Heartbreaker
A French fancy.
I’d like to preface this review with a question I haven’t quite figured out the answer to; would I have enjoyed Heartbreaker quite so much if it hadn’t been French? I’m not…
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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
Heaven is For Real
Praise be!
The one undeniable truth that I gained from watching Heaven is For Real, is that it is absolutely impossible to put a visual representation of heaven on screen without it looking hopelessly…
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Hereafter
R.I.P.
The latest directorial venture from Clint Eastwood is a meditation on death, tragedy and what lies beyond this mortal coil written by the acclaimed Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon). The story travels…
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Hill Street
Rock n’ roll.
For Dublin skateboarders in the 1980s it was the best of times and the worst of times. The sport that first flourished in sunny 1950s California wasn’t exactly a mainstream pasttime in…
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Hitchcock
Without a Hitch.
Toby Jones has fallen foul of timing once already, when his biopic of Truman Capote, Infamous, was eclipsed by the Philip Seymour Hoffman vehicle, Capote. Although it was generally thought that Jones…
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Hope Springs
Golden oldies.
More or less everything you need to know about Hope Springs can be gleaned from the film’s poster. It’s one of those light, bright, pastel coloured affairs. In one picture we see…
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Hors Satan
Devilish.
One of my favourite films of last year, The Master, came under fire from many viewers for what they saw as a lack of narrative. If you subscribe to this opinion, you…
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Hot Pursuit
Hams on the run.
I’m going to assume that Sofia Vergara is the cinematic equivalent of Marmite. Somebody must like her, after all she is the best paid actress on U.S. television thanks to her starring…
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How I Live Now
Talkin’ World War III blues.
Although it comes from the world of Young Adult Fiction, How I Live Now (from the novel by Meg Rosoff) is a very adult prospect as it reaches the screen. A tale…
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How To Be Single
Rebel without a cause.
The poster for How to be Single shows the four central characters sitting on the edge of a footpath in last night's clothes as Rebel Wilson holds aloft a bottle of champagne…
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I Am Number Four
Alien: The Teenage Years.
Being a teenager is hard, especially when you’re a handsome refugee from an alien planet. All you want to do is a little water skiing and maybe chat to some bikini chicks…
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I, Daniel Blake
Cuts and bruises.
It’s fitting that at the age of 80, Ken Loach should make one of his most powerful films about the importance of a day’s work to one’s mental health and self-respect. I,…
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Ice Age 4 Continental Drift
Minor meltdown.
Continental drift is a sophisticated theme for an animated movie aimed at the under twelves. I eagerly await Ice Age 5: The Supercontinent Cycle…in the meantime though, parents have no need to…
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Identity Thief
Criminal.
The breakout star from Bridesmaids, Melissa McCarthy, is both very likable and very funny. A talented comedian who excels both in the delivery of one-liners and in using her size as a…
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If I Stay
Girlfriend in a coma.
In the world of young adult fiction, three is not considered a crowd. Right next to that aesthetically pleasing young couple stands the Grim Reaper – peaking around the corner as they…
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Ilo Ilo
Maid in Singapore.
Not all cinematic nannies come equipped with a cheery songbook and flying parasol. In Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo, winner of the Camera d’Or for best debut feature at Cannes 2013, we are…
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In Bloom
Withered.
In Bloom, directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß, was Georgia’s nomination for the Oscar for Foreign Language Film in 2014. I can understand why. In Bloom is a coming of age…
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In the House
Dangerous (home school) Liaisons.
The French as a people are renowned (or perhaps notorious) for their good taste. With regards to food and wine, this reputation is well-deserved but this good taste doesn’t always follow through…
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