REVIEW: The Princess and the Frog

Disney’s latest animation sees the welcomed return to original hand drawn animation that defines the extremely recognisable, and much loved, Disney Studio style. Fans will revel in the indulgent colours of the New Orleans, jazz infused setting. With its array of marvellous characters, from every walk of life and, traditionally unique in true Disney fashion. Disney has managed to capture that level of awe in which children view the everyday through wonder, curiosity and enthusiasm. 

BY LAURA SHEARER

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LETTER: From VP Paul Lilly

Dear Gown,

It is with a heavy heart that I feel the need to put pen to paper and respond to the character bashing that went on in last week’s ‘The Gown’ in relation to myself and a few others. The true mark of journalistic excellence and integrity is to approach all sides in order to get a rounded view, or a true reflection. Unfortunately this is key tenet of journalism was forgotten, maybe even avoided.

SEE THE LETTER IN FULL IN NEXT MONDAY’S EDITION OF THE GOWN

NEWS: Gown news editor makes Guardian debut

The Gown’s news editor, Lorcan Mullen, had a report published in today’s Education Guardian. This report stemmed from The Guardian’s interest in the front story of The Gown’s last issue (‘Leaked Government report: freeze fees, raise grants’).

To read The Guardian’s report online click on the link below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/feb/23/university-tuition-fees-cap-northern-ireland

REVIEW: The Last Station

With the Oscars less than a fortnight away, audiences must exercise caution when choosing a film to go and see. Oscar dramas are a tricky class of film. Taking as an example last year’s Oscar race, for every ‘Gran Torino’ and ‘Frost/ Nixon’ there was a ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ or ‘The Reader’. If you’re lucky, you could get something moving and riveting. If unlucky, however, you might end up with a dull movie with terrible Oscar clips (the scenes in which venerable actors give loud and annoying bravura performances), which merely serve to startle you back into lucidity. The Last Station, oddly enough, falls between these two stools.

BY MATTHEW McKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

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INTERVIEW: Director of ‘The Donahue sisters’

At the launch of The Brian Friel Theatre season, we were spoilt for choice with the best of what you could expect for the rest of the year. From the intriguing plays ‘Beckett’s Shorts’ and ‘The Libertine’, the immense ‘Crooked’ to the absurdly comic ‘Rhinoceros’, amongst them all one performance stood alone in the crowd, ‘The Donahue Sisters’. The director of the play, Ciara McGuigan, talked to The Gown about the project.

BRIAN SWANN

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REVIEW: Adoration

‘Adoration’ is the new film by Canadian-Armenian auteur Atom Egoyan, a director held in high regard by the art house crowd. His latest is a puzzle box of a movie that looks at terrorism with a complex and thought-provoking approach. It tells the story of Simon, a student, raising a kerfuffle when he presents the tale of a botched act of terrorism as the work of his own father. Egged on by Sabine, his French teacher, he develops the story, which spreads across the internet. Opinions get more and more reactionary and the situation soon spirals out of control.

BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

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REVIEW: Micmacs

The new film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, of ‘Delicatessen’ and ‘Amelie’ fame, features quirky comedy, a plethora of weird characters and a political message. Through its comedic story, we are introduced to the homeless Bazil (Dany Boon), who takes revenge against two warring arms traders, both inadvertently responsible for his troubled existence. One produced the mine that killed his father; the other produced the bullet now lodged in Bazil’s brain. Assisting him in his seemingly futile mission is a diverse group of seven second-hand dealers, the “Micmacs”, each with a unique talent.

BY MATTHEW McKERNAN

www.queensfilmtheatre.com

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