Last summer, Happenings celebrated the sunshine-however much of it there was-with a series of open-air screenings of crowd-pleasing films around Dublin. From The Princess Bride to the new Irish favourite Sing Street, film fans enjoyed popular movies in the great outdoors. Now with the sun just about peaking its head out for five minutes at a time…
All posts in February 2017
Headshot: Violent, Intense, Brilliant [ADIFF 2017]
Action cinema received a much needed shot in the arm in 2011 with the release of Gareth Evans’s The Raid. The film, a taut Indonesian martial arts masterpiece set in one location was quickly compared to Die Hard. That film gave audiences crisp, clear and expertly crafted fight scenes in a tense and claustrophobic setting.…
Patriarchy Hurts: Accountability in The Rehearsal and In the Blood
The Rehearsal follows an exclusive, kind of pretentious, acting school for young adults in New Zealand. This runs parallel to the story of a teenage tennis star who sleeps with her Coach, causing a scandal that ripples through the local community. I Blodet (In the Blood) follows a group of four Danish students, trying to navigate through adult life.…
Strong Central Performance isn’t enough in Unless [ADIFF 2017]
Director: Alan Gilsenan Starring: Catherine Keener, Hannah Gross Running Time: 90 minutes Adapting the Canadian Author Carol Shields final novel Unless for the big screen was certainly going to be a challenge. The novel, the last book written by the author before her passing from breast cancer, was a sprawling story with many layers of philosophical meditation. The novel tackles…
America’s True History Revealed in I Am Not Your Negro [ADIFF 2017]
Director: Raoul Peck Narrated By: Samuel L. Jackson Running Time: 95 minutes “The story of the negro in America is the story of America” is the central message of I Am Not Your Negro, the kind of message white people in the United States have always been determined to ignore. As directed by the activist…
See Director’s Cuts on Alien Day in Dublin
Last year saw the 26th of April marked as the official ‘Alien’ Day, the celebration of the popular sci-fi films after Aliens celebrated its 30th anniversary. Star Wars has May the 4th, Back to the Future got its own day once October 21st 2015 came along and 20th Century Fox designated 4/26 for a celebration of the…
Kristen Stewart Carries Personal Shopper [ADIFF 2017]
Director: Olivier Assayas Starring: Kristen Stewart Running Time: 110 minutes Hearing the title Personal Shopper, it’s reasonable to be surprised to learn that Olivier Assayas’ latest film is about a woman who appears to be able to communicate with the dead. A true millenial, working as a personal shopper for a celebrity is just Kristen…
Reclaiming Life in A Woman, A Part [ADIFF 2017]
Director: Elisabeth Subrin Starring: Maggie Siff, Cara Seymour, John Ortiz Running time: 97 minutes A Woman, A Part is visual nourishment. The performances are understated, the set and camera work graceful. The film is an intimate exploration of Anna, played by Maggie Siff who is best known for her roles in Mad Men and Sons of Anarchy respectively, as she…
Oh what a lovely day April 30th will be for Fury Road fans
Like us, you may have become addicted to Mad Max: Fury Road, the visually stunning, brilliantly chaotic action movie that stands as the best of its genre this decade. Perhaps it took hold of you and you resent its absence. Well resent no more, as Fury Road will return to the big screen at the…
Women in Horror Month returns to Dublin
Women in Horror Month is an international, grassroots initiative, which encourages supporters to learn about and showcase the underrepresented work of women in the horror industries. Whether they are on the screen, behind the scenes, or contributing in their other various artistic ways, it is clear that women love, appreciate, and contribute to the horror…