Category: Film / TV

2013 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Details Announced

When I saw the press release came in for this year’s, Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, my jaw dropped. Tim Roth, Gabriel Byrne, Frank Langella, Olivier Assayas, Costa-Gavras, Robert Towne and Danny DeVito and one of my favourite Directors, Joss Whedon, have all confirmed.

The full festival programme will be available this evening from 7 on the festival website jdiff.com

The festival takes place between 14th- 24th of February and alongside film screenings will feature shorts masterclasses and lots of special events over the 11 days.

At the launch Festival Director Gráinne Humphreys said: “The year long search for the most original voices in contemporary cinema will finally be unveiled next month. It’s a festival jam packed with screenings, workshops and masterclasses, and I am genuinely humbled by the guests who will join us: Olivier Assayas, Costa-Gavras, Danny DeVito, Joss Whedon, Margery Simkin and Frank Langella, it is a honour to welcome them and the rest of our cast list to Dublin.”

LA Confidential will be featured in the Jameson Cult Film Club, Danny Devito will be in attendance at the interactive evening. The opening gala will feature ‘Broken’ starring Tim Roth and Rufus Norris. It was written by Irish screenwriter Mark O’Rowe.

Personally, I’m looking forward to Joss Whedon, who will mix the modern and classic with a retelling of the Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing; (Did you know some dialogue in Buffy The Vampire Slayer was based in Shakespeare?)

Irish films screening include :The Hardy Bucks Movie; Kieron J Walsh’s black humourous Jump, Mary Harron’s visually lush The Moth Diaries starring Sarah Bolger, documentary maker Kieran Evans’ powerful debut feature Kelly + Victor, and the intriguing Irish co-production Call Girl.

Tickets go on sale at 11.59 tonight, credit cards at the ready….

For more info:

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
Ticket Office: Filmbase, Curved St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Phone: 01 687 7974
Web: www.jdiff.com
Email: info@jdiff.com
Facebook: Jameson Dublin International Film Festival – /Dublinfilmfestival
Twitter: @DublinFilmFest

January 23, 2013
Warm Bodies: Watch The First Four Minutes

Remember Tony from the first series of Skins? He got knocked over in the end if memory serves me correctly. Now, the actor who played him, Nicholas Hoult has turned up as a Zombie in the new Jonathan Levine directed ‘Warm Bodies‘, based on the book by Isaac Marion.

Hoult plays ‘R’, a zombie rescues Julie, (Teresa Palmer) from a zombie attack, ah yes, where great love stories begin. ‘Warm Bodies’ immediately disassociates itself from the spate of recent dead guy/living girl films (no I wont use the T word), R’s inner monologue is humourous and sets the humourous tone.

To hell with Oscar season, this is the film I’m looking forward to seeing, it’s in Irish cinemas on February 8th.

January 16, 2013
Movie 43 (Trailer)

Movie 43 comes out in Ireland on January 25th. After watching the trailer, it’s still hard to figure out exactly how or what is going on. The film boasts an impressive cast including Hugh Jackman, Richard Gere, Naomi Watts, Halle Berry plus about twenty other familiar faces. It’s been dubbed as ‘the most outrageous comedy ever made’.

Movie 43 features 12 individual stories directed by twelve different directors including Elizabeth Banks and Peter Farrelly. Not sure if these stories are related in any way or if it would be something like Paris Je T’aime where they have a common theme or setting. Or, it could more of a feature length sketch show, I’ll let you know when I see it.

January 10, 2013
The Impossible: Film Review

When a film like ‘The Impossible’ comes along, there’s always accompanying question of ‘Is it too soon to make a film about this?’ In the case of ‘The Impossible’, it’s the December 26 2004 Tsumani, the biggest natural disaster of our time.

Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, ‘The Impossible’ is based on a true story of a separated family’s struggle to find each other once the Tsunami hit. Watching ‘The Impossible’ will bring through a range of emotions, shock, horror, disbelief and this is backed by the knowledge we have of the events. It’s also inspiring and will leave you uplifted.

Ewan McGregor and Noami Watts are superb as Maria and Henry, parents to three boys will arrive in Thailand for the Christmas holidays but Tom Holland who plays their eldest son, Lucas, shows himself to be a fine young actor and definitely one to watch.

There’s no denying parts of this film are hard to watch and credit must be given to Bayona and his crew for fantastic direction, cinematography and set design. The first part of the movie focuses on the family arriving for their holiday in the serene setting but knowing something is going to happen, the watcher always has an edgey feeling. That’s why the actual tsumani sequence had to be so well filmed and put together. Filmically it’s stunning, humanly it’s an emotional roller coaster. As with any well scripted film, it’s the story that hooks you in and away from the disaster scenes, it’s the compassion, love, hope and never say die spirit, that’s get you straight in your core.

An amazing piece of work, bring the tissues.

December 27, 2012