12 Days: Hunger (2008)

' Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.'

Normally when I choose a holiday movie for the 12 Days series, I pick a light, fun, sexy film.  A little male nudity is required, but I usually don't go that heavy.  There aren't really that many choices for St. Paddy's movies, but I remembered a film I saw a few years ago set in an Irish prison.  2008's Hunger features many Irish actors, including Michael Fassbender.  The film was directed by Steve McQueen.  McQueen is known for serious dramas and previously directed 12 Years A Slave.  McQueen went on to also direct Fassbender in Shame in 2011.

McQueen and Fassbender

Hunger premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, winning the prestigious Caméra d'Or award and  went on to win the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival, the Grand Prix of the Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics, best picture from the Evening Standard British Film Awards, and received two BAFTA nominations, winning one. The film was also nominated for eight awards at the 2009 IFTAs, winning six at the event. 

In the film, Fassbender stars as Bobby Sands, a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) member who led the second IRA hunger strike and participated in the no wash protest in which the  Irish republican prisoners tried to regain political status after it had been revoked by the British government in 1976. It outlines events in the Maze Prison in the period leading up to the hunger strike and its aftermath.

Michael Fassbender (Bobby)

There is nothing erotic or sexy about the nudity in Hunger.  It's brutal, and many scenes are difficult to watch.  Three years before Shame, Fassbender did have several full frontals in Hunger, but all were quick flashes as he was being dragged or beaten by the prison's guards.  

Davey and Gerry

One of the interesting relationships in Hunger was between Davey (Brian Milligan) and Davey. (Liam McMahon. Both Irish actors also had nude several nude scenes in the films.  Like Fassbender, many of the scenes were pretty violent, but there were two that I felt ok capping and making shot clips of. 

Brian Milligan (Davey)

Although from Northern Ireland, Milligan has appeared in several projects both in Ireland, and in the US that you may be familiar with. Some of Milligan's other credits include the 2010 film Leap Year as well as several episodes of the television show Quantico. 

Liam McMahon (Gerry)

In addition to his role in Hunger, Liam McMahon has also appeared in; Coronation Street, The Borgias, The Tudors as well as co-starring along side Brad Pitt in Snatch. (2000)