Flora and Son, John Carney (2023)

Film Review: FLORA AND SON (2023): Director John Carney Creates Another Memorable Film About the Healing Power of Music Flora and Son Review Flora and Son ... https://dev-usalivenews.pantheonsite.io/film-review-flora-and-son-2023-director-john-carney-creates-another-memorable-film-about-the-healing-power-of-music/?feed_id=22716&_unique_id=651928be2deae #movie film movies

There may be spoilers ...

OK, delayed gratification is not my thing. I watched it. 😁 Go no further if you haven't, because it is a treat.

I was fine, enjoying the charming funny bits, the banter with the mechanic, the scene where her then boyfriend reveals the car for the first time (which is a souffle of lovely) and vaguely disliking the usurping new husband. I got past 'Here' with my shit intact, and then they have the talk and he says 'I don't think you can control things like that' and I was suddenly a mess. So that's it, who needs Tom Burke. 😉

I think they opened with the right episode this time. I honestly can't see s.2 get much better than this.

Sing Street, 2016

Veronica Guerin (2003) Review

Veronica Guerin (2003) Review

Based on a true story about Irish journalist Veronica Guerin who was a reporter for The Sunday Independent and exposed some of Dublin’s most powerful crime barons and drug lords in 1996, ending her life in tragedy being gunned down by assassins hired by the criminals she had exposed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more…)

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Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)

In today's review, to celebrate yesterday's valentine spirit, I attempt a positive review of the 2020 Irish-American Romantic Comedy: Wild Mountain Thyme #EmilyBlunt #JamieDornan #JonHamm #ChristopherWalken #DearbhlaMolloy #DonWycherley #DanielleRyan

The island of Ireland is a place known for its legends and culture, and its beauty, ever-lovingly captured in its poetry, emerald green landscapes, countered with a vibrant growing economy, all this equating to a wondrous place to visit. In 2020, a film ended up capitalising on such a rich tapestry for an amusing romantic comedy of farming life and the folks who make it happen in Wild Mountain…

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Bad movie I have I Kill Giants 2017

Sing Street (2016) Director - John Carney, Cinematography - Yaron Orbach “When you don’t know someone, they’re more interesting. They can be anything you want them to be. But when you know them, there’s limits to them.”

Veronica Guerin - 2003 - Dir. Joel Schumacher

Sing Street (John Carney, 2016)

Amazon Prime Video has set the premiere date for the second season of “Modern Love” and added “The Crown” star Tobias Menzies and “Ratched” actress Sophie Okonedo to the already lengthy lineup of cast members for Season 2 of the romantic anthology series.

“Modern Love,” which is inspired by The New York Times column of the same name, will debut its eight-episode second season on Friday, Aug. 13. All off the season’s episodes, which are each 30 minutes, will be released that day.

Per Amazon’s Wednesday announcement, Menzies and Okonedo will star in a Season 2 episode directed by showrunner John Carney, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer.

Menzies and Okonedo join a lineup of “Modern Love” Season 2 stars that includes Gbenga Akinnagbe, Susan Blackwell. Lucy Boynton. Tom Burke,  Zoe Chao, Maria Dizzia, Minnie Driver, Grace Edwards, Dominique Fishback, Kathryn Gallagher, Kit Harington, Garrett Hedlund, Telci Huynh, Nikki M. James, Aparna Nancherla, Larry Owens, Zane Pais, Anna Paquin, Isaac Powell, Ben Rappaport, Milan Ray, Jack Reynor, Miranda Richardson, Marquis Rodriguez, James Scully, Zuzanna Szadkowski, Lulu Wilson, Don Wycherley and Jeena Yi.

Filming on the second season of “Modern Love” recently wrapped in Dublin, Ireland, with other shooting locations including Albany, New York City, Schenectady, and Troy, New York. [...]

WILD MOUNTAIN THYME (2020)

Starring Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Christopher Walken, Jon Hamm, Jon Tenney, Danielle Ryan, Dearbhla Molloy, Lydia McGuinness, Abigail Coburn, Darragh O’Kane, Tommy O'Neill, Clare Barrett, Don Wycherley, Anna Weekes, Barry McGovern, Michael McCormack, Rosemary Muldoon and Paige Bestington.

Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley.

Directed by John Patrick Shanley.

Distributed by Bleecker Street. 102 minutes. Rated PG-13 .

John Patrick Shanley may be a legend in theatrical circles, but his on and off career as a screenwriter and filmmaker has been a bit more problematic. He started out nearly perfectly, with the critically acclaimed and popular Cher/Nicolas Cage comedy Moonstruck (1987). In the years since, he occasionally approached those heights – like his 2008 film of his controversial play Doubt, with Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Viola Davis.

However, more often his films have been oddball misfires, like the surreal Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan starrer Joe vs. the Volcano (1990), the Kevin Kline serial killer comedy/drama The January Man (1989) and the star-studded ensemble film Five Corners (1987). He also has occasionally sold out his talents to big-money blockbusters based on best-selling books, with very mixed results like Alive (1993) and Congo (1995).

Wild Mountain Thyme is Shanley’s first film since Doubt, and like that film, it is based on one of his plays, Outside Mullingar, which was on Broadway in 2014. And, honestly, watching the film, it feels like it would probably work on stage better than it does on the big screen.

Not that it is a bad film, it just feels more theatrical than cinematic. It’s a small, eccentric story mostly told on a small backdrop, featuring stagey dialogue and an extremely specific Irish sensibility. It is told in the modern day, and yet it feels very old-fashioned and just a tiny bit dated. However, mostly the problem is that it is the story of people who can’t quite seem to find the courage to say what they want and what they need in life; an internal conflict which works better in an intimate stage than in an expansive view of the Irish countryside.

More, specifically, Wild Mountain Thyme tells the story of two Irish farming children – Anthony (Jamie Dornan) and Rosemary (Emily Blunt) – who should by all means be a couple, if not for the fact that both are too lost in their heads and too shy to acknowledge the obvious. They live on neighboring farms. They have both been intrigued with the other since childhood. They have both grown up to be gorgeous adults. They are both lonely and have few real romantic options. They have mutual friends, family, and interests, and get along very well. They both secretly imagine marrying the other.

And yet they won’t say the damned words.

In most love stories, couples are kept apart by fate, or life, or circumstance. Here, all responsibility for their not being together falls squarely on the two people refusing to take a chance.

Which happens, I suppose, there are shy people in the world. However, as a viewing experience, it eventually becomes somewhat frustrating that these people can’t seem to see the obvious truth, and in fact they seem to actively be trying to sabotage their possibility of happy ever after.

This non-evolving relationship is happening in the midst of generational changes on the farm. Both his father – also named Anthony, but who goes by Tony (Christopher Walken) and her mother Aoife (Dearbhla Molloy) are aging and close to death. (His mother and her father are long dead.)

The parents are concerned about the family farms, particularly Tony, who fears his son will never marry and the bloodline of the homestead which has been in the family for generations will end. Therefore, he considers selling the farm and land to his slick American banker nephew Adam (Jon Hamm), who surprisingly despite being a Wall Street shark is intrigued by the idea of becoming a gentleman farmer in his homeland. Adam also sees Ireland as a place to find a sturdy, sensible wife – unlike the shallow model-types he has been dating in New York – and sets his eye on Rosemary.

Wild Mountain Thyme is a very old-fashioned piece of entertainment – it feels slightly like something by James Joyce or Eugene O’Neill – and yet it feels a little anachronistic to modern eyes. However, the acting is spot on and the Irish countryside is just gorgeous. Like the life that it portrays, the movie is a little slow moving, and as stated before the conflict is mostly the fault of the characters, however even if imperfect Wild Mountain Thyme does have much to offer for people who are intrigued by this world.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2021 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: February 2, 2021.

Wild Mountain Thyme (2020) Review

Wild Mountain Thyme (2020) Review

In Ireland two families are having a dispute with one another over land, as Rosemary Muldoon and Anthony Reilly seem destined to be together? ⭐️ (more…)

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Thoughts : I Kill Giants (2017)

Graphic novel film adaptations are certainly not a new phenomenon... as far back as the 1980′s, filmmakers have found properties to transition from the page to the screen.  As studios like Marvel and DC gain a stronger foothold in the film industry, however, there has been a surge of graphic novels that may have flown under the radar of most that have found new life via the silver screen.  One of the more recent adaptations that has found itself at the center of much buzz is the modern day fantasy fairy-tale I Kill Giants.

Barbara (Madison Wolfe) lives with her brother Dave (Art Parkinson) and her older sister Karen (Imogen Poots), who cares for the two.  In an attempt to escape her harsh family life, Barbara finds inspiration in two unique sources : the fantasy of Dungeons & Dragons, and the legend of former Phillies pitcher Harry Coveleski, known as ‘The Giant Killer’.  Because of the fantasy world Barbara has created for herself, she finds herself isolated from her family and peers.  One day, Barbara meets Sophia (Sydney Wade), a young British girl new to the states, and based on their connection, Barbara confides in Sophia that she is a giant killer and protector of their city.  At school, Barbara is bullied constantly by Taylor (Rory Jackson), and her standoffish attitude keeps her in hot water with teachers and administration, but school counselor Mrs. Molle (Zoe Saldana) makes continuous attempts to breakthrough with Barbara in hopes of helping her find peace.  Barbara’s fantasies are so vivid, however, that it keeps her in isolation from everyone, including those that try to help her.  Sophia and Mrs. Molle make repeated attempts to help Barbara, however, ultimately forcing her to face her fantasies and reality in equal measure.

Director Anders Walter wisely uses the magic, mysticism and fantasy of Dungeons & Dragons-style turn-based games to present an escape mechanism from reality, even going so far as to use video games represent modern day in direct comparison during the film’s opening moments.  That escapism is paralleled against an unappealing reality, where struggles, love and loss can be immensely painful, especially when you’re too young to have to deal with these things.  Using escapism to hide pain and avoid facing hard truths gives the narrative forward thrust, with heavy symbolism coming from all angles that makes the initially vague story start to become clear as the viewer learns more about the situation.

The way the film captures the awkwardness and social anxiety of childhood, which is amplified when you’re considered an outcast, is pitch perfect.  The struggles of a non-traditional, broken home family format are also shown with cutting reality, as vicious fights occur even when deeply unconditional love is present and attempts at clearing up misunderstandings fall short.  The film does a great job of capturing the standoffish nature of misunderstood kids, and how hard it is for genuinely concerned adults to connect.  The use of fantasy elements is perfect for the story, as belief so vivid in something nobody else understands that it leaves you alienated from all is a very real thing, though not in the fantastic nature presented by the film, obviously.  In my opinion, this is possibly a film that can help children understand both sides of bullying.

The film uses a wonderfully muted color palette that allows visual variety while setting a proper mood on multiple levels.  The fantasy sequences resemble moving comic images, specifically due to their stunning colors and visual textures.  The presence of an exhilarating score that livens up as the fantasy ramps up keeps the viewer’s heart racing, adding to the experience.   The feel of a film from the 1980′s or 1990′s is present, but the advantages of modern CGI enhance the experience in new ways.  The heartfelt writing that addresses heavy issues with tact and grace deserves praise and recognition.  ‘Uncomfortable’ cinematography is used well, as the camera tends to get intimate with the subjects rather than standing back and being observant.

Madison Wolfe gives an incredibly dynamic performance for someone so young, combining introspection, biting wit and bold determination together in the form of a mythic hero.  Zoe Saldana provides unconditional love and support to a lost child, while trying her best to understand what seems very real to the Barbara character.  Sydney Wade also brings an attempt at understanding to the table, but her childlike innocence and fear shine through her attempts to befriend the Barbara character.  Imogen Poots displays the hurt of a child forced to deal with adult responsibilities, and perfectly embodies how painful that forced transition can be.  Rory Jackson provides proper intimidation as a real-world antagonist for the Barbara character, with her imposing height, cold stare and sharp tongue sending chills down the viewer’s spine.  Appearances by Art Parkinson, Jennifer Ehle, Don Wycherley, Sonya Kelly, Noel Clarke and more fill out the world of the narrative.

If someone were to take all of the best ideas of The NeverEnding Story, eliminate the fluff, and reposition the events that take place in the fantasy world into a strange middle ground of reality and fantasy, you’d have I Kill Giants.  If this film doesn’t achieve some sort of cult classic status in the oncoming years, I’d be wholly surprised.