Making the Grade 3/5

Director Ken Wardrop’s Irish documentary ‘Making the Grade’ explores the somewhat commonplace world of piano lessons for Irish children (and a few adults). The doc follows some of the 30,000 piano students preparing for their grade examinations – with grade eight being considered the pinnacle. The focus of the documentary is the relationship between piano teachers and their students as they prepare for their examinations. Emotional and poignant, Wardrop offers insight into the lives of some of these students. Ultimately, Making the Grade “is an undeniably pleasant overture, but slightly flat and in need of a crescendo.”

Michael Inside 5/5

Director Frank Berry (I used to live here, Teenage cics) takes the helm of this drama telling the tale of 18-year-old Michael McCrea, played by Dafhyd Flynn, who is caught holding drugs for his friend’s older brother and is convicted and sentenced to three months in prison. Michael - who lives in a Dublin housing estate with his grandfather - barely seems the type who is cut out for prison; he is vulnerable and naïve and not the hardened type who may keep to himself. In the making of this film, Berry conducted extensive research with the Irish prison rehabilitation service Pathways, dedicated as he was to doing the topic justice. “Shooting with an almost uncomfortable intimacy, Berry constantly creates a sense of claustrophobia, closely framing his shots so that Michael is somehow always trapped by his environment.”

The Cured 4/5

David Freyne’s horror film ‘The Cured’ asks the question – what happens when the un-dead come back to life? The story begins when a virus turns all those infected into cannibals and zombies. Finally, after some years, a cure is found and the process begins to reintegrate survivors into society. Some of those survivors are welcomed back into society with open arms but are the greater public really ready to forgive them? The Cured has some big names among the cast, including Ellen Page, Sam Keely and Love/Hate’s Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. “Freyne’s film is endlessly layered with smart details and open to multiple interpretations, involving immigration, terrorism, Trump and Ireland’s own history of conflict.”

A Quiet Place 4/5

Former the US Office star John Krasinski turns his hands to acting and directing in the new horror film, ‘A Quiet Place’. Krasinski plays Lee Abott, married to Evelyn, played by his real life spouse Emily Blunt. The year is 2020 and most of the world’s population has been wiped out by creatures who use their hearing to pinpoint their targets. Lee and Evelyn scavenge for supplies with their two sons and deaf daughter – communicating non-verbally through American Sign Language. “A Quiet Place is a truly original and unnerving horror. You’ll want to scream – don’t.”

Love, Simon 4/5

Greg Berlanti (Riverdale, Dawson’s Creek) turns his well-practised hand to the classic high school genre movie with ‘Love, Simon’. The premise is as follows, Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) is a closeted gay teenage boy, living outside of Atlanta, Georgia. One day, Sam’s friend tells him there is an online confession board of another closeted gay boy in their high school, and Simon begins to communicate with him. Once the secret emails are accidentally discovered by another student, Simon is blackmailed by the student who has a crush on Simon’s best friend. “'Love, Simon' is sweet, relatable and funny. It’s witty and accessible, and also conventional and very normal. That normality is important. Representing gay teens is important. Because everyone deserves to imagine themselves as a romantic hero, who gets the happy ever after.”

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