Five for the Week Ahead: The Japanese Film Festival comes to Cork
Lonely Castle in the Mirror at the Japanese Film Festival.
With record numbers of people living in homelessness being reported each month, this year's Big Busk is more important than ever. Events will be held in Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Kilkenny, and Sligo. It doesn't matter if you haven't a note in your head, what matters is getting involved to help Focus Ireland continue their vital work. You can join in one of the events or gather friends, family, and others in your community and organise your own busk. The event, supported by Today FM, has even created a setlist of songs requested by those who have experienced homelessness.
The latest musical biopic is the long-awaited Amy Winehouse film. Donning Winehouse's trademark beehive and eyeliner, Marisa Abela looks the part but can she channel the musical icon? The singer was a complex individual, to say the least. Winehouse's life had its fair share of struggles but she left a legacy that will live on forever. This film does its best to celebrate her talent while examining issues such as addiction and mental health. Whether or not it succeeds is up for debate but Abela is to be commended for her powerful performance.
Fans of Japanese cinema will be delighted to catch some great films as part of the Cork leg of the Japanese Film Festival Ireland. But it also gives those who are less familiar a chance to dip their toe in. The programme is a perfect introduction as the nine films cover all genres meaning there is something for everyone. Anime fans can enjoy and . is a concert film like no other. And if you would love to learn more about Japanese culture, check out .
If you somehow missed the mega hit that was when it was in the cinemas or if you simply want to revisit Cillian Murphy's Oscar-winning performance, here is your chance. Christopher Nolan's latest offering has arrived on streaming services so you can enjoy it in your own home. Nolan's films are famously intricate so each watch will no doubt have you spotting details you had previously missed. The tale of J Robert Oppenheimer and how he came to be the creator of the atomic bomb is completely fascinating. It's a long one ā coming in at three hours ā but you won't even feel the time go by.
Based on events in his own life, comedian Richard Gadd recounts his experience with a stalker. The tense tale was previously a critically acclaimed one-man play at the Edinburgh Fringe but has been translated to the screen. You will be gripped as you watch a simple act of kindness spiral into darkness in a way that threatens to ruin two lives. One of the things that makes this series so interesting is that rather than take the easy way out and portray himself as an entirely innocent victim, Gadd examines what role ā if any ā he played in the twisted events.
