February 10, 2018

11 films worth your time this week


Song For A Raggy Boy   Sat   10/2   RTE2 @ 23.15

An ex soldier becomes a teacher at an Irish industrial school & stands up to the establishment after he witnesses the cruelty dished out by so called men of god. An very good but very very hard to watch film directed by Aisling Walsh that will rightly leave you shaking with anger. Aidan Quinn is solid in the lead role but Iain Glen and Marc Warren are so chilling in their parts that it will probably forever colour your views on them. 

28 Days Later   Sat   10/2   Syfy @ 22.10

A man wakes up from a coma and discovers his hospital is deserted and London outside is quiet. A bit too quiet. Danny Boyle's 2002 horror film is the real deal. A genuinely unnerving and terrifying experience and that will get under your skin and live in your head when your lights go out at night. Cillian Murphy is spot on in the lead and Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson are both powerful as back up. Not for the squeamish.

Spy   Sun   11/2   CH4 @ 21.00

Melissa McCarthy stars as Susan Cooper, a spy sent out on her first field mission. A genuinely funny film full of proper belly laughs made even better by the fact that Susan is good at her job and we are laughing with her rather than at her. Jason Statham has a whale of a time in support and rips the absolute piss out of himself and his screen persona. Rose Byrne and Jude Law both add to the fun.

The Fog   Sun   11/2   The Horror Channel @ 21.00

Director John Carpenter is on mighty form in this genuinely spooky and scary tale of ghostly pirates taking their revenge on a seaside town that let them down many years before. This film has a lovely old fashioned feel as violence and gore is kept to a minimum and atmosphere and creepiness rules the roost. Horror legends Jamie Lee Curtis, Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh and Tom Atkins are all good in this.

Clear And Present Danger   Sun   11/2   TV3 @ 22.30

There has been 5 film adaptions of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels and this is by far the best. Harrison Ford stars in a thrilling, complex and intelligent tale of government dodginess and Colombian drug cartel nastiness loosely ( very loosely ) based on the story of Pablo Escobar. Joaquim de Almeida steals the film with a great slimy performance plus it contains one of my all time favourite action scenes.

Fruitvale Station   Mon   12/2   Film4 @ 23.20

The true story of a young man called Oscar Grant III and the last 24 hrs of his life in California's Bay Area before he fell foul of white America. Director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan are brilliant in this microcosmic look at the daily pressures of life as an African American male. A scary and heart breaking tale. Octavia Spenser and Kevin Durand give excellent support.

The Railway Man   Tues   13/2   More4 @ 21.00

A man ruined by the torture he was put through in the Pacific theatre of World War 2 finds out the person responsible is still alive and he wants to face him one last time. A dark,grim film made watchable by a superb performance from the always reliable Colin Firth. An unusual film too in that it portrays the horrors of war intimately rather than on an epic scale as most war films do. Powerful stuff.

The Lobster   Wed   14/2   Film4 @ 21.00

In a dystopian future, single people are given a set amount of time to find a romantic partner or they are turned into an animal of their choosing for the rest of their lives. Sounds odd right? It is, it's absolutely bizarre but it's also very very entertaining, especially the first half when we discover this strange new world. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz as the leads are both great. 

The Wrestler   Thurs   15/2   TCM @ 21.00

When health problems start to affect both his personal life and his work life an aging wrestler is forced into retirement. But life outside the ring is a lot tougher than he expected. Mickey Rourke is immense in this touching and upsetting tale of redemption and of a man losing his way in the world. Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood more than carry their own against Rourke.

Wuthering Heights   Fri   16/2   Film4 @ 01.20

A young boy is taken in the Earnshaw family and as the years pass he develops a strange and intense relationship with his foster sister. This Andrea Arnold directed take on Emily Brontë's famous novel is unlike any you've seen before. It doesn't whitewash the darker aspects of the novel like previous adaptions did and adds it's own modern touch too. An excellent watch with superb performances from Kaya Scodelario and James Howson.

Bad Neighbours   Fri   16/2   RTE2 @ 22.35

When the house next to them is turned into a fraternity house for a nearby college a married couple find themselves facing off against an unruly mob of students. Chaos ensues. Your enjoyment of this film will depend on your tolerance for Seth Roger  but if you can take him you'll have a fun time with this. The very likable Rose Byrne and Zach Efron both add to the fun. A perfect Friday night watch to enjoy with beer and a takeaway.


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