By Simon Miraudo June 5, 2014 Those devilish McDonagh boys, always zigging when you think they’ll zag. John Michael McDonagh – brother of Oscar-winning In Bruges director Martin – follows up his dirt-black buddy comedy The Guard with despairing anti-hymn Calvary. It plays out like a parable, or, maybe, some half-remembered joke, with Brendan Gleeson‘s generous Father James learning of a mysterious parishioner’s desire to murder him; […]
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Tag Archives: brendan gleeson
Keep your friends close – The Company You Keep review
April 16, 2013 
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By Jess Lomas April 16, 2013 Many films prompt you to suspend disbelief, ignore that plot hole, and not think too hard about how A equals B. Robert Redford’s The Company You Keep is such a film, in which Shia LaBeouf solves a 30-year mystery that had alluded the top minds at the FBI. Based […]
Continue readingThe wild card – Safe House review
June 6, 2012 0 Comments
Safe House – Starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds and Brendan Gleeson. Directed by Daniel Espinosa. Rated M. Originally published February 9, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Safe House arrives on DVD, Blu-ray, and Quickflix Pay Per View in Australia June 7, 2012. Safe House has a lot of elements that – stirred together, and sugared to taste – could be expected to produce something of […]
Continue readingThe wild card – Safe House review
February 9, 2012 0 Comments
Safe House – Starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds and Brendan Gleeson. Directed by Daniel Espinosa. Rated M. By Simon Miraudo. Safe House has a lot of elements that – stirred together, and sugared to taste – could be expected to produce something of fairly compelling quality. Reliable leads in Denzel Washington (employing his eternally popular […]
Continue readingThe 10 best male performances of 2011
December 27, 2011 0 Comments
The 10 best male performances of 2011. By Simon Miraudo. It’s the final week of 2011, so we’re sharing with you, once again, our end-of-year lists. This was originally published on December 8 2011. Acting! It’s perhaps the most subjective craft in the entire moviemaking process. What better way to celebrate its unquantifiable nature than by […]
Continue readingBloody glee – The Guard review
December 20, 2011 1 Comment
The Guard – Starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Mark Strong. Directed by John Michael McDonagh. Rated MA. Originally published July 24, 2011. By Simon Miraudo. Here’s an understatement: Brendan Gleeson is one of the most reliable and enjoyable actors working today. I have trouble recalling a film he didn’t steal. Needless to say, he kills in The Guard, written and directed by John Michael McDonagh. Gleeson stars as Boyle, […]
Continue readingWalk like a man – Albert Nobbs review
December 19, 2011 0 Comments
Albert Nobbs – Starring Glenn Close, Janet McTeer and Mia Wasikowska. Directed by Rodrigo Garcia. Rated M. By Simon Miraudo. I’m afraid that before I can begin to thoughtfully unpack and deconstruct Rodrigo Garcia’s cross-dressing drama Albert Nobbs (and I may not even get that far), I’m going to have to address the giant elephant […]
Continue readingThe 10 best male performances of 2011
December 8, 2011 1 Comment
The 10 best male performances of 2011. By Simon Miraudo. Acting! It’s perhaps the most subjective craft in the entire moviemaking process. What better way to celebrate its unquantifiable nature than by ranking our favourite performances of the year? Look past the inherent ridiculousness of comparing dudes who play vicious murderers with those dressed in […]
Continue readingTrailer Debut: Albert Nobbs
October 14, 2011 1 Comment
Dude looks like a lady in the newly released trailer for Albert Nobbs, which stars Glenn Close as a woman who poses as a man in 19th century Ireland. Based on George Moore’s short story, Close previously starred in a theatrical adaptation of the tale back in 1982, and has spent the past 15 years […]
Continue readingRace for the prize – The Cup review
October 12, 2011 5 Comments
The Cup – Starring Stephen Curry, Brendan Gleeson and Daniel MacPherson. Directed by Simon Wincer. Rated PG. By Simon Miraudo. Has there ever been a story as ripe for a big screen realisation as Damien Oliver’s triumphant run at the 2002 Melbourne Cup atop tempestuous Irish steed Media Puzzle, mere days after the death of […]
Continue readingBloody glee – The Guard review
August 25, 2011 0 Comments
The Guard – Starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Mark Strong. Directed by John Michael McDonagh. Rated MA. Originally published July 24, 2011. By Simon Miraudo. This review was first run during the Melbourne International Film Festival. The Guard is now screening nationally. Here’s an understatement: Brendan Gleeson is one of the most reliable and enjoyable actors […]
Continue readingInterview: John Michael McDonagh (director of The Guard)
August 23, 2011 0 Comments
Interview – John Michael McDonagh (director of The Guard). By Simon Miraudo. It was hardly a surprise to discover John Michael McDonagh had just as sharp a tongue as his brother Martin (In Bruges) in his feature film debut The Guard. It was truly refreshing, however, to see some of the family’s trademark barbs being […]
Continue readingTrailer Debut: The Cup
August 15, 2011 0 Comments
The trailer for upcoming Aussie flick The Cup – concerning Damien Oliver’s win at the 2002 Melbourne Cup – has arrived online. Stephen Curry stars as Oliver, with Daniel MacPherson playing his brother Jason (who was killed in a racing accident days before the big race). The clip certainly doesn’t play down the tear-jerking aspect […]
Continue readingMelbourne International Film Festival – The Guard
August 1, 2011 0 Comments
The Guard – Starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Mark Strong. Directed by John Michael McDonagh. Rated MA. By Jess Lomas. The Guard screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It opens in Australian cinemas August 25, 2011. The premise of John Michael McDonagh’s Irish comedy crime caper The Guard is far from original: the […]
Continue readingMelbourne International Film Festival – Day Two
July 24, 2011 4 Comments
Melbourne International Film Festival – Day Two. By Simon Miraudo. Beasts, and guards, and Michael Shannons, oh my! My second day of movie-watching at the 2011 Melbourne International Film Festival was a packed one; so much so, I don’t even have time to write a proper introduction to this diary entry. Instead, I’m just going […]
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