Movie of the week – Little Men
The best of the week’s new releases is Little Men, a very human drama which takes as its focus the friendship of two 13-year-old boys whose parents become embroiled in a financial dispute. The film commendably refuses to make either side the villain of the piece, and we sympathise with the plights of both parties. Young actors Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri are magnificent in the lead roles.
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is a respectful remake of the 1960 classic, itself a remake of The Seven Samurai. Denzel Washington leads the septet this time, and a witty script and some charismatic performances makes this one a cut above the standard Hollywood blockbuster fare. Western fans will be satisfied.
The Lovers and the Despot
In 1978, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il kidnapped a South Korean film director and his actress wife, forcing them to make a series of elaborate propaganda movies for the totalitarian regime. This story is detailed in documentary The Lovers and the Despot. As a movie lover, I would have appreciated some more detail on the actual movies themselves, but it’s a fascinating story nonetheless.
The Girl with All the Gifts
The Girl with All the Gifts is a run of the mill zombie drama slightly elevated by a quality cast including Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close and Paddy Considine. It’s the debut performance of child actor Sennia Nanua in the titular role that’s the real standout here though. Remember that name.
The Clan
Argentine crime drama The Clan is based on the true story of a family of murderers and kidnappers who terrorised Buenos Aires in the 1980s. It’s a bland telling of what should be an interesting story, but it does feature a couple of standout sequences.
Annie Hall
There are some must-see repertory screenings in Dublin cinemas this week. On Sunday afternoon you can catch Woody Allen’s masterpiece Annie Hall at the Irish Film Institute. On Monday night the IFI screens Glengarry Glen Ross, an all-star screen adaptation of David Mamet’s stage play. And late tonight you can watch John Carpenter’s cult classic Big Trouble in Little China at the Lighthouse.
By Eric Hillis of themoviewaffler.com
