Our Own Correspondent: Arts/Culture writer Esther McCarthy’s picks of the year
Arracht, Passing and Sound of Metal features in Esther McCarthy's highlights of the year.
Sound of Metal blew me away. Darius Marder’s remarkably moving and inventive first feature focuses on a punk drummer (a brilliant Riz Ahmed) whose life begins to unravel when he loses his hearing. As well as showing enormous heart, Marder’s film uses sound to immerse viewers in a first-hand experience of what it is like to be deaf.
It was a really strong year for Irish film with contenders including Rose Plays Julie, Herself, Wildfire and fine documentaries like Songs for While I’m Away and To the Moon. But Arracht, Tom Sullivan’s Irish-language documentary set during the Famine, was exceptional. The tale of a fisherman whose life is turned upside down following a night of violence is a beautifully shot thriller about courage and grace in tragedy.
Competition is fierce for audience’s hearts and subscriptions and the streamers have delivered many strong movies this year. Of these, Netflix’s excellent Passing, starring our own Ruth Negga and set in 1920s Harlem during a time when black people would ‘pass’ as white, was a standout.
Summer of Soul on Disney+. Questlove’s concert documentary fondly recalls the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival where acts included The 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, and Stevie Wonder at his vibrant best. An absolute joy.
My interviews this year have remained largely on Zoom and while nothing beats the in-person interview, we’ve all got better at Zooming, or so you’d think. I spoke with the legendary John Turturro for the forthcoming The Batman. I’m a huge Cohen brothers fan and was keen to talk with him about his wide-ranging career. “Don’t forget to unmute yourself,” I said to myself as I prepared to deliver a perfect first question. “I can’t hear you, are you on mute?” he replied. Doh. (He was a delight).
BBC’s arctic-set sea shanty The North Water was properly dark and dense and allowed a great cast including Colin Farrell, Jack O’Connell and Stephen Graham to dig deep.
Like many, I’ve been listening to Nicola Tallant’s The Witness podcast with Joseph O’Callaghan. He was the youngest ever person to enter the witness protection programme in Ireland and his story is powerful.
I’m concerned for diverse independent cinema. The pandemic and this year’s box-office results show the accelerated demand for James Bond and superhero movies in cinemas, and little else. I’m hopeful that independent storytellers will find new homes as attendances and worldwide demand from streamers grows.
The Cure at Dublin’s 3Arena next December. I’m a huge fan and looking forward to some new music from them, following their superb gig at Malahide Castle in 2019.
