Re-Creation

By: MJ Asuncion

The 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a French filmmaker, remains one of Ireland’s most shocking unsolved crimes. She was found dead by a neighbor in the laneway beside her vacation home in West Cork. Ian Bailey, a British journalist, was a suspect investigated and arrested twice by the Irish authorities but never faced trial in Ireland. Though Bailey was convicted in absentia by the French government in 2019, no one has ever been charged in Ireland in connection with the murder. The film Re-Creation takes on the question, “What if Bailey had been brought to trial for the murder in Ireland?”

The film takes on an interesting fusion of imagined and reality, as we are brought into a room with a fictional jury who face the arduous task of sifting through the facts and evidence of the case in order to come to their final decision. At first things seem to be fairly black and white, with the majority quickly raising their hands to a guilty verdict, though there is the exception of one. Juror 8 (Vicky Krieps) is alone in her doubt, basing it on a feeling and intuition. She proves that she is not easily intimidated and stands her ground, even as Juror 3 (John Connors) loudly dismisses her stating, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.” Thus, the tension in the room grows tenfold, stemming from the two strong opposing sides. Without a unanimous verdict, the twelve jurors must dive deeper into the case, uprooting various stories laced with inconsistencies and questionable witness accounts, all while navigating each other’s unpredictable temperaments. As they work to uncover the details, uncomfortable truths surface and the divide between guilty and not guilty shifts often.

The film has an exceptional ensemble cast who draw you into this fictitious world. Everyone brings a different aspect to the table, helping to develop and move the story at a steady pace. Vicky Krieps and John Connors lead the cast with their stellar performances as the two jurors with the strongest and most determined voices. Krieps, though soft-spoken, is a force portraying Juror 8’s unwavering integrity with raw emotion. Connors brings a powerful presence to Juror 3, a bold contrast to Krieps’ character. The film’s co-director and co-writer Jim Sheridan is front and center in his role as Juror 1 / Foreman, using his calm, commanding demeanor to guide the jurors and the audience through a journey of discovery.

Re-Creation is the product of Jim Sheridan and David Merriman, who served as both the directors and screenwriters. Adding to Sheridan’s roles, he is also the Executive Producer of the film. Best known for My Left Foot (1989), The Field (1990) and In the Name of the Father (1993), Jim Sheridan is a six-time Academy Award nominee and has won numerous international awards. His films have garnered critical and popular acclaim and won two Academy Awards. Sheridan spends a long time developing his projects, expertly crafting the story and its characters. Prior to Re-Creation, David Merriman is best known for The State of Being Human (2015), an award winning documentary film about the causes and costs of homophobia in Ireland and Alabama. Combined with Sheridan’s unique storytelling style, the collaboration of these two talents created a well-balanced hybrid between the real people involved and the actors who portray a role.

With Re-Creation we witness firsthand the taxing deliberation between the jurors as they discuss, debate analyze and argue the facts of Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s murder and where Ian Bailey fits into it. I found myself listening intently to every little detail, wanting to understand the intricacies of this vexing story. The characters are relatable and I was intrigued to see what goes on behind a closed jury door. Re-Creation is able to seamlessly blend truth and imagination where we forget that this jury isn’t real because we are invested in wanting to know what happened. It was an easy watch and I learned something about this shocking case.