Review: Calvary – (Jan 12th @ Civic Hall)

Father James is a small-town priest in Ireland whose Sunday confessionals suddenly include a threat to kill him in a week’s time as a matter of principle. Deeply troubled and conflicted about how to respond, Father James tries to go on with his calling through that week. However, that proves impossible as he is confronted with a troubling variety of spiritual challenges from both his estranged daughter and his own parishioners. In those dispiriting struggles, Father James’ life begins to fall apart as time runs out towards a confrontation that seems to crystallize his values and what he wants his life to be.
Brendan Gleeson is excellent in the role of Father James. For fans of his previous works such as The Guard and In Bruges, we are in for a real treat. Don’t miss Brendan at his best.

Review: The Lunchbox (Dec 15th @ Civic Hall)

Mismatched lunchboxes lead to an unlikely romance in the Indian drama that’s enchanted festival audiences around the globe, winning an audience award at Cannes and a Best Film nomination at the London Film Festival. A lonely Mumbai office worker receives the wrong packed lunch after a mix-up by the city’s famous dabbawala couriers, and is so impressed by its wonderful cuisine that he returns a note to its sender – a neglected housewife trying to rouse her husband’s affections.
So begins a letter-based romance in the vein of such classics as Shop around the Corner. But this deceptively simple set-up belies an intelligent, beguiling and understated (no Bollywood songs) drama packed with delicious looking food and delightful insight. Bolstered with winning performances from veteran actors Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi) and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, first-time director Ritesh Batra has reworked the classic ingredients of the ‘meet cute’ romantic comedy into a disarmingly original concoction to tantalize the taste-buds and warm the heart.

The Two Faces of January (Nov 10th): Review

The Two Faces of January is a gripping and highly watchable film which I would highly recommend. Set in the sixties, it is undeniably “old school” – a twisted tale of murder, treachery and double-dealing, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, where you half expect Alfred Hitchcock to appear in cameo at some point.Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings) and Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman) play Chester and Colette Macfarland a rich and affluent couple touring the sites and sounds of Europe, with us first catching up with them in a glorious looking Athens.
Appearing to be relaxed and happy together, they hide a dark secret that is about to catch up with them. Oscar Isaac plays American rogue Rydal, who seems to stare intently at Chester. Is he part of the impending storm, or just an innocent caught up in events he can’t control? Tensions rise, not just because of the plot pressures but also because of the obvious sexual tension growing between the charismatic Rydal and Chester’s lovely and much younger wife.