It has been a really good year in terms of film so we thought we would do a nice little roundup for you to read and see if there’s any you need to catch up on. Like immediately. We’re very good to you, we know.
Mad Max: Fury Road
This is a truly majestic film. Directed and produced by George Miller, it follows Tom Hardy’s Max in a post nuclear disaster world as he collaborates with Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa. They work together as a team to escape from the clutches of Immortan Joe (the villain here), bringing his harem of wives to safety. Furiosa is a feminist icon, and Theron’s performance is perfect.
Song Of The Sea
A beautiful animated tale by the talented folk over at CartoonSaloon in Kilkenny, the film centres around a little boy Conor who lives on a remote island off the Irish coast, and his discovery that his sister is a Selkie who must get her voice back and help rescue other supernatural creatures all around Ireland. It’s a gorgeous film, and the touches of Irish myth and legend means you will learn something too.
Image: Song Of The Sea DVD
Inside Out
This Pixar film has to be one of the most emotionally affecting releases of the year. Riley is a young girl on the cusp of becoming a teenager and having just moved across the country, is experiencing some serious emotional upheaval. Stellar voice work by Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader as Riley’s emotions and a story filled with heart and understanding are just some of the reasons you need to see this unless you have already (twice).
Trainwreck
This has been Amy Schumer’s year. With a script written by her and directed by comedy kingpin Judd Apatow, Trainwreck is a rom-com with a difference. Her character drinks a lot, doesn’t feel comfortable with intimacy and is hilariously frank. Bill Hader is adorable as her love interest and the cameos alone make this offering worth a watch.
Brooklyn
Saoirse Ronan is stunning as Eilis Lacey in this tale of emigration in the 1950s based on the acclaimed Colm Toibín novel of the same name. Emotional and lush without being overly sentimental, this film is a beautiful and understated portrayal of the difficulties that came with leaving Ireland as a young adult to confront the metropolis of New York City, while still missing home. Domhnall Gleeson is also fantastic, as a local boy that sparks the interest of Eilis on a visit home to Wexford.
Going Clear
This HBO produced documentary lifts the lid on one of the most mysterious movements of our time, Scientology. Based on Lawrence Wright’s book, the film interviews former Scientologists and compares their stories of harassment and threats to the mainstream messages about the faith preached by Tom Cruise and John Travolta. It’s truly chilling.
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The Queen Of Ireland
Produced by Irish company Blinder Films and directed by Conor Horgan, this is an intimate look into the life of Rory O’Neill and his now-iconic drag alter ego Panti Bliss. As well as tracking the tumultuous events of the last few years for Rory personally, it is also a moving story of the fight for LGBT equality in Ireland which began many decades before Panti graced the stage of the Abbey. You’ll shed a tear.
Amy
This documentary about the late Amy Winehouse has become the highest grossing British documentary of all time. It’s a heartbreaking and poignant look at the life of a talent lost to soon, and a meditation on the perils of fame. Director Asif Kapadia paints a compelling and sad picture of Winehouse’s struggle with fame and addiction, humanising the late singer beautifully. Interviewees include her parents and Mark Ronson, producer and close friend of Amy’s.
Older Than Ireland
This unique, insightful documentary’s participants are all over 100 years old. They impart wisdom and tell wonderful stories about the vast changes they have seen in their century of life. As a historical document you can’t get much better than this unique film.
Carol
Directed by Todd Haynes, this adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel of the same name is visually stunning, and equally touching. Set in the 1950s, Therese (Rooney Mara) is a young woman working in a department store who meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), a beautiful bored housewife in work one day. What follows is a thrilling and beautiful love story, with lush cinematography and fantastic performances.
