Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Nine years on from their memorable crime biopic The General, veteran director John Boorman and burly star Brendan Gleeson reunite to considerably less striking effect in muddled satire The Tiger's Tail. Built around the hoariest of plot devices (a Dubliner stalked by his evil doppelganger), with hammy acting to match, this attempt to highlight the social cost of Ireland's economic revival suffers from the same identity crisis as its tormented hero. As tigers go, it's all growl and no teeth.

A property developer with a trophy wife (Kim Cattrall), a thriving business and an Irish Enterprise Award to his name, Liam O'Leary (Gleeson) has grown rich off the back of the so-called Celtic Tiger. In reality, though, his life's in meltdown. A scheme to build a national stadium has left him hugely over-extended, his son hates his guts and he's just discovered the woman he thought was his sister (Sinead Cusack) is really his ma. Not only that, but it turns out he's got an identical twin with a grudge...

"UNCONVINCING"

Though we never find out why it's taken so long for Gleeson Mark II to come out of the woodwork, there is much humour to be had as he takes over his sibling's life, usurping him in the boardroom and the bedroom only to realise what a poisoned chalice he's inherited. In trying to equate Liam's sudden descent into penury with the plight of his country's deprived underclass, however, Boorman ends up with a film as unconvincing as Cattrall's Irish accent.

The Tiger's Tail is released in UK cinemas on Friday 8th June 2007.