5 great movies available on Netflix this December

Ah December! A great month for Netflix lovers with holidays upon us, the big box of quality street and a world of entertainment at our finger tips! The good news is that Netflix has some real quality additions to it's catalogue on the way this month. For your viewing pleasure I have decided to once again sift through the vast array of quality movies on show and recommend five classics so you don't have to spend half the night flicking through Netflix's choices before deciding that you are now too tired to watch a film anyway and vow to return at a later date just to do the very same thing.
Here are my movie picks for your enjoyment for this month:

5. Daddys Home
For those who haven't seen the first film in the series this is the perfect opportunity to see Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg at their hilarious best in co-parenting roles in this highly entertaining comedy. Comedic chemistry and slapstick humour are to the forefront of this enjoyable 2015 film.

4. Love Actually
If the overdose of chocolate doesn't give you a sickly sweet feeling then surely this Richard Curtis directed yuletide rom com will. A guilty pleasure on a lot of viewers movies list there is a lot to like in this sentimental (and sometimes extremely funny) feature that contains a stellar cast having a lot of fun in their respective roles!

3. Back to the Future
Not only is the first installment in the Robert Zemeckis trilogy available but all three movies in the series are on Netflix for viewers to relive Michael J.Fox in his iconic role as Marty McFly - and just in time for Christmas!

2. Mad Max: Fury Road
This exceptional reboot is both visually stunning and insanely creative in a film that will leave you exhausted by the final credits. Looked amazing on the big screen on it's initial release in 2015 and will be interesting to see if it transforms successfully to the small screen. Fantastic!

1. Patriot's Day
A gritting account of the Boston Marathon bombings of 2013 and the resulting manhunt.This movie by director Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon and J.K.Simmons depicts first hand the horror of that day and the resilience and strength shown by the emergency forces and the people of Boston in general during and after this horrific event. Well worth a watch!

One last quality Kerry Film Festival event on the horizon before year end

Saturday December 2nd sees the last event in what was another highly successful and quality packed 2017 for all concerned with Kerry Film Festival. From the Patron Scheme Evening at the Ashe Hotel to the screening of the highly successful and 15 time British Independent Film Award nominee Lady Macbeth to the numerous entertaining Open Air Cinema events 2017 was a fantastic year for all concerned with KFF culminating in yet another outstanding film festival in Killarney last October.
This Saturday sees the screening of The Welfare of Tomás Ó Hallissy in the very area that the film was shot.
The Welfare of Tomas Ó Hallissy was filmed in and around the Kerry village of Dún Chaoin and directly integrates newly scripted material shot with actors with footage from The Village which was also set in Dún Chaoin.
This new film is set against a fictional visit by two American anthropologists to Dún Chaoin, mirroring the premise of Hockings and McCarty’s 1968 documentary. Campbell’s original material also echoes key scenes from the documentary that captured the day to day routine of the village; the creamery, turf cutting, rabbit hunting and gatherings in the local pub.

This free of charge event has the added appeal of the director Duncan Campbell in attendance and promises to be a great evening.
For full details check out www.kerryfilmfestival.com

Review: Frantz

Selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and winner of the Marcello Mastroianni Award at Venice, Frantz, written and directed by Francois Ozon , tells the story of Anna, a German woman mourning her fiance's death in World War I who is slowly drawn to the French soldier, Adrien, who shes encounters visiting her fiance's grave. All is not what it seems however, as this tale takes multiple thematic and tonal twists and with conflicting emotions on all sides depicting the damage and destruction of the first World War and the "lost generation"that were left behind.
Francois Ozon drew his inspiration from Ernst Lubitsch's 1932 drama Broken Lullaby, and along with stunning visual references to painter Caspar David Friedrich, portrays magnificently a harrowing social period in World politics. Interwoven with various styles,with the film at times resembling a Hitchcockian suspense thriller and on other occasions a heartfelt and beautiful love story, Ozon keeps the viewer constantly engaged with more traditional themes such as the devastating effect of the World War interlaced with contemporary themes such as love, loss and self discovery in an emotional kaleidoscope of cinema magnificence.
Aided in no small part by Pascal Marti's, Cesar Award winning cinematography, this film simply looks superb with a classic bygone period of cinema reconstructed for the modern viewer.
The talented cast also deserve lavish praise as their performances give an resonance to an already impressive production. Pierre Niney, is superb as conflicted and guilt ridden Adrien but it is 21 year old Paul Beer in a breakthrough performance that steals the show as grief stricken Anna.
Overall, Frantz is a multi-faceted compelling and beautiful piece of Art House cinema that should championed in modern times. Highly recommended.
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Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What new release movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are three new releases for your consideration for this weeks Tuesday Treat at Tralee Omniplex. A funny festive film, a satirical drama and a true life tale. Plenty of variety available and all for the giveaway price of just €6!

Daddys Home 2:
Subject to last weeks traleetoday review (which can be read here) and overall an enjoyable ninety minutes holiday for the brain, the antics of Ferrell, Wahlberg, Gibson and Lithgow keep this yuletide tale of merriment rolling nicely along as is well worth your attention. Just don't expect any Oscar's to be handed out for it!

Suburbicon:
Directed by George Clooney and written by Joel and Ethan Coen this should have all the ingredients of a great feature but according to initial reviews it appears to have landed some considerable distance short of the high goals these magnificent film makers have reached in the past. Disappointing!

Battle of the Sexes
The big reveal of last weeks Omniplex Secret Screening this Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris true life dramedy has enjoyed very positive reviews with Emma Stone and Steve Carrell in particular earning high praise for their strong performances.
One to watch!

This weeks Top Movies on the Telly

Shutter Island - (TG4  Monday 27th November 21:30)
Another classic Scorcese/Di Caprio collaboration in this suspenseful thriller based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. This feature is well worth viewing as this brilliantly constructed mystery tale keeps it's audience guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

99 Homes - (Film Four Tuesday 28th November 23:15)
Written and directed by Ramin Bahrani, this feature set amidst the backdrop of the 2008 housing market catastrophe sees Michael Shannon in top form alongside the always reliable Andrew Garfield and Laura Dern in what is a high quality dramatic thriller that makes for compelling viewing.

Bullitt - (ITV 4 Thursday 30th November 21:00)
Steve McQueen is cool as ice in this police thriller that contains arguably the best car chase ever put to film. A well aged classic that is worthy of repeated viewing and for those that haven't seen this masterpiece this is the perfect opportunity!

What movies to watch this weekend?

In the Cinema:

Daddy's Home 2:
Follow up to the 2015 hit with added Mel Gibson and John Lithgow, this seasonal comedy is well worth a look as Ferrell and co are obviously enjoying themselves in this Sean Anders directed feature. A bit over sentimental at times but a lot of fun. Read my full review here.


Streaming: 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Netflix)
With the release of The Last Jedi just weeks away this first part in the series reboot which gave the franchise a well needed return to form in the more than capable hands of J.J. Abrams will act as a handy "previously on Star Wars" tool to bring the audience up to speed story wise.



On Telly

Ex-Machina: (Channel 4 Saturday 25th November 21:00)
Alex Garland's directorial debut is a stylish thought provoking sci-fi film that benefits from strong performances from it's lead cast members which include Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson. Recommended!

Review - Daddy's Home 2 - Ferrell hits the mark in funny festive film!

Following on from the success of the Daddy's Home and the unmistakable comic chemistry between Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, writer and director Sean Anders adds the comic talents of John Lithgow and Mel Gibson to a yuletide setting and produces a surprisingly warm hearted yet funny festive treat.
In Daddy's Home 2, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Ferrell) have joined forces to provide their kids with the perfect Christmas. Their new found friendship is put to the test when Dusty's old-school Dad (Mel Gibson) and Brad's highly emotional Dad (John Lithgow) arrive just in time to throw the holiday into complete chaos.
Like the first film of the series, slapstick humour is to the forefront with Ferrell( rebounding spectacularly from the disaster that was The House earlier this year) adding most of the killer punches as the ultimate class clown. His partnership with on screen dad Lithgow is also a hit with both actors clearly enjoying their respective roles and the antics that these roles involve. Gibson in a darker comic role also excels and along with Wahlberg are the perfect yin to the Ferrell/Lithgow yang.
Whilst some of the gags can be predicted before they appear, such is the talent and obvious comradery of the cast that most of them land quite well, with more than a few laugh out loud chuckles heard throughout the captivated cinema audience.
Undoubtedly it has it's faults, with the film at times being guilty of being a bit too sickly sweet and sentimental. Some of the supporting cast also get left behind in the frolics enjoyed by the four main characters, with John Cena and Alessandra Ambrosion in particular looking out of their league.
However, even though mainstream critical acclaim hasn't been over kind to this movie, it should be a case of taking this movie on it's merits (it never did claim to be Citizen Kane!) which is a largely comical, at times over sentimental but ultimately enjoyable seasonal delight!
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5 Nostalgic Netflix Nuggets

The quality of films and TV shows available on Netflix are well known with constant advertising, promotion and water cooler chatter keeping us up to date with all the latest online entertainment available.
One particular side of Netflix's vast catalogue that can sometimes slip our attention however is the huge array of retro and nostalgic productions that we may have not seen on TV or blu-ray etc for years yet may have been of huge interest to it's audience at the time of initial release. Whereas these may not be a selection of the greatest movies available on Netflix they can solicit feelings of nostalgia, sometimes followed by horror as you realise how bad that film has aged but are nonetheless worth another look as the viewer takes a trip down memory lane.
Here are five such movies currently available on Netflix:

5. Ace Ventura Pet Detective
Jim Carrey exploded on to the big screen with his larger than life pet detective as he simply swallows every scene he is in. This Tom Shadyac directed film was a huge box office success and was largely the template for the Canadian funny man's performances for the followings years. It would make an interesting experiment to see how this one has aged however.

4. Major League
Written and directed by David S.Ward this baseball comedy starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger and Corbin Bernsen has a lovely 80's glow to it and was typical of the comedies available at the time. Surely worth another visit!

3. Over the Top
Written and starring Sylvester Stallone as a truck driver who enters an arm wrestling contest to win his estranged son's approval and gains what seems to be added powers by reversing this baseball cap mid-contest! What's not to love about that? 80's nostalgia at it's best!

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
The ultimate movie about being young and having fun! Worthy of repeat viewing for the antics of Matthew Broderick and crew on their day away from the trials and tribulations of high school. Try watching this without a smile on your face! Impossible! Killer soundtrack too!

1.Look Who's Talking
Hugely popular at the time this feature written and directed by Amy Heckerling is sure to jog some happy memories for the viewers as the voice of Bruce Willis, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley look to entertain over the 93 minute running time. Not sure how well this one will have dated however!

Alexander Payne's Downsizing brings the curtain down on another highly successful Cork Film Festival

As the curtain closed on Sunday night with the sold out screening of Alexander Payne's Downsizing all concerned with this prestigious festival now in it's 62nd year can be proud of what was another quality packed 10 day programme of film.
From the gala opening screening of The Man Who Invented Christmas right through to the final feature there was a bountiful supply of excellent programming for all ages available.
Paddington 2, Film Stars Don't Die on Liverpool (which saw a second screening such was it's popularity), Stronger, The Florida Project and Songs of Granite were among the popular features of a long list of quality features on show.
First Take and Doc Day, two special highly informative features of the festival also enjoyed positive feedback and great crowds.
Irish short film Wave fresh from it's Irish Narrative Award at the Kerry Film Festival is now also in contention for an Oscar®, after being selected as the Grand Prix Irish Short winner at the Cork Film Festival Awards Ceremony on Sunday evening. Benjamin Cleary and TJ O’Grady Peyton’s winning short will now go on the longlist for the 90th Academy Awards® in the Live Action Short Film category. The award was presented by RTÉ Supporting the Arts, principal media partner of the Cork Film Festival and given by Colm Crowley, RTÉ Cork.
Michael Inside directed by Frank Berry and Untitled by Michael Glowogger, Monika Willi also were victorious on Awards Night for the Audience Award and Cinematic Documentary respectively.
The full list of winners on the night were:

CORK FILM FESTIVAL YOUTH JURY AWARD
Last Man in Aleppo
CORK FILM FESTIVAL NOMINATION FOR EUROPEAN SHORT FILM AWARDS 2018
Container
DOCUMENTARY SHORT AWARD
Mother & Baby.
BEST CORK SHORT AWARD
Everything Alive Is In Movement
AUDIENCE AWARD
Michael Inside
AWARD FOR CINEMATIC DOCUMENTARY
Untitled
SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD
Village Rockstars
GRAND PRIX INTERNATIONAL SHORT AWARD
A Drowning Man
GRAND PRIX IRISH SHORT AWARD
Wave
CORK FILM FESTIVAL YOUTH JURY AWARD
Last Man in Aleppo
CORK FILM FESTIVAL NOMINATION FOR EUROPEAN SHORT FILM AWARDS 2018
Container
DOCUMENTARY SHORT AWARD
Mother & Baby.
BEST CORK SHORT AWARD
Everything Alive Is In Movement
AUDIENCE AWARD
Michael Inside
AWARD FOR CINEMATIC DOCUMENTARY
Untitled
SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD
Village Rockstars
GRAND PRIX INTERNATIONAL SHORT AWARD
A Drowning Man
GRAND PRIX IRISH SHORT AWARD
Wave

On crowd size, feedback and general excitement generated, this fantastic film festival did not disappoint over 10 days showcasing some wonderful examples of short and feature film and a lot more besides. Roll on 2018 and the 63rd festival!

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What new release movie deserves your €6 this week?

There is only the one new release for your consideration for this weeks Tuesday Treat at Tralee Omniplex but it's a big one for the superhero blockbuster fans and is showing in three different formats! There is also plenty of quality features still on show with the promise of some pretty special movies on the way in the next few weeks with every show this Tuesday are available  for the giveaway price of just €6!

Justice League:
Some mixed reviews circulating for this one already. Whereas it hasn't hit the depths of Batman vs Superman (thankfully!) it still has an over reliance on it's big budget CGI effects with the plot, script and characters suffering. Maybe one strictly for fans of the franchise!

This weeks Top Movies on the Telly

Rudderless - (TG4  Monday 20th November 21:30)
Touching drama starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin and Laurence Fishburne in what was a sterling first effort from William H.Macy in the directorial hot seat. The cast though an honourable job with some weighty subject matter with Crudup in particular delivering a powerful performance.

American Gangster - (ITV 4 Thursday 23rd November 22:00)
Gritty throwback to the gangster films of old, this Ridley Scott directed feature succeeds largely due to an excellent cast including Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe on top of their game. Strongly recommended!

Rush - (More 4 Friday 24th November 21:00)
Slick and stylish, compelling sports drama directed by Ron Howard and driven (pardon the pun!) largely by two strong leading performances from Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl. Not just for motor sport fans this high octane feature is highly entertaining.

What movies to watch this weekend?

In the Cinema:

Paddington 2:
A wonderful sequel to the 2014 hit, this Paul King directed film is fun for all the family and will leave you grinning from ear to ear for it's 105 minute running time. Read my review here. Highly recommended!




Streaming: 

Mudbound: (Netflix)
This Dees Rees directed drama premieres on Netflix today and brings with it a lot of positive critical reviews as this well detailed portrayal of Deep South America during World War II brings with it some memorable performances and a far reaching resonance. One to watch out for!



On Telly

Man on the Moon: (BBC One Saturday 18th November 00:20am)
Milos Forman directs this intriguing biopic which sees Jim Carrey on top form as eccentric comic Andy Kaufman. Danny DeVito and Courtney Love make up the supporting cast in this fascinating insight into this unique and charismatic character. Jim and Andy:The Great Beyond has just premiered on Netflix and deals with behind the scenes footage of Carreys portrayal of Kaufman and may make a nice accompanying piece to this feature.

Review: Paddington 2 - Charming and fun filled family movie that is sure to bring a smile to even the grumpiest of faces!

With the first in the series being such a surprising delight and having my two children (both under 7) accompany me to a matinee showing, Paddington 2 was always going to be a pleasant experience and one that I was looking forward to with great excitement. What I was not expecting however, was that this sequel was even better than the original 2014 feature and has nudged it's way high on the list of best family movies that you will see this year!
Paddington 2  finds the lovable bear happily settled with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens, where he has become a most popular member of the community, spreading joy, fun and frolics  wherever he goes. While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy's hundredth birthday, Paddington spots a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber's antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it. But when the book is stolen, and Paddington is made the fall guy, it's up to our furry friend and the Browns to unmask the slippery thief.
With BAFTA nominated director Paul King again at the helm, Paddington 2 was obviously going to display the same slick and stylish spectacle as it's predecessor. With co-writer Simon Farnaby (Mindhorn) on board now however, the audience is treated to a sharper, wittier and overall more charming script and plot than the first film. Visually also Paddington 2 has taken it up a notch, with some sequences (the London pop-up book scene being one) breathtaking and a joy for the senses.
The supporting cast again almost steal the show with the Brown family along with a list of heartening cameos being joined by a marvellous turn by Brendan Gleeson, obviously having great fun in the role as convict Nuckels McGinty and Hugh Grant laying it on thick as the multi-faced vain villain Phoenix Buchanan.
The film itself, is one of those rare creatures that invokes a subtle smile on the viewers face from the very first shot and by and large stays there until the final credits roll!
After the pain inducing spectacle of last weeks Murder on the Orient Express, it was a refreshing and pleasant surprise to enjoy what is sure to be a box office and critical success and most importantly lots of fun for all the family! Marmalade anyone?
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