, defended the release of the film over the weekend and said that it was not intended to cause any distress to the Toscan du Plantier family.
He added: “I’m not trying to upset them, I’m not trying to do anything to them.
“But if there’s a possibility that Ian Bailey didn’t do it and he’s pursued and hounded for 25 years, you can’t cure one crime by committing another.”
No release date has yet been given for Re-Creation in Ireland.
TIMELINE OF SOPHIE CASE
December 23, 1996: Sophie’s battered body, still in night clothes, is found outside her holiday home near Schull, west Cork, by a neighbour.
February 10, 1997: Ian Bailey is arrested at his home for the murder but is later released.
April 17, 1997: Inquest hears Sophie died from multiple injuries, including laceration of the brain and skull fracture, caused by a blunt instrument.
January 27, 1998: Ian Bailey is arrested and quizzed for a second time, but is again released without charge.
January 2002: A review is ordered into the murder investigation after a highly critical report is written by a solicitor.
June 2008: A French magistrate orders the exhumation of Sophie’s body for a post-mortem and forensic examination.
July 2008: An inquiry into the handling of the murder probe recommends no prosecution.
June to October 2009: French authorities travel to West Cork to view the crime scene and meet Irish investigators. Two Garda detectives travel to Paris for quiz on probe.
February 19, 2010: A French judge issues a European Arrest Warrant.
April 23, 2010: Gardai arrest Bailey and he is brought before the High Court and granted bail.
March 18, 2011: High Court orders Bailey to surrender to European arrest warrant but he appeals to Supreme Court.
March 1, 2012: The Supreme Court rules in Bailey’s favour in his appeal against extradition.
May 31, 2019: Bailey is found guilty of Sophie’s murder in his absence in France. He is sentenced to 25 years in jail.
June 21, 2019: French authorities issue a third European Arrest Warrant.
October 12, 2020: High Court rules against Bailey being extradited. Later, State decides not to appeal. It ends attempts to extradite Bailey.
