By Eric Hillis
Movie of the week – It’s a Wonderful Life
The holiday season just isn’t complete without a screening of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. Now rightly considered a classic, it’s hard to believe the movie failed to turn a profit at the box office on its initial 1946 release. Jimmy Stewart gives a career defining performance that sees him run the emotional gamut, and watching his George Bailey break down in tears is guaranteed to have you reaching for your own hanky. You have three opportunities to catch it on the big screen this week, at the Irish Film Institute on Wednesday and the Lighthouse on Sunday and Tuesday.
Batman Returns
The Lighthouse is deep in a season of Xmas movies and this week they host Batman Returns (late Friday night), Santa Claus The Movie (Saturday), Home Alone, Love Actually (both Sunday), and Bad Santa and Elf (Monday).
Afterimage
The IFI runs Kinopolis, their annual Polish Film Festival, this weekend, with Irish premieres of six new Polish movies, including the final film of the late Andrzej Wajda, and Poland’s entry for this year’s Academy Awards, Afterimage.
I Am Not a Serial Killer
New release I Am Not a Serial Killer is the US debut of Irish filmmaker Billy O’Brien and presents us with an intriguing protagonist, a teenage boy diagnosed as a narcissist who believes it’s only a matter of time before he gives in to his homicidal desires. Max Records is compelling in the role, but the movie fails to sufficiently hold our interest and largely squanders its unique premise.
The Birth of a Nation
When it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, slavery drama The Birth of a Nation was proclaimed by some as the frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars. That’s widely off the mark, as the film is absolute trash. Director Nate Parker completely fails to portray the horror of slavery, instead reducing the true story to a simplistic rape revenge drama.
