Maryann O’Connor

In Review: Black Gold

by Maryann O'Connor 22 February 2012

Black Gold is a story about two leaders in Arabia, Amar (Mark Strong) and Nesib (Antonio Banderas) warring over land which is latterly discovered to contain a considerable reserve of Crude Oil. It has all the ingredients for a film of epic proportions, including a director (Jean-Jacques Annaud) and producer (Tarak Ben Ammar) who said they […]

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In Review: Hammett (1982)

by Maryann O'Connor 21 February 2012

By Maryann O’Connor Samuel Dashiell Hammett was, at various points in his life, a writer of good mysteries, a detective and political activist; in short, dream fodder for other writers’ detective tales.

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In Review: A Dangerous Method

by Maryann O'Connor 17 February 2012

A Dangerous Method, based on the book by John Kerr, focuses on the fragile friendship and exchange of ideas between psychoanalysis legends Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), which began in the first few years of the 20th century.

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Best of British: Kes (1969) on DVD

by Maryann O'Connor 6 February 2012

On the surface, Kes is a touching portrayal of the life of a working class lad in the 1960s but it could just as easily be the story of any working class child, in any decade.

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In Review: Man on a Ledge

by Maryann O'Connor 4 February 2012

By Maryann O’Connor I’m sure you’ve guessed the rough premise of the film by deciphering the opaque meaning of the title. Sam Worthington is *drumroll* a man on a ledge. Well, his name is Nick Cassidy in the film.

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In Review: Young Adult

by Maryann O'Connor 3 February 2012

By Maryann O’Connor Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), a thirty-something divorcee, spends her days in Minneapolis avoiding writing fiction for a Young Adult book series set in a High School and drinking too much. She’s busy wallowing over the knowledge that her book series has been cancelled when a chance email bombshell arrives, sporting a sickly sweet […]

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In Review: The Guard (DVD)

by Maryann O'Connor 2 February 2012

Garda Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) was just minding his own slightly shady business in a remote part of West Ireland when he gets a new partner, transferred from the bright lights of Dublin and suddenly a man turns up dead

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In Review: The Descendants

by Maryann O'Connor 31 January 2012

What makes a film worthy of an Oscar nomination? That is the question on most people’s lips (their chapped lips) at this time of year. The Descendants, a film written and directed by Alexander Payne, has been put forward for this honour.

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Special BAFTA report: Mark Herbert and Warp Films

by Maryann O'Connor 27 January 2012

By Maryann O’Connor Warp Films (celebrating their tenth anniversary this year) are a brilliant example of a independent British film success story, having produced numerous short films and been involved in major pictures such as This is England, Four Lions, Kill List and Tyrannosaur

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In Review: Last Night (DVD)

by Maryann O'Connor 20 January 2012

By Maryann O’Connor This is not an unfamiliar story. Not because it’s been told many times but because we’ve all experienced it at one time or another.

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