Belgian Oscar contender The Broken Circle Breakdown
We’re coming into what is known in the movie business as “Oscar Season”, with film distributors releasing their award hopefuls over the next couple of months. This week sees the Irish release of two hotly tipped but wildly different movies.
The Broken Circle Breakdown is Belgium’s official nomination for the Foreign Language Award and one of the year’s best films. A musical drama in the vein of A Star is Born and Dancer in the Dark, this tale of a pair of Flemish bluegrass musicians struggling to cope with their young daughter’s cancer may not have too many laughs but it’s gripping stuff with incredible central performances from Veerle Baetens and Johan Heldenbergh. Despite its grim subject, if you’re a fan of bluegrass music you’ll be tapping your toes during the film’s musical interludes.
Completely different, but equally acclaimed, is the sci-fi drama Gravity. Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts stranded in space, the film won’t win any awards for its script but director Alfonso Cuaron is a contender for a Best Director nod thanks to the ground-breaking work that gives the film its unique look. I usually avoid 3D, as it’s been no more than a gimmick in the past, but Cuaron uses the extra dimension brilliantly, making you feel as though you’re floating helplessly alongside Bullock and Clooney. See it on the biggest screen possible (I recommend Cineworld’s giant IMAX screen for this one).
Doctor Who celebrates its fiftieth anniversary later this month and on Sunday the Irish Film Institute is screening a double bill of Dr. Who & the Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth, two sixties big screen spinoffs from the cult show.
The IFI is also currently hosting Kinopolis, a festival of Polish cinema running from Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th.
By Eric Hillis
Picture Caption: Belgian Oscar contender The Broken Circle Breakdown
