The following year , Nesbitt coed @-@ starred with Liam Neeson in the fact @-@ based television film Five Minutes of Heaven ( Oliver Hirschbiegel , 2009 ) . The first part of the film dramatise the real @-@ life murder of Jim Griffin by Alistair Little in 1970s Lurgan ; the second part feature a fictional meeting between Little ( Neeson ) and Jim 's brother Joe ( Nesbitt ) 33 years later . Nesbitt met with Griffin before filming began to learn about how his brother 's murder affected him . The film was broadcast on BBC Two in April 2009 . He also starred as Colour Sgt. Mike Swift in Peter Bowker 's three @-@ part BBC / Kudos television serial Occupation . In Occupation , set over six years , Nesbitt 's character is one of three British soldiers who return to Basra , Iraq after their tours have concluded . He researched the role by speaking to Territorial Army soldiers in Belfast , and RAF officers in Morocco , where the serial was filmed . Both performances was commended by Independent journalist Hugh Montgomery ; in a review of 2009 's television , Montgomery named Nesbitt " Face of the Year " , writing , " Just as you had James Nesbitt written off as the gurning embodiment of everything mediocre about British TV drama , he produced two stonking performances , as the transfixingly harrowed sergeant in Occupation , and a nervily vengeful victim 's relative in Irish @-@ troubles piece Five Minutes of Heaven . Give the man a Bafta . " Nesbitt was not nominated for a BAFTA award , though did receive a nomination for Best Actor from the Broadcasting Press Guild for both performances .