Classics: The Lego Movie and La Dolce Vita
Cinemas are bringing in new releases but are mostly still offering the chance to revisit favourites. For instance, Omniplex cinemas all over the country are running titles like Joker, The Lego Movie and Star Wars. Check websites for local listings and for safety regulations.
However, it’s hard not to assume that streaming will retain at least part of its new-found popularity.
With that in mind, there are a couple of new services, including the Irish Film Institute, which has launched its online platform with the Reel Art Collection, a selection of 20 Irishmade documentaries. Full details are available on ifihome.ie, and each film costs €3.99 to rent.
The View It On Volta Irish film gifting campaign is in the middle of its Female Focus week, with titles including gems like Mammal, 32A and
Sea Fever and from Wednesday, July 22, the Our Stories Onscreen collection will include the excellent Michael Inside, Rosie, and Handsome Devil (volta.ie).
Netflix new releases are focusing on relationships this week. Gli Infedeli is an Italian take on men dealing with fidelity and relationships. Fatal Affair is a US psychological thriller, and
MILF is a French take on three women in their 40s who meet young men on holidays. For a bit more depth, try
Clemency (BFI) with Alfre Woodard, a prison warden whose protective shell cracks before she carries out her latest execution. Richard Schiff and Aldis Hodge also star but Woodard is brilliant in this not totally fictional fiction.
Cinema releases now streaming include Ad Astra (Sky Cinema/
NOW TV), which was generally well received. But many close-ups of Brad Pitt’s beautiful face notwithstanding, I found it a bit turgid. Basically, Brad has a midlife crisis in space while he is looking for his dad (Tommy Lee Jones).
I have my own midlife crisis going on though. I absolutely hated the comedy Good Boys (NOW TV) — but my 19-year-old daughter thought it was hilarious. Luce (NOW TV) is a really interesting family drama staring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Octavia Spencer and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
There’s an entire Pedro Almodovar season on MUBI, including his fabulous semi-autobiographical Pain and Glory. MUBI also has what is perhaps the watch of the week — Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, which celebrates its 60th birthday this year.