Day 8

This morning was one of those inevitable screening clashes, two films I wanted to see showing at the same time. Shrooms, the Irish horror film, and Gus van Sant’s highly regarded Paranoid Park, which had been rescheduled from Sunday. I opted for Shrooms, hoping to catch the other film in the evening. When I arrived at the Cameo I was told the screening had been postponed until the next day, clashing with another film I wanted to see. So with ten minutes to spare I legged it down to Cineworld, arriving just in time for the start. By the end of the film I was wondering if it was really worth the effort.


I’m not sure what the movie is supposed to be about. There is a death and there are lots of teen skater boys and girls getting angsty. It uses the fragmented timeline, like Memento, jumping backwards and forwards as it follows Alex (Gabe Nevins) as he writes a self-confession of his involvement in the death of a security guard. The use of non-professional actors didn’t always work, although Nevins did do a great job of internalising his emotions and conflict. Although the film won the 60th Anniversary Prize at Cannes I personally can’t see what the fuss was all about. All the elements I found annoying others found boldly original. Each to their own.

Paranoid Park is showing at Cineworld on Thursday 23 at 22:30


Just one other film today, Breach. This is a slow-paced spy thriller, the complete antithesis of Bourne Ultimatum. Based on a true story of an FBI agent who sold secrets to the Russians, the ending is revealed in the opening shot. This is more of a character study than your stock-standard thriller. Chris Cooper is excellent as Robert Hanssen, the disgruntled agent nearing the end of his career, seemingly ignored by his superiors and colleagues in spite of his experience and knowledge in matters of security. Ambitious rookie Eric O’Neill, a surprisingly good Ryan Phillippe, is planted as Hanssen’s new assistant to report back to the lead investigator (Laura Linney). O’Neill soon starts developing a respect for Hanssen, which does divide his loyalties and cause a rift with his young wife.

The cast do an excellent job but the story is just too slow to fully engage and although you can develop sympathy for Cooper’s character, in the end you don’t really care what happens to any of them. I spent most of the movie thinking what a bunch of deluded hypocrites these government agencies are and the words “secrets and lies” kept springing to mind for what they do.

It is certainly an antidote for Bourne’s hyperactive antics but I’d still rather go with the action.

Breach is showing at Cineworld Fountain Park on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 19:00 ahead of its general release.