1 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 27 GAZETTE CINEMA THE SHAPE OF WATER: DREAMY DELIGHT ReelNews WITH GIRL-MEETS-FISHMAN ROMANCE

WEINSTEIN WITHERS Studio facing bankruptcy It deserves AFTER weeks of turmoil and frantic behind the scenes efforts to save the studio, the Weinstein Co. is filing for bankruptcy. Ever since the infamous Harvey Weinstein scandal monstrous first emerged barely a blink ago, Weinstein Co. has been busy firefighting on all fronts, desperately trying to salvage the future of the previously respected New York film studio. success at The studio was already in some choppy waters – a series of underperfoming duds in recent years had tarnished its image, but the Weinstein scandal – and the the cinema explosion of the #MeToo movement – delivered a WITH the entire country ever stranger narrative crushing blow. currently going into near waters, twisting the narra- With lawsuits, criticisms meltdown over ‘The Beast tive into something darker of the board, firings and from The East’, why not and stranger than conven- Mute Elisa (Sally Hawkins) may seem a little eccentric, but her quiet demeanour restructuring, failures to take a break to consider tional film fare, yet in the masks a big heart, and an immutable determination to do what’s right – something secure financial lifelines The What-The in The process finding a deeply that an unlikely romance with a mysterious creature brings to the surface and so on, things looked Water instead?  SHANE DILLON humane story, like a pearl increasingly bleak for the [email protected] I refer, of course, to the lost in the murk. While the strange water to think that still waters It’s also worth noting studio – with last weekend seeing the company forced mysterious creature at some Irish cinemagoers. If you were making an creature (played by Doug run deep indeed, with that at the very least, Water into declaring it’s to file the heart of The Shape However, it’d be a real ‘elevator pitch’ summary, Jones) provides a fasinat- her innate humanity and provides an interesting for bankruptcy protection, of Water (Cert 15A, 123 shame if Water fails to you could largely rush ing fishy foil, the film has quiet decency creating counterpart to the gener- marking an ignominious end mins), which has been have the same impact through the film’s core an even more mesmeris- an everyman – or every- ally insipid romances still for the once revered studio. quietly sloshing about here that it’s enjoyed in plot thusly: ‘A quiet, mute ing and exotic creature woman – to root for (even lazily languishing at the in Irish cinemas for a other markets, as while cleaner working at a secret driving events along – though Cleaner-Fishman heart of too many films. very short while now, but it’s something of a curate’s US lab during the Cold Elisa (Sally Hawkins), the romantic liaisons aren’t After all, with Elisa perhaps without the cul- egg, its best parts are very, War discovers that it’s also lowly cleaner. the catch of the day for courageously stepping tural cachet here that it’s very good indeed. home to an imprisoned Hawkins turns in a bra- most of us). up as an unlikely agent of enjoyed elsewhere. At it’s core, there’s a humanoid water creature, vura performance that Throw in some great change, she creates a very After all, with so much Girl-Meets-Boy story which she falls in love nails the praise she’s gar- support work from the sympathetic, driven hero- ANNIHILATION ANGER focus on the IFTAs this, splashing about in the with and determines to nered, taking what could likes of the always reliable ine in a retro setting that Netflix deal surprises snowmageddon that, it’s background – at least, on help escape.’ very easily have been an Octavia Spencer, Michael resonates well with mod- FOLLOWING on from Netflix’s understandable that this the surface, in the most Sounds simple, right? underwhelming charac- Shannon clearly having ern sensibilites. screening of total turkey The ‘creature feature’ (albeit shallowest of dramatic However, you’d barely ter and role, but infusing a whale of a time playing Ultimately, even if fish Cloverfield Paradox recently, one that’s also a period waters. plumb the depths of this Elisa with a raw courage the inevitable bad guy, out of water romances the streaming service has piece, set at the height of But dive a little deeper, yarn with that explana- and steely determination add in some other steady aren’t your thing, Del pulled off another surprise move – it’s set to screen the Cold War), may have however, and director tion, because there’s a lot that her initially meek hands in key roles, and Toro’s latest will have you Annihalation from the sailed, splashed or glub- Guillermo del Toro soon more going on under the demeanour belies. you have a great ensemble hooked... middle of march March. glubbed under the radar of pulls the audience into surface than this suggests. With Elisa, it’s hard not of solid character actors. Verdict: 8/10 It’s reported that director Alex Garland has some mixed thoughts (to put it MiniReviews... mildly) on his new labour BLACK PANTHER THE 15:17 TO PARIS PHANTOM THREAD of love – starring Natalie Purr-fectly fine fare A rail-ly odd film by Clint Could stitch up Oscars Portman as one of a team IN A welcome addition to CLINT Eastwood’s latest, SUPPOSEDLY Daniel Day sent in to a mysterious zone the bog-standard, all-white The 15:17 to Paris (Cert Lewis’s final film, Phantom – getting bounced onto ‘the superhero films we’ve been 15A, 94 mins), is a rather Thread (Cert 15A, 130 mins) small screen’, apart from a stuck with for far too long, odd film. Clint’s film tells the would be a terrific swansong cinema release in the US, Black Panther (Cert 12A, true-life tale of how three to bow out on. It’s the type China and selected markets. 134 mins) ditches the mostly ordinary guys leapt into of role that Lewis can do in By all accounts, it’s a US-set films and hightails it the end result is a striking- action to thwart a terrorist greatest actors, let’s say, and his sleep – playing a driven than his match. Part period to a fictional African nation, looking, uniquely flavoured attack taking place on their in the current international character who’s far from drama, and part sly comedy, visually stunning and esoteric Wakanda, where all kinds film, with the eponymous train – very unusually, he’s climate of fear, the film’s perfect, playing a dressmaker director Paul Thomas film, so primarily watching it of nefarious shenanigans Black Panther providing a cast the three guys to play subject matter is a somewhat sewing and snipping his way Anderson stitches together a on your TV, tablet or phone are taking place. Drawing decent new hero to root for. themselves. While their act unsettling. At least Clint’s through one muse after sumptuous-looking film that seems an odd decision. Look some influences from the Having some great setpieces was undeniably heroic, the latest is an interesting move another (not literally) until could also see it stitching up out for the review soon... continent’s disparate cultures, doesn’t hurt, either. trio aren’t exactly the world’s by the grizzled director. one woman proves more some Oscars next month.