Movie of the week – Mad Max
If you’re hyped for next week’s release of Mad Max: Fury Road, you can avail of two opportunities to take in a double bill of the first two installments of George Miller’s post-apocalyptic action saga. On Saturday night the movies play at the Lighthouse and again on Wednesday at Cineworld. Whether the upcoming fourth movie can live up to these two sci-fi classics remains to be seen. Find out next week right here.
Big Game
The best of the week’s new releases is Big Game, in which Samuel L Jackson’s US president is shot down over the wilds of Northern Finland and must rely on the skills of a 13-year-old Finnish boy to avoid becoming a trophy of the men hunting him. It’s an old-school romp and a fine fillet of Finnish fun.
Still
Ireland’s Aidan Gillen stars in gritty UK drama Still as a London photographer who finds himself the target of a violent teenage gang. It’s a dark and moody tale which affirms Gillen as one of our most interesting and talented stars.
Top Five
Chris Rock writes, directs and stars in Top Five, a ramshackle comedy about a comic actor who wishes to be taken seriously. The movie never really convinces us that Rock really wants to be taken seriously however, and relies too often on lowest common denominator humour.
The Canal
The Canal is a horror movie shot in Dublin about a film archivist convinced his wife was killed by the spirit of a century old murderer. It features some effective moments but lacks originality.
Rosewater
Daily Show host Jon Stewart makes his directorial debut with Rosewater, the true story of a journalist detained in Iran on suspicion of being a spy. Stewart’s film opens promisingly but once the action moves to the confines of the Iranian prison it becomes a humdrum drama.
By Eric Hillis
