Stephen Conlon's Posterous

Fast becoming a technology junkie. Ah, who am I kidding; I've been online since I was in the womb.

The Shore

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Terry George's latest offering, the short film "The Shore", had its world premiere at the Queen's Film Theatre on Friday night with a packed audience in attendance. Terry will soon begin work on a new feature film, entitled "Whole Lotta Sole", and he brought the film's two stars (Brendan Fraser and Martin McCann) to this screening. I was fortunate enough to get the chance to speak with both actors and they could not have been nicer or more happy to be there. You can read more about the project here: http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4283741&am...

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Back to "The Shore", the short film is, in a word, sensational. George makes the most of Killough, an area in Ireland quite close to his and his family's hearts, in this project as he tells the story of two friends reunited following decades of separation, due in small part to The Troubles but due largely to a series of sensitive, personal circumstances. George followed the screening with a brief conversation where he described the main theme of the film as that of "reconciliation". I would hate to go into more specific plot details because it was such a truly wonderful viewing experience when I had no foreknowledge of the story. Only know that in 30 minutes you will find a sterling ensemble cast, moments of great laughs, and moments of touching sentimentality. But if you are anything like me, you will leave the film with a sense of great pride that such high calibre work is now being produced in Northern Ireland.

Anyone who reads this may think, "Huh? What? This is a pointless post!", but TRUST ME when I say: Run, don't walk, to the nearest theatre, TV or website where "The Shore" can be seen. It is magic.

Killing Bono

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The 11th Belfast Film Festival kicked off on Thursday night with a screening of "Killing Bono", a comedy film based on Neil McCormick's memoir "Killing Bono: I was Bono's Doppelganger" following the misfortune of two Dublin brothers who eternally live in the shadow of U2, their former schoolmates. The film was introduced by director Nick Hamm, head of the festival Stephen Hackett, and actor Martin McCann (who plays the titular character, albeit in a supporting role). Each man spoke of their pride at producing this piece of work in Northern Ireland, but by and large the focus of each of the introductions was on actor Pete Postlethwaite, who made his final screen performance in this project before passing away several months ago. Pete's death, however, did not cast a cloud over this event. Rather, it added a level of prestige to the proceedings that such a respected, talented actor would commit to a Northern Ireland Screen production for his final role.

While the cast is solid, with Ben Barnes and Robert Sheehan leading the charge as the McCormick brothers Neil and Ivan, respectively, the film as a whole is hit-and-miss at times. To sum it up, Neil and Ivan attempt to launch a music career as they consistently playing second-fiddle to U2, struggling to progress beyond dance halls and strip clubs while U2 experience a meteoric, global rise to stardom. The main dramatic drive of the film is Neil's self-motivated decision to prevent Ivan from joining U2, thus condemning them both to years of trying to succeed despite squandering their golden opportunity, a fact which Neil neglects to tell Ivan. From here we see the desperate lengths Neil will go to in order to prove that he was right to prioritise fraternal loyalty, with McCann's Bono appearing from time to time, serving as an inescapable reminder that Neil can never quite get it right.

In light of this plot summary, it is surprising that "Killing Bono" has been marketed as a comedy. The strength of the piece lies in two key relationships, the first being the brotherly rapport, and the second being the emotionally charged bond between Neil and Bono. The film's satire of the music industry, as well as the presence of a farcical gangster character (played by David Fennelly), both feel quite uneven and at times unnecessary, mostly because neither elements are at all original. Also, a romantic subplot involving Neil and Gloria (played by Krysten Ritter) never quite gets off the ground.

Aside from this, the film does a good job of keeping the audience entertained for the better part of two hours. The mix of an original score and signature U2 hits works well, and the historical detail (ranging from clothing and hairstyles to LP covers and Live Aid footage) is faultless. Even more impressive is Hamm's ability to mask Northern Ireland locations for scenes set in London and Dublin. As for the main cast: Barnes is riveting as the tortured protagonist; Sheehan is heartfelt and shows great promise; McCann is as effortless yet controlled as he is in every performance; and most importantly Postlethwaite is a pure delight. His character, the McCormicks' effeminate and flamboyant landlord Karl, appears sporadically but never fails to light up the screen, and at this premiere screening, the public affection for Postlethwaite was readily apparent.

Whether or not you are a U2 fan, "Killing Bono" is well worth seeing. No, you won't be howling with laughter, but you will surely be rooting for the McCormicks to succeed, despite knowing that this is a story about all those people who didn't get the golden ticket to stardom.

2011 Belfast Film Festival

It is that time of year again.

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Funded primarily by the Belfast City Council and Northern Ireland Screen, the Belfast Film Festival will showcase a series of local and international productions, with many cultural events planned throughout the festival's duration (31st March until 14th April). The main venues for these events will be the Queen's Film Theatre (QFT), The Black Box, Movie House Dublin Road, British Broadcasting House and the Belfast Waterfront, with various smaller cinemas offering viewings for more marginal tastes.

In recent years, the festival has been of increasing interest to me and this year I have quite a few events that I plan to include. They include:

 

Killing Bono - 31st March, Movie House Dublin Road, 7pm.

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"A rock n’ roll comedy about two Irish brothers struggling to forge their path through the 1980’s music scene... whilst the meteoric rise to fame of their old school pals U2 only serves to cast them deeper into the shadows." 

This film will be one of several opening the festival. The trailer looks very promising and the film is also the final performance by Pete Postlethwaite, who passed away in January. More information.

 

The Shore - 1st April, QFT, 7pm.

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"After 25 years in exile Jim Mahon brings his American daughter, Patricia, for her first visit to his hometown, Belfast. At a Welcome Home party for Jim at the local pub, Jim’s brother shows Patricia an old photo of Jim and Paddy Grogan, once Jim’s best friend, but long estranged. Patricia convinces Jim to search out his best friend Paddy. But Paddy doesn’t live alone - there’s Mary as well. Mary was engaged to Jim when he fled Belfast’s Troubles for San Francisco a quarter of a century before. Now she’s married to Paddy. Jim hasn’t been in touch with either of them... and racked by guilt and uneasy about the sort of welcome he might receive - possibly no welcome at all - he doesn’t want to go through with the visit. But Patricia insists “These are people you loved. You have to make your peace with them.” The reunion quickly goes awry with tears and old misunderstandings exposed - and plenty of laughter as well."

This film will be introduced by director and Oscar nominee Terry George, who wrote the screenplays for Hotel Rwanda and In The Name Of The Father. More information.

 

Buffy Night in The Black 'Bronze' Box - 4th April, The Black Box, 8pm.

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 "BFF celebrate one of the greatest ever TV shows with an evening of all things Buffy as we turn the Black Box into ‘The Bronze’ for one night only. Feel free to dress up as a vampire, an Evil bunny, the Buffybot or even Clem and join us."

This is a must for any fan of the cult series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Black Box is a fantastic venue and with the promise of screenings and sing-alongs, this event promises to entertain everyone in attendance. More information.

 

Peter Mullan Masterclass - 6th April, QFT, 7pm.

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"Belfast Film Festival is delighted to welcome the highly driven and original actor, director, writer and producer, who will offer an insight into his intriguing career during this masterclass."

More information.

 

The Messenger - 13th April, QFT, 7.15pm.

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"Nominated for two Academy Awards, this moving drama follows two men who deliver the news of fallen soldiers to next-of-kin, testing their friendship and self-belief."

Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster lead the cast in this critically-acclaimed drama. Definitely has the promise to be one of the stand-out showings of the festival. More information.

 

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The full list of festival events can be found at http://www.belfastfilmfestival.org/2011/index.html

AN AFTERNOON IN BELFAST

I spent some time in the centre of Belfast this afternoon and came up with an idea to capture an hour's journey around some of the city's busiest streets. Have a look!

Begins at 13:33 in the McClay Library on College Park and ends at 14:34 at Carlisle Circus, just down the road from my house.

This was a fun exercise and a good reminder of what a quality camera you'll find on the iPhone 4.