MovieGuide

Joe McFadden Takes 10

1. 1917

(Dir: Sam Mendes)

A prime contender, - with 10 nominations - for Oscar glory next month, and following its triumph at the Golden Globes, Sam Mendes’s powerful WWI drama was in uenced by the trench memories of his grandfather. It was also clearly in uenced by Kubrick’s anti-war masterpiece, Paths of Glory (1957). Mendes and ace director of photography, Roger Deakins, shot the lm as if in real time and in one, unbroken take. The cameras follow closely as Tommies, George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, set out on a dangerous mission to warn a British company about the folly of an upcoming attack. 1917 is a visceral triumph for both Mendes and Deakins.

2. Little Women

(Dir: Greta Gerwig)

There’s still time to catch 25-year-old Saoirse Ronan’s fourth Oscar nominated performance before the big night arrives. A powerful drama surrounding the four (very di erent) March sisters as they navigate life, relationships and career prospects in post Civil War Massachusetts, Little Women reunites the Irish star with her Lady Bird director and mentor. While Saoirse’s Jo is at the heart of the story, Gerwig’s screenplay o ers other actors a chance to shine, notably Florence Pugh, who is terri c in the role of hot-headed sister, Amy. She is also Oscar nominated for her performance.

3. Bombshell

(Dir Jay Roach)

Anybody who watched The Loudest Voice will be familiar with the story of disgraced Fox TV executive Roger Ailes, whose career was brought to an end following a series of sexual harassment allegations. This topical and compelling story is well crafted for the big screen by Charles Randolph ( The Big Short) and features a host of superb performances. First among equals is Charlize Theron who, despite being almost unrecognisable beneath prosthetics and make-up, manages to convey (often directly to camera) the stresses associated with being a successful female broadcaster who has attracted both the un ltered vitriol of Donald Trump and the unwanted attentions of Roger Ailes.