H.A.V.O.C.#1

Lets get something straight from the start I'm a film fan, not a critic, a film buff or a cinephile, simply a fan. A football fan can follow any team he or she wants and so I do much the same with films. Although I do admit to sometimes being a bit of a film snob which does not always work out so good for me, but I can be a bit like that about music also. Anyway being a fan means that I don't have to go to see "Avatar" if I don't want to,despite all of what people told me about the brilliant special effects and all that. The best thing about Cameron's previous blockbuster was that it brought people back into the cinemas,people who had stayed away during the 80's and the 90's for whatever reasons, more films on television or the advent of video maybe?

Being a film fan also means I can go and see films like "Iron Man 2" which I saw lately,dragging my kids along.It was mildly enjoyable, I like Robert Downey Jr. Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johannson, the director John Favreau also made "Mr & Mrs Smith" and he always has good soundtracks to his films. At the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum I watched a film lately called"The Class". This film ticked all the right boxes,it won the "Palm D'Or" at Cannes Film Festival, it was shot in a cinema veritè style and it received huge critical acclaim.But it left me cold,I just didn't get it! Sometimes it just goes that way you build yourself up for what you think will be your film of the year only to be let down, that's life I suppose.I saw another film recently by director Julian Schnabel called "Before Night Falls" starring the great Spanish actor Javier Bardem and I stopped the film halfway through! I had seen two films by this director that I had thoroughly enjoyed ("Basquiat" & "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") but "Before Night Falls" did absolutely nothing for me.What I think is good about Athy Film Club is you have to stay and watch the film (its rude to walk out) and you can do so without interruptions which frequently happen if viewing a film at home.

This all brings me to our last screening "I'm Not Scared".This was also a film I was looking forward to. I had read the book last year on holiday, in Sicily of all places.I knew of the directors last film,I was expecting great things and I was not disappointed.For once a film with beautiful cinematography that was relevant to the story.How many times have you seen a film that looked lovely but that was all it just looked lovely."I'm Not Scared" delivered on all counts,it looked lovely, it had great acting, a great story and an underlying tension that kept you on the edge of your seat (or maybe that was the seating it can be a tiny bit uncomfortable, it depends on where you sit I'm not saying where but feel free to bring a cushion next time).I' m looking forward to seeing you all again on June 1st for "Everlasting Moments"

That's all folks
Hugh Hyland