Wednesday 27 March 2024, at 7.30pm
The Innocent (15)
France 2022. 1hr 39m. Dir: Louis Garrel. Cast: Anouk Grinberg, Roschdy Zem, Noémie Merlant, Louis Garrel. Language: French (subtitled). Awards: 4 wins, 16 nominations. [Original title: L’Innocent]
Crime, suspense and high jinks are blended together brilliantly here. Abel, a troubled, protective son, is convinced that his mother’s new beau Michel, the former burglar whom she met while running a prison workshop, is up to his old tricks.
As he tracks Michel’s movements, Abel’s suspicions are heightened. Spurred on with best friend Clémence in tow, he risks getting embroiled in something shady.
A smart mix of tense action, likeable characters and fabulous French humour.
“There’s great pleasure in seeing actors of this calibre wield their talents with such fleetness of foot”
Catherine Wheatley, Sight & Sound
“The Innocent is a delicious hybrid … a drama, because the emotions are played straight; a romance, because the characters are looking for love; and above all a comedy, because Garrel pushes it quietly towards logical mayhem”
Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday 24 April 2024, at 7.30pm
The Quiet Girl (12A)
Ireland 2022. 1hr 35m. Dir: Colm Bairéad. Cast: Andrew Bennett, Carrie Crowley, Catherine Clinch. Language: Irish (subtitled), English. Awards: 30 wins, 44 nominations (including an Oscar nomination for Best International Film). [Original title: An Cailín Ciúin]
Set in the leafy beauty of rural Ireland during the early ‘80s, this simple tale raises nature versus nurture ponderings. Cáit is a child who lives in a state of loneliness amidst a crowded household, where she is either ignored or berated. While fostered out for the summer, she experiences a cathartic change.
Adapted from a novella by Claire Keegan, here’s a quietly impressive directorial launch with frugal dialogue and a delicate pace that nonetheless carries emotional punch.
“A heartfelt, beautifully homespun tale…a well-crafted feature debut”
Jessica Kiang, Variety
“An unexpectedly beautiful assembly of narrative, image and sound which takes its cue from the title to build quietly to an emotional catharsis”
Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International
Wednesday 22 May 2024, at 7.30pm
Anatomy of a Fall (15)
France 2023. 2hrs 31m. Dir: Justine Triet. Cast: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Graner. Language: English, French (subtitled). Awards: 98 wins, 182 nominations, including 5 Oscar nominations). [Original title: Anatomie d’une chute]
Absorbing intrigue with a stunning backdrop of the Alps of south-east France. A writer couple live alongside their partially-sighted son and the family’s dog in an isolated chalet. When a shocking incident triggers a raft of doubts and questions, the case leads to crackling courtroom interaction and a conflicted key witness.
With its avalanche of uncertainties, this is riveting, family-anchored drama portrayed by a thoroughly convincing cast.
“[It] works brilliantly as a Hitchcockian thriller for today, but has depths and resonances beyond the genre”
David Sexton, The New Statesman
“… an intellectual thriller of rare calibre, assembled so precisely and deepening so richly it continually takes your breath away”
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
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