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Reviews
That They May Face the Rising Sun (2023)
"Sure what use is regret?"
A beautiful portrait of the loneliness and isolation in countryside living, and finding the small joys in the monotony of the everyday. The random assortment of world-weary locals constantly dropping by Joe and Kate's home perfectly encapsulates the people for whom life has passed them by, and who come and go from the world leaving little trace.
It's also a tale of living with the hand you're dealt and the choices you make along the way. It's easy to envy the success of others when you don't have much to your name, or live in the past when times were better, but finding serenity in what you do have is the real key to life.
Sometimes all you have in the world is the people around you; sometimes they're all you need.
Monkey Man (2024)
"You are a beast."
Hell. Yeah.
Dev Patel shines in his triple threat role as writer, director and lead actor of Monkey Man. To think that it's his first foray into two of those roles is crazy given the level of craftsmanship on display throughout, and his commitment to the stunt work necessary for a film like this to work is remarkable. The list of injuries he sustained during production should be enough to cripple anyone, but breaking your hand on day one and carrying on? Even Tom Cruise would be impressed.
Visually the film is excellent too, inspired more by John Woo than John Wick. Being steeped in Indian culture at every turn provides a unique visual identity to every set piece and to the action landscape as a whole. Creative, visceral and sometimes stomach-churning beatdowns are plentiful and exciting. The main drawback is the sometimes nauseating use of shaky-cam for some of the action, but as it's a directorial debut, the frenzied nature of each fight more than makes up for it.
Monkey Man is a brutal revenge thrillride with an original voice behind it. It's strange to call Dev Patel a rising star when he's already well renowned, but he's certainly in for a bright future as a director and hopefully an action star. Knowing that he was repeatedly turned down for action roles before now, I am so glad he could create his own opportunity to prove those studios very, very wrong.
Also, thank God for Jordan Peele. I can't go without mentioning that he blessed us all by wrestling this film out of Netflix's clutches and saving it from being relegated to streaming only. Any chance to prove that theatrical releases can't be replaced is welcome in my books.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
"I have found my way."
When Dune (Part One) released in 2021, Dune: Part Two hadn't been greenlit yet and wasn't guaranteed to happen. Then we rejoiced when it was, and waited eagerly for the second half of the epic story. And after all that time, plus an extra four months resulting from the writers' and actors' strikes, it's finally here. And it was worth waiting every second for.
Dune: Part Two is a staggering achievement. Villeneuve's direction on point as always, but his visionary realisation of the books is remarkable. From huge brutalist architecture to seas of desert sand, all beautifully shot by Greig Frasier at the top of his game. Particularly, shooting the monochrome sequence in infrared was a genius move and creates a deeply unsettling atmosphere for introducing Austin Butler's antagonist.
Speaking of, the entire cast are in flying form, both new additions and returning favourites. Chalamet's descent from the calm and reserved Paul to the erratic warlord is a remarkable performance, as is the sinister turn from Rebecca Ferguson. Fellow showstoppers include the aforementioned terrifying Butler, the devout extremist from Javier Bardem and Zendaya's uncertainty with her place in the future.
Being essentially the second and third acts of the novel, Part Two is naturally more action oriented than the first entry. In that regard they feel very different to each other, but both feel equally necessary in their respective executions. Part One's meticulous world-building and character set-up is expertly paid off throughout Part Two and feels intensely rewarding. Parallels to Lawrence of Arabia can be seen everywhere from both a story perspective and in the epic scale of the desert, but this is one of the very few films to achieve that same level of awe and wonder at every step of the journey.
A cinematic phenomenon in every sense of the word. A cautionary tale on idolisation. The corruption of morality in the face of absolute power. The escalation of warfare fueled by cultural belief. The betrayal of heritage in forging a new path.
The false prophet playing God.
See it.
Bring on Dune Messiah.
The Killer (2023)
"Stick to the plan. Trust no one."
David Fincher returns triumphantly to the crime world with a film so cold and chilling that you could contract hypothermia.
Fassbender turns in easily his best performance since Steve McQueen's Shame back in 2011, and it was well worth the wait. He perfectly walks the line between the mild-mannered façade on the surface and the methodical and unforgiving nature that lies beneath; not a protagonist you root for, but a master you love to watch at work.
The slow build-up to the moment of execution, a rising tension released suddenly by bursts of unglorified, ruthless violence. The ensuing narrative takes full advantage of modern day conveniences; or for the unlucky few, inconveniences. What may at first feel like blatant product placements instead lends itself to the ease with which the systems in place today can be exploited by anyone who knows how. It'll make you think twice about the next stranger you bump into.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' best score for Fincher since The Social Network, Andrew Kevin Walker's excellently paced scripting, Erik Messerschmi's grounded cinematography, Fincher's meticulous direction and Fassbender's calculated performance all come together to craft a stone cold revenge thriller for the modern era. It's a shame that this film hasn't gotten the wide theatrical release it deserved, because this is absolutely another film by an auteur at his best to be seen on the big screen.
Ballywalter (2022)
"Comedy at its best is like a kind of healing"
What a delightful little film that's equal parts charming, funny and heartfelt.
Two very touching performances from Seána Kerslake and Patrick Kielty, both lending a great deal of agony and longing to their characters and making them feel so real. A very strong feature film debut from director Prasanna Puwanarajah, and a script from Stacey Gregg that feels very real and hits close to home when it needs to.
It's always nice to see such a small Irish film have a sold-out screening and receive a very warm reception when the credits roll. Can't wait to rewatch this one and hopefully appreciate it even more.