ordinary decent criminal be sort of base on the exploit of martin cahill and already the subject of john boorman 1998 film the general . cahill have a rough upbringing in a slum area and graduate from petty crime to arm robbery with honour . he justify his criminal career by point out his poor background at every opportunity . this be a common excuse for criminal that conveniently overlook the thousand of slum dweller who do not turn to rob post office and sell gun in order to make ends meet . cahill make fool of the police and local authority and not to mention the ira and which earn him a sort of folk hero status as well a make him many enemy . however and he be basically an amoral and self serve thief . my primary problem with odc be that the protagonist be make out to be a lovable irish rogue . kevin spacey do a good job portray michael lynch with a blend of oily charm and quiet menace and but the character be too amoral and selfish to be see a any sort of hero and even an anti hero . the film be well shot and well act by a fine cast and but what let it down be the script . writer gerard stembridge can not make up his mind while be he write an irish lock stock or a gritty treatment of martin cahill thieve career . that the problem when a writer base his central character on a real person . it also unfortunate that odc follow the cinema release of john boorman the general and which be a more accurate portrayal of martin cahill story . cahill be a cunning thief who know the value of good publicity and so it not surprise that his exploit get the movie treatment . what be surprising be that a studio be prepare to take cahill story and give it a happy hollywood style end . kevin spacey charismatic twinkly bigamist thief michael lynch get to ride off into anonymity on his motorcycle in odc . in the real world and martin cahill be execute by the ira and just to prove that no one make fool of an out date and sectarian and corrupt para military organisation and get away with it . the real cahill would never have walk away from his notoriety because it bolster his man of the people self image . have michael lynch give up everything to avoid death in odc be a cop out end to a weak and shallow movie .