Film & Television John Maguire on film: Doom-laden exploration of guilt and shame fails to hit the markPaul Mescal features in God’s Creatures but he’s underused in a story set in rural Ireland that explores the theme of a protective mother that has been done before, and better
Film Reviews Overly elaborate sleuth story entertains but fails to fully persuade Jam-packed with talent, this deftly crafted Banville-as-Chandler hybrid captures the style and tone of both authors as well as the titular detective himself
Film & Television John Maguire on film: Raw and spiky melodrama charts a sad and strained love triangleCompassionate cast are in top form in a story about vulnerable people trying to do the best in difficult circumstances
Film Film reviews: Bleak shadows of reality darken a shared boyhood innocence in Oscar contenderIt’s impossible to discuss Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s Close in depth without revealing too much of the plot, but the film is notable for extraordinary performances from its two central characters
Film & Television John Maguire on film: Bear with it, tale of a drugged-up animal is based on a true storyCocaine Bear is a gory horror movie that is by turns funny, violent, stupid and entertaining, plus it has Wicklow standing in for America’s Deep South
Film & Television Film review: The Whale flounders in its muddled journey from stage to the screenDarren Aronofsky’s maudlin reworking of Samuel Hunter’s play fails to live up to Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-nominated performance in this intensely claustrophobic space
Film & Television John Maguire: Spielberg’s own coming-of-age story writ large on the big screenIntrospective semi-autobiography The Fabelmans takes the audience on an insightful but painful trip down the director’s memory lane
Film & Television John Maguire: Cate Blanchett elevates Tár in a blistering portrait of power and celebrityTodd Field’s captivating and complex thriller demands that the viewer pay close attention, but the reward is well worth the effort
Film & Television John Maguire: Occult Poe murder mystery loses heart and pace as the grim story unfoldsScott Cooper reimagines real-life historical figure Edgar Allan Poe as an unofficial recruit to help solve gruesome killings at a military academy in this Gothic detective thriller
Film OTT action, grá and grief: 2022’s most memorable moviesWhile lasting pandemic habits have many punters choosing home streaming over physical cinemas, movie theatres still served as a welcome escape
Film & Television John Maguire on film: Glass Onion is funnier but not as satifying to unpeel as the original whodunitBond star Daniel Craig is back as the 'world’s greatest detective’ in a follow-up to 2019’s surprise murder mystery hit, Knives Out
Film & Television John Maguire on film: A lyrical, coming-of-age road movie with a macabre differenceThe latest film from Luca Guadagnino tells the disturbing story of a pair of ravenous addicts who need to eat human flesh in order to survive, but this is less a horror film than an outlaw romance
Film & Television John Maguire: One woman’s story brings home the grim realities of direct provisionFeature film and documentary maker Frank Berry presents a powerful first-person insight into humanity bowed by heartless bureaucracy
Film Reviews John Maguire: Nighy gives powerful performance in film about life and deathOliver Hermanus’s sublime remake of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s classic Ikiru is neither maudlin nor manipulative, despite the subject matter
Film Reviews John Maguire: Östlund’s latest a furious, fearless satire on the hypocrisies of the ultra-richTriangle of Sadness is Ruben Östlund’s second Cannes Palme d’Or winner in a row and is centred on a gilded group gathered on a $250m luxury yacht for a cruise
Film Reviews John Maguire: Beautifully acted drama delves into the heart of Irish identityIn Bruges stars Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are reunited in Martin McDonagh’s black comedy about male friendship, community and tradition set on a remote island in 1920s Ireland
Film Reviews John Maguire: A sympathetic glimpse into the short and secretive life of Emily BrontëDirector Frances O’Connor blurs fact and fiction to dramatic effect in this modern and sensitively drawn take on the physical and mental health challenges faced by the Victorian writer
Film & Television John Maguire: Two brave and forthright women who were minimised and mistreated by societyDocumentaries tell the inspiring stories of Sineád O’Connor and Vicky Phelan, who used their voices to tell truths that people didn’t want to hear
Film John Maguire: Manville is the perfect fit for a middle-aged Cinderella fantasy A mainstay of Mike Leigh’s ensemble casts since the 1980s, the long-time character actor grabs her chance to play the lead in this post-war movie with both hands
