Movie Review: Bel Ami

Between Twilight and period drama, we’ve never seen Robert Pattinson with normal hair. Perhaps, like Sampson, his hair is the source of all of Pattinson’s power. But whether long, sideburned and flopsy for period drama or styled to unnatural perfection for his role as vampy heartthrob Edward Cullen, it is just as well Pattinson’s hair shows some personality because it’s the only thing that distinguishes him from role to role. Of course, it’s not all his fault, his naturally fanglike teeth make it difficult to look beyond his vampiric outings as Edward Cullen as well. And, just like Hugh Grant’s flopsy do of the ’90s, Pattinson’s teeth are the physical manifestation of typecasting. He’s got a look and it’s difficult to stray from thinking of him as the vampire adonis. In the opening scenes of Bel Ami we are whisked immediately into 19th century Paris, where the girls flow and … There’s more

Movie Review - The Galway Film Fleadh: Parked

Parked Director: Darragh Byrne Cast: Colm Meaney, Colin Morgan, Milka Ahlroth, Stuart Graham.   Receiving its Irish premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh, Parked, the debut feature from Darragh Byrne, was a wonderful way of opening the Fleadh. Unlike the other Film Festivals in Ireland, the Galway Film Fleadh are arguably some of the greatest supporters of the director’s first feature and with this in mind, one of the finest first Irish features opened the 23rd Fleadh. Last night, Darragh Byrne introduced the film with his producers on stage, following an uplifting speech by Michael D. Higgins and there has been a certain amount of expectation around the film following its success on the festival circuit abroad.  

D’Dead…

“Sublime” and “astonishing” are just some of the superlatives that have been used by critics to describe The Dead. An adaptation of the last story from James Joyce’s Dubliners directed in 1987 by John Huston, it is a film that has often been labelled “a masterpiece”. All this week The Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield are screening The Dead. Having heard so much about it over the years without having seen it and with some time to kill yesterday afternoon I thought I’d head along to see what the fuss was all about. The setting for The Dead is an annual New Years Eve party taking place in a grand house in 1904 Dublin. There is much drinking, dancing, carousing, gossiping, and goose carving. Eventually Gretta Conroy, after hearing an old and sad ballad sung by one of the guests, confesses to her husband Gabriel of a long ago love affair … There’s more