D.C.Reviews

  From director Chloe Zhao comes Hamnet which is based upon the novel of the same name. The story essentially follows young lovers William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes who suffer a family tragedy leading to the creation of the timeless classic 'Hamlet' play piece. Jessie Buckley is utterly remarkable as Agnes a young wife of three children married to the love of her life in what was at first a forbidden marriage and get together. The two end up marrying and all seems to be going well until tragedy strikes and a young member of the family is taken ill. What follows is an absolute masterclass of emotion, striking and mesmarizing filmmaking both from those behind the camera and those in front. There's a scene in this where Jessie Buckley makes the most surreal and harrowing facial expression that left me utterly breathless.  I was never the biggest Shakespeare fan truth be told and even as I've gotten older I have grown to appreciate his extreme talent and way with words...

  I love a good musical style movie. This movie tells the real life story of a Neil Diamond tribute act named ' Lightning and Thunder’ starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson Song Sung Blue is emotional, full of whimsical music moments and a connection between the two leads that is energetic. Jackman’s energy is infectious throughout here as he plays an aging showman who gigs from place to place doing tribute acts along the way. Also being an alcoholic who is sober for over 20 years his character is extremely flawed but you can’t help but still root for him. Kate Hudson is fantastic here too and I did not expect her to sing as well as she did it’s all very impressive stuff on the surface but where Song Sung Blue fumbles is in its second act that is very dark, very grim and absent of any real joy or colour, it all does come around again but it suffers a lot from a meandering and depressing second act! So is Song Sung Blue any good? Yes it is! It’s a pretty surreal true story that show...

Each year there is one foreign film that stands head and shoulders above everything else. Well this year it's none other than Sentimental Value which is more of a hybrid of a foreign and English speaking film. Starring Stellan Skarsgard, Elle Fanning and Renate Reinsve Sentimenal Value is a movie about a lot of things including, love, neglect, abandonment and family issues. It is a stunning piece of cinema that unfolds and flows perfectly as the essence of family be it broken or together is showcased perfectly.  Every single member of the cast is on top form here with really heavy and emotional moments throughout. Stellan Skarsgard who wants to make a movie with his estranged daughter after spending years and years apart is so layered and very abrasive to start but as the movie goes on it turns into a really soft performance and the same can be said for Renate Reinsve who plays one of his daughters. Elle Fanning who plays a modern day movie star is both charming and complex in what...

  Every football fan knows the story of what happened between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy ahead of the World Cup Finals in 2002. Even more so if you're Irish and a fan of football, it is one of the most infamous moments in the countrys history of sport as Roy Keane walks out on his team, country and manager after voicing his opinions on the horrible training facilities and overall atmosphere. It's a story this time around that is heavily dramatised as the movie proclaims before it begins and in that sense it works but on every other level Saipan is just a disjointed mish mash of real life footage with scenes of the actors in between.  Steve Coogan and Eanna Hardwicke are really good as both Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane, Hardwicke especially nails the vibe and tone of Keane with his really unique personality and stance on things. Coogan is a lot less jagged as McCarthy in a performance that while good feels safe at times and good in others, both actors explode in the final act a...

Timothy Chamalet is easily the actor of his generation I feel. Every performance from him is so varied and so radically different from the last and he showcases his range and love for the medium in everything he does. This time around he plays Marty Mauser a young man with a big, big dream of becoming the number one ping pong / table tennis player in the world. He works as a shoe salseman in New York and gets the chance of a lifetime when he gets the opportunity to participate in the British Open tournament featuring the best players in the world. All he needs is money and it may come at quite a cost. What follows is a topsy turvy battle for Marty Mauser in a movie that is simply put sublime.  Timothy Chalamet is fantastic throughout here in a performance that is indeed award worthy whether he wins or not remains to be seen but he is exceptional here. The range of emotions and vast array of comedic timing and wit is second to none leading to so many hilarious moments be they intend...

  1) Dexter Resurrection : Where do I even begin with this?? back in late 2023 I began watching Dexter for the very first time. I became obsessed with the whole entire cast, vibe and acting of the show. It instantly became one of my favorite pieces of TV media of all time. I binged through every bit of it including the New Blood sequel series in no time and by the time 2025 rolled around not only was the prequel series announced that was to focus on a young Dexter Morgan it was announced that Michael C Hall the legend himself was returning as Dexter Morgan in what promised to be a really different take on the character and boy oh boy was this a different and fascinating series of television of the highest possible quality. Everything from the writing, character interactions and motivations were all spot on. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better return of Dexter and waiting each week for a new episode of the summer months was truly a highlight. This wasn't just a rehash or...