Movie starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan
 | Nicely paced story of English widow Edith Pretty (Mulligan) and her son who decide to have some mysterious formations on their land in Suffolk excavated on the cusp of WW2. The story follows the excavation and growing excitement about the find and its importance against the backdrop of war, the deteriorating health of Pretty, and the platonic relationship between her and the man employed to excavate the site – the brilliant self-taught archaeologist-excavator Basil Brown (Fiennes). |
| A side plot involves a sort of love triangle among the excavation workers (Lily James, Ben Chaplin) but this does not detract from the main story which is more than enough to hold your interest for 112 minutes. What makes this even more interesting is that it’s based on a true story. It is no Narcos but if you like a good atmospheric story set in a bygone era with a solid cast of actors, then this one should go on your ‘favourite’ list. Rating: 7.5 / 10 |
Bridgerton is an American streaming television period drama series created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes. It is based on Julia Quinn's novels set in the competitive world of Regency era London's Ton during the season, when debutantes are presented at court.
 | A friend described Bridgerton as ’50 Shades of Pride and Prejudice’ so this might give you a clue. The key themes in this series could be summed up as gúnas, gossip and sex so what’s not to like? The show features over-the-top costumes set in a Regency-era London (showcasing an alternative history with a mixed-race Queen) during “the season” when debutantes are presented at court, and focuses on two upper-class families and the maneuvers and manipulations they get involved in to ensure their offspring “marry well”, and all the high jinx that goes with that. Each episode includes narration (voiced by well-known actress Julie Andrews) by an anonymous and ever-scandalous newsletter columnist with the nom de plume Lady Whistledown who appears to know everyone’s secrets. Rating: 6 / 10 |
If you’ve run through all the new shows and movies on Netflix, Apple, Amazon and Disney, you might be interested in signing up for some of the screenings from the Dublin International Film Festival from March 3rd – 14th, which is now completely online – see www.diff.ie for more details. There are over 60 films including everything from new Irish features to documentaries from around the world.
The Irish productions include Deadly Cuts (comedy about a group of Dublin hairdressers that turn vigilante, starring Angeline Ball and Victoria Smurfit), Father of the Cyborgs (documentary about an Irish-born American neurologist who connected the brain of a paralysed man to a computer in the 1990s), Boys From County Hell (comedy/horror about a group of friends that get entangled in a gore-fest) + many more.
You can watch five screenings for €35, ten for €60, or an unlimited pass for all screenings for €150. Oh and by the way – there’s a discount for students and (ahem) senior citizens – just saying! Use the Discount Code SENIOR21 or STUDENT21 at checkout.