The Irish Film Institute’s month long retrospective of Films Maudits (films unappreciated at the time of their original release) continues with Kenneth Lonergan’s gripping drama Margaret, which was filmed in 2005 but shelved until 2012. Anna Paquin plays a young New Yorker who witnesses a woman’s death in a traffic accident and vows to bring the man she considers responsible (bus driver Mark Ruffalo) to justice. It’s a stunning allegory of America’s foreign policy post-911, as its protagonist chases after a boogeyman that may or may not exist.
Set in a post-apocalyptic Australia, The Rover features an intense performance from Guy Pearce as a man on a bloody quest to retrieve his stolen car, aided by the mentally challenged brother of one of the thieves, played by Twilight’s Robert Pattison. Like most Australian cinema, it’s a beautifully shot film and it sucks you into its bleak yet fascinating world.
Something completely different is The Expendables 3, the latest installment in Sylvester Stallone’s testosterone-fulled action series. I wasn’t a fan of the previous two movies but this one is a blast, featuring some wonderful scenery chewing from icons like Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Antonio Banderas and of course Arnie.
We Gotta Get Out of This Place is a dusty Texan thriller about three teens who find themselves on the wrong side of a local gangster. The film fails because, despite an impressive young cast, the characters and situations aren’t in the least bit believable.
By Eric Hillis
Image: Movie of the Week: Margaret
