Author: Joel Fisher

Ireland has a reputation and it’s so hard to get it just right when portraying it on screen. On one hand it could be an outsider’s view of the country which could evoke all the worst stereotypes imaginable. On the other hand, it could be a view of Ireland not often seen which pays tribute to the way of life, whilst still acknowledging that parts of Ireland may live up to what people expect.

In Doolin, a small village on the west coast of Ireland it feels more isolated from the rest of the country. Whilst more modern sensibilities are creeping in, there are still traditions kept and proudly shown off to anybody who wants to listen. Despite the country’s language being taken by the English, there’s something that can never be taken – music, and that’s what absorbs the people that live there, time and time again.

The Job of Songs is a documentary directed by Lila Schmitz about the small village of Doolin and how despite their isolation, they find solace in music. Talking to a variety of people from the very old to the very young, it shows that where there is music, there is hope.

However, that’s not without the villagers acknowledging the hardships they bear seemingly so far from the rest of the world. Some find music a peaceful escape, admitting that without music there would be nothing whilst others see it as the thing that saved their lives from depression and alcoholism.

Something which turns The Job of Songs into something far more introspective and thoughtful than people may think.

There’s also the tourism and how Doolin became its own attraction as it’s seen as the quintessential portrayal of Ireland. Something which creates mixed reactions from its residence whereas some like what it’s done for their economy, whilst others quietly resent how they’ve become something to stare at.

Overall, The Job of Songs offers a far more melancholic look at Ireland than audiences may expect. Although perhaps that could be down to our expectations, looking in from outside at a tiny village full of happy little Irishmen.

Chloe (Kimberley Laferriere) and Jack (Rogan Christopher) are on their honeymoon. They’ve been together forever and feel that this is the right time to get away. However, behind closed doors it feels like the relationship between Chloe and Jack is far from perfect. Jack has a drinking problem which he thinks he can handle and Chloe wants to start a family, although she wants Jack to grow up first.

Their arguments run through the rest of their time away and are escalated even further when they spend the night with their friends, Wendy (Janet Porter) and Wayne (Christopher McKenna).

Seemingly stuck in a relationship which neither of them has the guts to leave, this leads them to the beach where an enraged man gives them a drug which he says has opened his mind and cannot close it again. However, Chloe and Jack don’t heed his warning as they see an opportunity laid ahead of them.

Do Not Disturb is a horror comedy written and directed by John Ainslie. Showing the breakdown of a relationship in the most unusual way, it’s an allegory that many couples may recognise.

As with most drugs, especially the ones that have unknown effects, things start to happen that they can’t explain. There are the usual side effects that people may associate with drugs such as heightened emotions and hunger, but these feelings start to take over more than they expected.

Jack has a more blasé approach to it than Chloe who’s starting to feel bad about losing time and not being able to control herself. An experience that gets much worse when she realises that they’re starting to physically hurt each other.

Do Not Disturb is the kind of film that starts out seemingly ordinary and gets progressively more bizarre as it goes along. However, it’s all in the context and the audience will get more out of it if they keep that in mind. With a leading cast who play well off each other and an engaging story that feels hard to watch, but also hard to look away, Do Not Disturb is an engaging horror comedy.

Ryan (Wayne Gordon) leads an elite team on various missions as part of their mercenary work. All having had various experiences in military or covert ops, they’re all highly trained and able to deal with anything.

Hearing about a rich man who will pay them handsomely if they came to his rescue, Ryan brings his team together so they can get the job done. However, once there, a loud and crippling noise is emitted and runs through their body, leaving them unable to control their actions. All except Jordan (Alex Pettyfer) who seem immune – at least for now.

Black Noise is a supernatural action movie directed by Phillippe Martinez and co-written by Sean-Michael Argo and Leigh Scott. The kind of movie that may remind audiences of something like Predator in its set up, but without the budget or depth of plot.

The problems with Black Noise are many and varied and the audience may have thought that something so simple would have been hard to get wrong. However, very little to go on in terms of characters and story then the audience may stop caring.

Aside from the trauma that’s brought about by the Black Noise, the audience doesn’t really have a lot to go on in terms of character. They’re introduced to the characters as Ryan gets the gang together, but there’s just nothing to them to make the audience care before their demise. It’s simply as if they’ve been introduced as cannon fodder so that they can all die one by one.

Unfortunately, this goes for Jordan as well. The only character who seems unaffected by the Black Noise, the audience may think that there’s some hope in finding a solution. However, with Jordan’s trigger-happy attitude and Pettyfer’s blank slate performance he’s a hard protagonist to support.

The finale may also leave audiences frustrated (if they even get there) as those looking for any answers will be left disappointed. Black Noise may have started out with an interesting premise, but all it ends up being is something that goes on in the background that you could forget about.

Like a lot of people in the current economy, Kea (Danielle Zalopany) is juggling between two jobs. She works as a hulu dancer in a local resort for tourists, but she’s also holding down a job as a part time teacher. She’s also dealing with a relationship that is starting to get abusive and one night she takes her van and leaves her boyfriend behind.

However, in her emotional anguish, she accidentally hits a homeless man with her van. Feeling overcome with remorse, she helps him out and become friends, but Kea starts to realise that their friendship may be all she has left.

Waikiki is a heartbreaking drama written and directed by Christopher Kahunahana. Set in arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world, Kahunahana’s story shows another side filled with grief, loss and fading hope.

However, it also shows the side of life in what really matters. As Kea starts to slowly lose everything that she holds close to her, her bond with the homeless Wo (Peter Shinkoda) starts to bring out a part of her that perhaps had long been lost. Reminded of past trauma involving her grandma, Kea starts to see the world around her in a different way.

She sees that her life is slowly becoming something like Wo’s and a part of her starts to embrace that shocking eventuality. A reflection of what is really happening in daily life in such a place as Hawai’i relies so heavily on tourism.

Thinking about her grandmother and how she taught her about her heritage, Kea mourns for her loss and feels as if it’s not only her life, but her home which has been lost. Only when she hits rock bottom does she see what her island has become.

Zalopany’s performance is what drives the film and the audience can feel her pain all the way through. Being side-kicked with the silent Wo, who has gone through everything and still come out alive, perhaps reminding the audience of how lucky they are. Beautifully shot and superbly acted, Waikiki reminds us how fragile the balance of life can be.

A Bride (Natalie Burn) and a Groom (Ser’Darius Blain) are heading towards their wedding day and they’re full of love. They’re partners in work as well as life and they simply cannot imagine their lives without each other. However, one day our Bride finds out something about her future husband which leaves her having second thoughts and she decides to get away from it all – on her wedding day.

Not taking no for an answer, the Groom sends his Best Man (Cam Gigandet) and his other groomsmen to track her down to her answer why he’s been jilted. The problem is that the Best Man and his friends all have a one-track mind to find and kill the Bride.

Till Death Do us Part is an action comedy directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. and written by Chad Law and Shane Dax Taylor. The kind of movie where the audience is expected to switch off their brain and enjoy the violence.

However, this is where Till Death Do us Part underestimates its audience. It unfortunately says a lot when a movie isn’t even giving the audience enough credit to give their characters names.

This means that although the audience are introduced to the happy Bride and Groom, little thought has gone into their characters. So, when it comes down to the Bride having to defend herself, the audience has to ask themselves why and why they should care.

There’s also the issue of a subplot where the happy couple meet another Husband (Jason Patric) and Wife (Nicole Arlyn), but right up until the end it has very little relation to the main story. This once again pads out an already longer than it needed to be movie, hoping that the audience doesn’t notice.

As a lead actress, Natalie Burn does well but is given very little dialogue for the majority of the movie, only proving herself towards the end besides the sporadically scattered action scenes. Gigandet also gives a performance that is better than the overall movie, but it’s good to see an actor not sitting on his laurels. All in all, Till Death Do us Part is an action comedy which pales in comparison to its predecessors. Treated with more intelligence, the audience may have even come away more satisfied.