Election Sat 15/7 W @ 21.00
A rivalry develops between an unhappy high school teacher and an extremely overachieving student during the run up to school president elections. Alexander Payne's movie is a hilarious, dark and nicely off kilter look at high school life and one that's anchored by 2 cracking performances from Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick. It's a sly satire of American politics too and very welcome these days.
Haywire Sat 15/7 TV3 @ 22.30
A black ops spy is sent on a mission to Dublin and quickly realises she's been double crossed. All her skills and cunning come into play as she looks for revenge. Gina Carano mightn't be the best actress but her physical presence is immense in this very entertaining action thriller. Cracking cast in this including Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum and Ewan McGregor. Plus seeing Dublin in an action film is just deadly, a real novelty.
The Squid And The Whale Sat 15/7 RTE1 @ Midnight
Two boys in 1980's Brooklyn are affected by their parent's messy divorce and find themselves beginning to act out in strange ways. A cutting, cynical but poignant film thats in places very funny and full of amazing acting from a great cast. The always superb Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels bring great weight to proceedings and Jesse Eisenberg in an early role is superb. A raging performance from William Baldwin is a nice surprise too.
The Duke Of Burgundy Sun 16/7 Film4 @ 01.30
Evelyn, a student studying butterflies and her lecturer/employer Cynthia begin seeing each other and soon find themselves pushing the boundaries of their relationship to some very intense places. A dark, erotic and beautiful looking film and one that whilst very light on plot will keep you watching to the end. Funny in places, sad in others and always well acted by Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna.
Goodfellas Sun 16/7 TCM @ 21.00
My favourite film of all time. Well one of them. A masterpiece. A story of a man in the mafia over 25 years. Martin Scorsese's film is pure electricity captured on celluloid. Hilarious, terrifying, exhilarating and utterly compelling. The acting is second to none too, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Lorraine Bracco are all at their best but the film is owned by Joe Pesci. He's amazing, as scary as any cinematic monster.
The Drop Mon 17/7 Film4 @ 21.00
A quiet bartender in a mob run bar in Brooklyn finds his life getting very complicated when the place is robbed & when he becomes involved his neighbour. A cracking little low key thriller that's smart, funny, exciting and full of great characters. Tom Hardy is good as his usual guff self and gets fine support from Noomi Rapace and the late and much missed James Gandolfini. Quite different to your usual mob film & one that i recommend highly .
The November Man Wed 19/7 RTE1 @ 21.35
A retired CIA agent living a quiet life in Switzerland is brought back into the fold to extract a woman who has knowledge of Russian war crimes. Things do not go to plan. Pierce Brosnan is great in the lead role of this fast moving and compelling action thriller. It's a film that feels like a grown up Bond movie but one that is quite violent and nasty in places so be warned. Good support from Olga Kurylenko and the ubiquitous Will Patton.
Wake Wood Wed 19/7 The Horror Channel @ 22.45
A small family living in rural Northern Ireland find themselves delving into the supernatural when tragedy strikes their quiet little life. A modern folk horror film that is genuinely scary and unnerving. Shades of Stephen King and Hammer horror abound. Well written, well made and well acted by Eva Birthistle, Timothy Spall and a clutch of Irish actors including Aiden Gillen, Ruth McCabe and Brian Gleeson.
High Noon Thurs 20/7 TCM @ 15.00
A quiet western town finds itself cowering in terror when a feared gang makes a reappearance. Only one man is brave enough to stand up to them and on his wedding day too. One of the quintessential films of the western genre & a very early example of revisionism. Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly lead the film as the newly married couple and are both superb. Gripping and exciting stuff. And all done in 85 minutes. Perfect.
Salt Fri 21/7 E4 @ 21.00
A CIA agent finds herself on the run and under suspicion of treason after a prisoner accuses her on being a Russian spy. Angelina Jolie is in great form in the lead role and is a very believable action hero. Pure popcorn entertainment but very well done. Complex and action packed and well acted by a super cast. Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Corey Stoll give Jolie solid support.
Breakfast On Pluto RTE1 @ 23.35
A young transgender woman called Kitten leaves her small Northern Ireland town and moves to London to find both her mother and herself. Neil Jordan's comedy drama is an absolute cracker. Funny one minute and absolutely heartbreaking the next and a film that just flies by way too quickly. Cillian Murphy is superb as Kitten and the cast is a veritable who's who of Irish talent. Way too many to name.
One to avoid
Dumb And Dumber To RTE2 Thurs @ 21.00
Execrable muck and a disastrously bad shambles of a sequel to a much loved 90's comedy. Trust me on this. Do not watch it. You'll only want to punch yourself in the face afterwards. Don't do it. I feel its my civic duty to warn ye. Oh BTW, the title isn't a typo and it's probably and sadly the funniest joke in the film. Oh I hate it.
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