DVD review: The Forgiven

August 27, 2022December 12, 2022 Garry Arnot1 Comment

John Michael McDonagh is perhaps best known for black comedies set in the sinister, sprawling vistas of Ireland, but he’s arrived in sunnier climes for his latest feature, The Forgiven. Based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Lawrence Osborne, the drama sees functioning alcoholic David (Ralph Fiennes) and his glamourous wife Jo (Jessica Chastain) arrive in Morocco to attend the luxury desert retreat of friends Richard (Matt Smith) and Dally (Caleb Landry Jones) for a weekend fuelled by booze and narcotics. Tragedy strikes whilst on their way to the party, and the couple are soon forced to face the consequences of their actions.

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DVD review: Nitram

March 3, 2022September 19, 2022 Garry ArnotLeave a comment

After bringing the true story of his nation’s most notorious outlaw to the big screen a couple of years ago, Aussie auteur Justin Kurzel sheds cinematic light on another deeply dark tale from down under in his latest feature. Nitram is a psychological character drama that centres around the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, a horrific mass shooting in Tasmania during which 35 people were murdered.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: Tyrel

March 13, 2019July 9, 2019 Garry ArnotLeave a comment

Chilean writer and director Sebastián Silva explores social cues amongst a group of thirty-something year old men in his indie comedy drama Tyrel. Unfolding across an alcohol-fuelled weekend, the plot centres around Tyler (Jason Mitchell) who is invited by Johnny (Christopher Abbott) to his friend’s birthday celebrations at an isolated cabin in the Catskill mountains. Being the only black guy in the bunch, Tyler begins to feel increasingly uncomfortable when inhibitions are lost, and the culture gap appears to widen.

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