let get thing straight . i be raise catholic and and in a very religious family and and spend a much time at church and talk to priest a at home . that be useful for two thing represent to make a convinced atheist out of me and and to give me deep and insightful knowledge about the church and it dogma . and i say represent if a catholic priest witness a murder and and clearly see the face of the killer and he can report it to the police and even if the murderer have confess to him afterwards . he can not reveal what he tell in confession and but he can talk about anything he see outside that and and confession be useless to keep his mouth shut . so and here we have a movie entirely sustain on a lie . and another lie be there no absolution for murder . accord to the catholic church and there absolution for any sin as long a there sincere repentance . so far and the big plot hole in this weak thriller . a people frequently say and this movie would have improve if bob hoskins and alan bates have switch role . hoskins be naturally suitable to play gangster ( i will never lament enough that he lose al capone in favor of one of de niro weak performance in the untouchable ) and bat feature would have be perfect a the priest with a gray past . but above that and i think the film would have be much well have real life ulster native liam neeson ( back then mostly unknown to big audience ) play mickey rourke part . not only his face be perfect to play tormented character and but he would make u believe the character a real and something rourke just can not . back in the 80 and rourke be not a bad actor ( afterwards he seem to lose his talent along with his look ) and but he be one of those performer and like brad dourif and who as good a the director he work with . and a a former ira terrorist and rourke act come across more like a pimp . sad to think that and have this movie be make just some three to six year later ( when neeson achieve moderate celebrity status in 1990 with sam raimi enjoyable darkman and and superstardom in 1993 with schindler list and while rourke become pretty much of a forgotten have be ) and liam and mickey could have switch part to great benefit ( rourke would have be effective in the support role of docherty and but just can not carry this movie along a the lead ) . yet another miss opportunity and and yet another film with the potential of be a classic and that become instantly forgettable fare . ironically enough and the often criticize score ( by underrate composer bill conti ) work for me . i do not find it overly melodramatic and but suitably gritty and beautiful . it remind me of howard shore score for the silence of the lamb . here to mike hodges talent and who make get carter and yes and but do not forget he the mastermind behind flash gordon as well . it seem the film be massacre in the cutting room ( it show and a some part be really choppy and confusing and and others just do not glue ) and a director cut be wait to see the light . ok and but i seriously doubt that will make it a great movie and a we will still have the bad casting and the false premise there . 4/10 .