LOCKDOWN IS being eased but we are far from out of lockdown yet, so here are some more film recommendations to - available on Netflix - to get you through the coming evenings.
The Martian: Before Matt Damon was on lockdown in Dalkey he was stuck on Mars for a few years. Personally I’d rather be left on Mars for three years alone than lockdown surrounded by the majority of Dalkey residents for a few weeks but that's neither here nor there. This is an incredibly fun film that can be watched by the whole family. Featuring a big cast of great actors and a brilliant soundtrack, this was not given the credit it deserved when it came out, especially as it was a real return to form for Ridley Scott.
Inside Man: Another good lockdown type movie. That may be a slight spoiler but I don't think you’ll figure much more out from that hint. I was thinking recently that since Heat, every bank robbery scene in cinema has been a variation on that film's take on the formula. Here, Spike Lee manages an entirely new spin on the bank robbery genre in his most mainstream movie. There are great performances from Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster, and it is good preparation for Spike's new movie coming to Netflix next month.
A Simple Favour: This is a bit of a marmite film that was a box office disaster in 2018. Gloriously twisted and with a surprising amount of bite, it stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, but they are both good enough to carry off the bonkers story. This is Alfred Hitchcock for the Instagram generation.
Black 47: The closing film of the 2018 Galway Film Fleadh, if you missed it in cinemas then catch up on it now. This is both historically accurate and surprisingly fun, considering its set in Connemara during the Famine. Martin Feeney is a former Connaught Ranger who returns home to find his family either hung or starved. He sets out for revenge on his landlord. Think Man On Fire meets The Playboy Of The Western World. An all star cast and an unbelievingly good looking film, Connemara might be outside your 5k radius so maybe watch this to remember how beautiful it is.
Roxanne: In honour of the passing of the great Fred Willard I recommend this film. One of Steve Martin's finest from when he was on that incredible run in the 1980s that also included Trains, Planes and Automobiles, Little Shop of Horrors, and Three Amigos. Martin is great, but look how good Fred Willard is supporting. He was a rare thing in comedy, where every syllable he utters is funny. Hopefully some of the Christopher Guest catalogue will be available on streaming soon.
