The Young Offenders
The Rebel County.
It's quite fun to be the underdog. Although the rewards are few and far between, the successes are that much sweeter when they occur. The Irish film industry is a case in…
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A life in
the pictures.
Films that stay with you.
Writing that looks a little closer.
Explore the collected reviews of Linda O’Brien.
397 REVIEWS · ONE CRITIC’S PERSPECTIVE
The Zero Theorem
Less than zero.
When Terry Gilliam was first offered the script for The Zero Theorem, he was a little worried that it might be too similar to his 1985 dystopian classic Brazil. He was right…
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Third Person
A tale of three cities.
Aside from the fact that it starred Hollywood’s favourite OAP vigilante Liam Neeson, I knew absolutely nothing about Third Person when I went to see it. After two and a half long…
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This Must Be The Place
American gothic.
When Harry Dean Stanton appears for a brief cameo in Paolo Sorrentino’s new film This Must Be The Place, he can’t help but carry with him the spectre of his defining role…
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Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy
Yo ho ho.
So apparently Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy is the sixth film in the Tinker Bell franchise with film seven already planned for 2015. The Wikipedia page has so much mythology and…
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
British intelligence.
Being a British spy isn’t all Aston Martin’s, bikini-clad blondes and belt buckles that double up as laser cutters. John le Carré’s 1974 novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy helped to transform this…
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To Rome With Love
That’s amore.
Woody Allen continues his extended holiday around Europe with a trip to Rome. It’s been a tumultuous affair with enjoyable highs and cringeworthy lows. Happily, To Rome With Love provides more of…
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To The Wonder
Talking heads.
To the Wonder; a meditation (because let’s face it, Terrence Malick doesn’t do “films”) about love, God and what happens in their absence, could also be described as, two hours of Olga…
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Tom at the Farm
Little white lies.
If you feel like you’ve achieved very little in your life, Xavier Dolan is the kind of guy who will make you sick. At the age of 25, Dolan has already received…
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Tower Heist
A towering bore.
The premise for Tower Heist has been rattling around director Brett Ratner’s brain since 2006; a fact that’s surprising for two reasons. First, by hanging on until now, Ratner has accidentally found…
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Transformers: Age of Extinction
Optimus Crime.
Writing a review for Transformers: Age of Extinction is a pretty pointless endeavour. You know how you imagine it will be in your mind? Well that’s exactly how it is. Michael Bay…
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Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Houston, we have a problem.
Only with Michael Bay could it be classed as a compliment that his latest film didn’t make me feel nauseous. His direction of the action sequences in the first of the Transfomers…
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Trishna
A Hardy perennial.
Trishna is a fresh take on the Thomas Hardy cautionary novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles, with the story transported from nineteenth century England to modern day India. This is not the first…
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True Grit
True class.
In True Grit, the Coen brothers have made a film that feels almost timeless and is mercifully free of the self-conscious zaniness that can sometimes infect their work. This is a piece…
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Trumbo
The write stuff.
Making a film about one of Hollywood's greatest screenwriters will inevitably lead to unkind comparisons with the work of the man himself. Dalton Trumbo, writer of Roman Holiday, Spartacus and Papillon (amongst…
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Twice Shy
A pregnant pause.
It’s the end of the school year in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary and final year student Andy (Shane Murray-Corcoran) is trying to summon the courage to invite Maggie (Iseult Casey) to the debs.…
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Tyrannosaur
A ferocious debut.
It always pleases me to see the Warp Films logo flash up at the beginning of a film. Since its launch in 2001, Warp have released a pretty flawless run of films…
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Unforgettable
Crazy in love.
You’re asking for trouble when you decide to call your film Unforgettable. So let’s get that one out of the way quickly – Unforgettable is anything but unforgettable. This is a throwback…
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