the golden screen

With 66 features from 30 countries over eight days, picking highlights from the line-up for the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival is a bit of an impossible task, but here goes…

THE 25th HOUR – Spike Lee’s adaptation of the David Benioff best-seller casts the ever-reliable Edward Norton as a man on borrowed time before his prison sentence kicks in. This redemption thriller has already wowed audiences at the Berlin festival and is screening as part of the festival’s ‘State Of Independents’ season.

IN AMERICA – Jim Sheridan’s hotly anticipated semi-autobiographical film is his most satisfying to date, and its deeply touching story of a family’s move to New York after the tragic death of one of their children is carried beautifully by the performances of Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine, and newcomers Sarah and Emma Bolger.

CLAIRE DENIS RETROSPECTIVE – The festival also boasts a retrospective of the work of renowned filmmaker Claire Denis, from her testosterone epic Beau Travail to her latest horrorflick Trouble Every Day, starring Beatrice Dalle and Vincent Gallo. The French director will also be in attendence for a Q & A session.

THE CRIME OF FATHER AMARO – Even Movie House was taken aback by this Oscar nominated film’s depiction of the Catholic Church’s corruption in Mexico. The film stars the young Latin heart-throb Gael Garcia Bernal as an idealistic young priest. Or at least he starts out that way.

THE HEART OF ME – This tale of torrid relationships in 1930s London stars Helena Bonham-Carter as a free-spirit who embarks on an affair with her sister’s husband. This new film from director Thaddeus O’Sullivan features terrific, and suitably tormented performances from Oliva Williams and Paul Bettany.

THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE – Boasting a neat twist on the Death-Row movie formula, David Gale has fine turns from Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet and Laura Linney. The latter will be in attendance with the film’s director Alan Parker.

HEARTLANDS – A winning new Irish drama from Damien O’Donnell, the director of the super Brit-flick East Is East, sees a naive man (Michael Sheen) take off on a road-trip around the decidedly unglamourous north of England after his wife leaves him.

FRIDA – Selma Hayek puts in the performance of a life-time in this suitably fascinating biopic of artist Frida Kahlo. Watch out for Geoffrey Rush’s turn as Kahlo’s one-time lover Leon Trotsky.

BLIND SPOT: HITLER’S SECRETARY – Screening as part of the documentary season, this is the remarkable record of Traudi Junge who was the Fuhrer’s Private Secretary for most of the Third Reich.

THE RULES OF ATTRACTION – After much squabbling with former friend Quentin Tarantino over his contribution to thePulp Fiction screenplay, Roger Avary returns with this adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel. The screening at the London Film Festival last year prompted fainting and throwing up. Wonder if Dublin’s response can possibly top that?