Author: Peter W Sheehan

Minamata

30 May 2021

This feature-length film, based on true events, documents the effects of mercury poisoning by a Japanese factory on the residents of the city of Minamata. The factory contaminated the city’s water and food supply, and hid what it did. The film reveals the tragic effects of industrial pollution, and the forces gathered to negate it.

A Quiet Place Part II

30 May 2021

This horror film continues the story of the Abbott family, desperate to avoid creatures that attack as soon as they hear sound. The film is a worthy sequel to the 2018 movie that began the series, and it cleverly maintains escalating tension that flows from an absorbing plot-line.

Two of Us

24 May 2021

This subtitled French drama tells the story of two elderly women, who have loved each other for decades, and plan to be together as they age. Tragedy strikes one down, and they are separated, and their lives can no longer be shared. The film acutely conveys the threat of loss.

The Godmother (La Daronne)

13 May 2021

This French comedy-drama follows a female Police interpreter-translator, working for the Drug Police in Paris. She gains unexpected access to a huge amount of hashish and distributes it, as “Mana Weed”, which attracts the scrutiny of her police unit.

The Wrath of Man

3 May 2021

This US-UK action thriller drama is anchored firmly to the gangster genre, and is about a stranger who works for a security company in the US. In revenge mode, he goes hunting for the person who has killed his son, and violence is the name of the game.

June again

3 May 2021

This home-grown, Australian comedy-drama is about a seriously ill woman who recovers partial memory after a stroke, and discovers fresh purposes in her life. She attempts to put her children’s lives back on track with mixed success, but with caring intent.

De Gaulle

21 April 2021

This French historical war drama is set in a decisive period of WWII when France was under strong pressure to capitulate to Germany. It focuses on Charles de Gaulle’s fierce resistance to that capitulation.

The United States vs Billie Holiday

20 April 2021

This American biographical film tells the story of the jazz singer, Billie Holiday, who championed the civil rights of Black People in the US, and sang powerfully to them in her songs.

Six minutes to midnight

15 April 2021

This British drama is a period, espionage thriller about Nazi influence at a private girl’s school in a coastal British village, before the announcement of World War II.