Z - I don’t know many arthouse documentary films based on football but, based on its subject, it makes sense that #Zidane,A21stCenturyPortrait is in a class of its own.
His skill, elegance, genius and short fuse are on show - all with a Mogwai soundtrack in the background.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
Y - With Sydney Pollack directing a Paul Schraeder screenplay #TheYakuza is very much a 70s crime thriller.
It is a tough and engaging, but the immersion into Japanese culture and the Yakuza underworld is what sets it apart.
Honour and Loyalty are the overriding themes.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
W - #TheWindThatShakesTheBarley is a powerful film about the Irish War of Independence, Partition and into the Civil War.
It's an authentic depiction of the human side of resistance to oppression - and how the big political events affected real families and communities.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
V - The Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb scores for #VanillaSky are definitely too low. It's a remake that I think surpasses the original.
The entire cast is on top form.
This film has stakes, twists, romance, plenty of WTF moments, an excellent soundtrack and it looks superb.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
U - #Unbroken is a compelling film, based on an extraordinary true story.
From the highs of becoming an Olympic athlete, to the torment of life in a Japanese POW camp during WW2. There is resilience, courage and strength on show in a great performance by Jack O'Connell.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
T - This film is simply hilarious.
#TopSecret! is Val Kilmer's debut, but he is ridiculously assured in it.
Singing, dancing, fighting underwater and even a crazy backward scene - all with excellent deadpan delivery.
The jokes are thick and very fast.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
S - #Sleepers has a stacked cast, full of strong performances.
It’s a gripping story of friendship, morality, corruption, revenge - and ultimately, how childhood trauma can shape a persons life, and influence their choices later on.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
R - #Ronin is a great example of the type of films we don't really get anymore. A great 'once-off' crime thriller, with suspense, tension and a brilliant cast.
The car chase in this is top tier. No big flashy effects - just a realistic, tense chase through Paris traffic.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
Q - Set against the Mod v Rocker scene in 1960s England, #Quadrophenia is rarely mentioned outside of British retrospectives.
But it's themes of youth, rebellion, identity and peer pressure are all universally relatable.
Excellent soundtrack and well worth a watch.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
P - #Predestination is definitely a sleeper. I only discovered it 2 years ago and, once seen, it’s impossible to forget.
Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook play the leads in a sci-fi thriller, that is mental - but good mental.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
O - On any Pixar rankings, #Onward wouldn't be near the top. Maybe this one hits me more personally or something, but I love it.
On the face of it, it's a fun animated adventure - but it absolutely taps into my own emotions on being an oldest brother, who misses his Da.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
N - Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a teenage John Lennon in #NowhereBoy. It shows how he got started with music and formed The Quarrymen (and eventually The Beatles) amidst the drama of his home life, with his aunt Mimi and mother Julia.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
M - I think #MatchPoint is one of Woody Allen’s best. I don’t know if it’s generic title does it any favours, but this is has great suspense, plenty of twists and deals with ‘chance vs fate’ themes.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers leads a great cast.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
L - Obviously, Daniel Day-Lewis is brilliant in Michael Mann’s #TheLastOfTheMohicans. And in ‘Magua’, Wes Studi plays one of cinemas great villains.
Under 2 hours long, but looks, sounds and feels like a great epic.
It definitely doesn’t get talked about enough.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
K - I remember my parents rented #Kalifornia when I was 11 or 12, and I was allowed to watch it with them. I loved it.
I’d say this was the first time I saw Brad Pitt, and I never forgot him because he was so creepy.
I saw it again last year and it definitely holds up.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
J - Sam Mendes’ Gulf War drama #Jarhead brilliantly shows how pre-war expectations of action packed, heroic combat is very different from the reality. It’s shown as slower, even boring, but a much heavier psychological toll.
It’s no picnic, but I think that’s the point.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
I - I remember the DVD cover of #Intermission had a critic quote calling it "Trainspotting meets Magnolia". I've always thought this was a great description.
It's a lethal crime comedy, with a brilliant cast - that would all go on to have great careers.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
H - #Hollywoodland is a noir mystery set in 1950s Hollywood. Adrien Brody plays a detective investigating the death of original Superman actor, George Reeves (played by Ben Affleck).
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
G - #TheGuard is a really great crime comedy, set in the sticks of Connemara. The line between humour and seriousness is handled perfectly.
I'd say everyone in Ireland has seen this, but I'm not sure it’s that recognised internationally. Big recommend.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
F - Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo are excellent in #Foxcatcher. Channing Tatum is also brilliant (I think this was the first time I took him seriously).
It’s a bit of a tough, psychological drama and also a true story.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
E - Taika Waititi's first feature #EagleVsShark is a great hidden gem.
It’s a small indie film, but has all the quirky comedy and offbeat charm that is taken for granted in his big budget work these days.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
D - Spike Lee's #Da5Bloods is like nothing else.
Powerful and thought-provoking, set during the Vietnam War, as well as present day.
Standout performances from Chadwick Boseman and Delroy Lindo.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
C - I was in New York last year, and when in Grand Central Station, all I could think about was #CarlitosWay.
This is a gripping film from start to finish. After the 80s, Al Pacino is back to his best - and Sean Penn gives an amazing performance.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
B - Why let the truth get in the way of a good story? Tim Burton's #BigFish is a lot of fun.
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
A - Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan are brilliant in this, WWII thriller set in nazi-occupied Prague
#Anthropiod
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
In an effort to show appreciation for films that I don't see discussed too often, I'm starting an A-Z of movies that I think are great but I haven't seen spotlighted in podcasts, review shows etc.
Not necessarily 'underrated' or 'overlooked' - just 'should be lauded more'
#FilmsIntoFocus #FilmSky
