CRITICISM / CULTURE / CINEMA
Films that stay with you.
Writing that looks a little closer.
Explore the collected reviews of Linda O’Brien.
The ugly truth.
In Beautiful Lies, Audrey Tautou, famous for her breakthrough role as Amelie, moves slightly up the alphabet to play salon-owner Emilie. The similarities between the two characters begin and end with their…
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The nine year itch.
Since most movie trilogies involve men in tights beating seven shades out of each other, the idea of one which follows a couple at different stages of their relationship as they do…
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Cold-hearted.
The cinematic world of the French middle classes is uniquely difficult to warm to. It is a world of chilly family relations in immaculately designed houses where history of art books take…
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Beginner’s luck.
Mike Mills, director of Thumbsucker and new film Beginners doesn’t like his work being described as “quirky”. I can understand his annoyance; in my experience “quirky” is just shorthand for annoying. Zooey…
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A Sesame treat.
Being Elmo could scar a young child for life. Its gratuitous scenes of puppet sewing are akin to being told there’s no such thing as Santa Claus. For bigger kids though, there’s…
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Epic fail.
If we're talking about getting the most bang for your buck, you'd have to admit that the story of Ben-Hur pretty much has it all; chariots, horses, Jesus, lepers, brotherly betrayal, Morgan…
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Teen spirit.
From the other side of the Atlantic, we have all attended the American high school; we have made friends with the geeks and the outcasts, watched the cheerleaders hook up with the…
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Game for a laugh.
Big Game is the kind of film that we don’t see much of these days – a family friendly action film that doesn’t have the word Marvel attached to it. Despite the…
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Too much hot air.
It was only a matter of time before the unholy alliance between Disney and Marvel would result in a Marvel comic finding its way to the big screen in animated form. Being…
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Walking wounded.
The strangeness of Ang Lee’s latest film extends to more than its unwieldy title. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (a name that for the life of me I just can’t keep in…
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Pulling punches.
As time goes by, it’s becoming more and more difficult for me to muster up any kind of enthusiasm for sports films. Even those that are based on interesting true stories find…
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Lukewarm.
Blue is the Warmest Colour may have only just reached our screens, but it has already lived a full and turbulent life in the media. A three hour film detailing the sexual…
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A bridal party.
Once girls leave movie high-school they become almost invisible in mainstream comedies, occasionally popping up as bikini fillers or disapproving harpies. A female-led comedy is rare and a female ensemble piece even…
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Beyond repair.
Broken City is a homage to the neo-noir of the 1970s that falls short of the mark in its most crucial elements. The script – stodgy and formulaic, the leading man –…
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Home is where the heart is.
In many ways, Irish people have come to an uneasy truce with the spectre of emigration. Today, when young people leave their native shore, it is often out of a desire to…
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Nothing to see here.
For most of its life, the cinema has sought to dazzle its audience with new worlds and stunning Cinemascope vistas. In 2010, this tendency to the spectacular has found its nadir in…
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A tiresome cabaret.
Cher has never been the most expressive of actors. Her Oscar winning role in Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck showed her to be a master of subtle, tight-lipped restraint. Today, it’s probable that this…
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Tooth and claw.
The vampire myth is uniquely malleable, and has been changed countless times according to fashions in both society and cinema. For every Twilight, there is a Let the Right One In as…
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