Irish panel of reviews pick their favourites from this years Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
A panel representing The Dublin Film Critics Circle has named Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In, a singular Swedish horror movie, as the best film at the seventh Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. The DFCC also identified The Secret of Kells, a lavish animation from the Kilkenny-based Cartoon Saloon, as the best Irish film and awarded the best performance prize to Tom Hardy for his turn as British convict Charles Bronson in Nicolas Winding Refn’s bizarre, gripping Bronson.
John Maguire (Sunday Business Post), George Byrne (Evening Herald), Donald Clarke (The Irish Times), Paul Lynch (Sunday Tribune) and DFCC president Tara Brady (Hot Press) joined Dave Fanning at the Irish Film Institute to announce the prizes on the afternoon of Friday 20th February. The discussion, one of many side events presented by the festival, will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio One on Monday evening.
The panel also greatly enjoyed Il Divo, Paulo Sorentino’s surreal study of Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, and awarded Sorentino the prize for best director. The best documentary prize went to Sacha Gervasi’s hilarious and moving Anvil! The True Story of Anvil, which relates the brief rise and lengthy decline of a good-natured Canadian heavy metal band.
Let the Right One In, which details the relationship between a shy boy and the sad vampire child who lives nearby, is due to open in April. The Secret of Kells, a colourful fable focussing on the creation of The Book of Kells, will be in Irish cinemas from March 6th.
The full nominations and winners are as follows:
BEST PERFORMANCE
Tom Hardy – Bronson (Winner)
Toni Servillo – Il Divo
Clint Eastwood – Gran Torino
Meryl Streep – Doubt
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (Winner)
Religilous
Chris & Don: A Love Story
American Teen
Encounters at the End of the World
BEST IRISH FILM
The Secret of Kells (Winner)
Five Minutes of Heaven
The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy
The Daisy Chain
BEST DIRECTOR
Paolo Sorrentino – Il Divo (Winner)
Laurent Cantet – The Class
Werner Herzog – Encounters at the End of the World
Tomas Alfredson – Let The Right One In
BEST FILM
Let the Right One In (Winner)
Il Divo
In the Loop
The Class