On this page: A HOUSE IN JERUSALEM | KNEECAP | RIDDLE OF FIRE

< < I N D I E S > >

With her intense screen presence, Locke is terrific as the almost scarily determined Rebecca, who becomes obsessed with helping Rasha, even when things get dangerous. Her interaction with a range of people around her is earthy and grounded, giving remarkable insight into this young woman's mindset. Harris is also strong as her perpetually worried father. And Faress has a luminous charisma as an older Palestinian woman who connects with Rebecca.

This is a nuanced story that takes several startling twists and turns, revealing hard truths about both the characters and the tensions that are woven into the fabric of their environment. Several sequences are deeply frightening, as Rebecca finds unexpected links between her past and Rasha's story. This adds a thoughtful and emotionally resonant kick in the final act that allows the film to say something important without getting political.

themes, violence

28.May.24

Driving much of the film's bristling pace are electric performances from the ensemble cast. The central trio are particularly engaging, likeable guys who are refusing to play nice. O'Caireallain (aka Moglai Bap) and O'Hannaidh (aka Mo Chara) are charismatic and likeable, even when they are doing illicit things, because they make the characters open-handed and almost shockingly truthful. And O'Dochartaigh (aka DJ Provai) makes a terrific third side of their triangle, an older guy who has bottled up his inner mischief-maker for too long. These are antiheroes we can cheer for enthusiastically.

With its underlying theme about the importance of the indigenous tongue, the film has quite a few clever things to say, especially in the provocative parallels between Caitlin's more typical activism and Kneecap's outrageous shock value. But both are essentially doing the same thing for the Irish language, while Kneecap is additionally making it modern and vibrantly alive. As Arlo has always told Naoise and Liam, "Every word you say in Irish is a bullet." And when he sees Kneecap's performance, he understands this in a whole new way.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

3.Jun.24

The cast is terrific at creating properly vivid characters who defy the usual stereotypes, complex in their ability to be both likeable and scary at the same time. The four youngsters are superb antiheroes. They're smart, funny and engaging, and also more criminal than mischievous. The interaction between them is hilariously textured, complete with a pair of charmingly childlike romances. Meanwhile, the grown-ups have their own issues going on, and are also a lot of fun to watch, even if most are rather shady.

Intriguingly, the four younger kids bond over the fact that they don't have fathers in their lives. Their odyssey takes a few darkly violent turns, some of which are rather disturbing. And the infusion of magical realism adds a fresh kick, right up to a messy and nuanced climactic sequence. This is a remarkably quirky movie that's bracingly original and timeless. In the end, the moral seems to be little more than this: if a child asks you for a speckled egg, just give them one.

themes, language, violence

2.Jun.24