Ben Wheatley’s latest film, A Field in England, is a bold psychedelic adventure filmed entirely in monochrome which follows a group of deserters during the civil war era who lose themselves to mushrooms, madness, alchemy and greed. During the special Q&A session which followed the screening of the film, Wheatley exclaimed that he hoped nobody had Read More
Before Midnight is the long awaited third instalment in Richard Linklater’s series of films which began withBefore Sunrise and Before Sunset. These films together follow the twists and turns of a romance that first bloomed between two strangers conversing on a train. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, reprising the roles of Jesse and Céline, aid Linklater’s believable story Read More
(USA, 2012) 7 -13 June; DCA. Peter “Ginger” Baker is a London-born, red haired pioneer of percussion, often cited as the most influential drummer of the 1960s. Setting the tempo for bands such as Cream and Blind Faith, and infusing jazz, rock and African rhythms, has won Baker a long list of admirers of his Read More
(USA, 2013) 17-30 May, DCA. For those expecting Star Trek Into Darkness to be a big screen action blockbuster, director J.J. Abrams does not disappoint. From the opening scenes until the credits roll, impressive visuals flash past at break-neck speed accompanied by a suitably grandiose soundtrack. While the performances match the visuals, an over-complicated plot Read More
(USA, 2012) 17 – 30 May 2013, DCA. Described by many as a “‘coming of age” story, Jeff Nichols’ latest film, Mud follows two teenage boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) who travel up river to discover the wreckage of a boat that had been lodged high up in the trees Read More
(UK, 2013) 10 May – 16 May 2013, DCA. “Dolphins pulling knickers off girls, for goodness’ sake – what’s not to like?” This line, delivered without a hint of irony by Paul Raymond (Steve Coogan), encapsulates the lifestyle which Michael Winterbottom’s latest film portrays: sex, class, and money, all somehow indistinguishable from empty kitsch. The Read More
(France, 2011) 26 April- 2 May, DCA. Since 1995’s blistering La Haine (a sort of Never Mind the Bollocks for the diverse alienated Parisian youth of the 1990s),French writer/director MathieuKassowitz’s output has been marked by an almost obstinate deviation from the anarchistic themes of his debut. Rebellion (L’ordre et la morale) marks a return of Read More
(Spain, 2013) 10 – 23 May; DCA. Much of the humour of Los amantes pasajeros (I’m So Excited) runs the risk of being lost in translation. To Spanish speakers the original title means “the fleeing lovers” or “the passenger lovers”. As always, director Pedro Almodóvar aims to shock. Fans and critics of his work will Read More
(Australia/ USA, 2013) 24 May- 6 June; DCA. You know that when you have the option to watch an adaptation of a classic Fitzgerald novel in 3D you will most certainly be confronted by excess grandeur. In his adaptation of The Great Gatsby, the film chosen to open this year’s Cannes Film Festival, director Baz Read More
(Israel, France, Germany and Belgium, 2012) 13 – 16 May; DCA. The Gatekeepers, by Director Dror Moreh, premiered at the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2012, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It is a short lesson on the futility of revenge. Six ex-leaders of Shin Bet, the less well-known wing of Read More