Latest news with #DragonHearts
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: Housewife of the Year, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Better Sister
Dragon Hearts RTÉ One, 6.30pm In 2020, Ireland's first dragon boat-racing club was formed in Dublin. Here, those who are passionate about the fast-growing sport explain why it's so important to them, revealing its impact on them both physically and mentally. Code of Silence Virgin Media One, 9pm We're reaching the halfway point of the gripping drama, and matters are about to get even more dangerous for Alison. She uncovers important information by following Braden and Liam to a building site, but begins to question the bond she has formed with the latter. Housewife of the Year RTÉ One, 9.30pm Feature-length, award-winning documentary. It takes a look back at the Housewife of the Year contest, which was broadcast annually on TV between 1967 and 1995. Some of those who took part discuss their experiences. Raiders of the Lost Ark RTÉ One, 3.30pm Steven Spielberg's perfect bank holiday film stars Harrison Ford as adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones who comes face to face with Nazis while on the trail of the Ark of the Covenant. Karen Allen co-stars. Dept. Q Netflix, streaming now DCI Carl Morck may be an excellent investigator, but there's no hiding from the fact that he's a terrible co-worker. There's the small matter of his scathing sarcasm, which has left him without a single friend in the Edinburgh police force. Then there's the rather more serious issue of him having fatally shot a young officer and permanently injured his partner. Unsurprisingly enough, following this tragic turn of events, Morck is relegated to Department Q: a cold-case unit which was created as a publicity stunt. Although the force is thrilled to see Carl go, he soon sets about assembling a group of outcasts who are all keen to prove themselves. Yes, it does sound a bit like Slow Horses, which is quite the gauntlet for Netflix to throw. Only time will tell if it's worthy of comparison. With yer man from Leap Year (Matthew Goode) essentially playing a hybrid of Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb and Jack Lowden's River Cartwright, I wouldn't hold my breath. A Widow's Game Netflix, streaming now Picture it: August 2017. In a Valencia parking lot, a man is found stabbed seven times. The city's Homicide Group, led by a veteran inspector, races to solve the case, which appears to be a crime of passion. Their investigation soon takes a shocking turn, pointing to an unlikely suspect: Maje, the victim's seemingly sweet and stoic widow, married to him for less than a year. Mission: Impossible Fest Disney+, streaming now We can never get enough of the Mission: Impossible movies, it seems. You can now watch all the prequels to the recently released The Final Reckoning if you're so inclined. Bono: Stories of Surrender Apple TV+, streaming now Behold Bono's one-man stage show, exploring the personal experiences that have shaped him as a son, father, husband and activist. Oh, and as one of the planet's biggest rock stars. If Owen Wilson's signature shtick is more to your liking, The Stick lands Wednesday. Good Boy Prime Video, streaming now In order to combat crime in a perilous underworld, a group of former medal-winning athletes exchange the podium for police badges. In an exciting, action-packed ride, Yun Dong-ju (Park Bo-gum) and his group battle a formidable criminal syndicate. Also on Prime Video, we have season 2 of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, courtesy of producers Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne. The Better Sister Prime Video, streaming now D'you know what society needs? More portrayals of women being pitted against each other. Based on Alafair Burke's novel, however, this eight-part thriller attempts to turn things. When media executive Chloe (Jessica Biel) and her estranged sister Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) are reunited after a murder, they must unravel long-buried family secrets to uncover the truth.
Irish Times
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Dragon Hearts: Moving insight into a world where mortality meets dragon boat racing
Out on the open waters, there is nothing but 'freedom and tranquillity', says Mark O'Connor during Dragon Hearts ( RTÉ , Monday 6:30pm), an earnest documentary about how the sport of dragon boat racing has been embraced by those with experience of cancer in Ireland. Dragon boat racing is ancient water sport that originated in China more than 2,500 years ago – but in Ireland, its history is recent. It was popularised here by the Plurabelle Paddlers – a group whose lives have been affected by cancer and who set up the country's first dragon boat club in 2010. We are introduced to Mairéad Ní Nuadháin, a former TV presenter who recalls her introduction to the freedom of the open waters and to Plurabelle Paddlers, named after Anna Livia Plurabelle, from Joyce's Finnegans Wake – a character who symbolises the 'enteral and universal female'. 'I'd never heard of Plurabelle,' she says. 'One day I got a tap on the shoulder: she told me about this amazing club at Grand Canal Dock . Would be interested in joining?' READ MORE She signed up – and dragon boat racing has been part of her life through her cancer journey and beyond. Word got around, and soon, people who had cancer (and their families) had embraced dragon boat racing around Ireland. They include Cork native Mark O'Connor, for whom rowing has become an escape hatch from worries about his health. 'I do think of mortality,' he says. 'Mortality can be short-lived or far-reaching. I'd prefer it to be far-reaching for now.' The documentary also introduces Ann Marie O'Sullivan, who underwent chemotherapy during the pandemic – every bit as difficult as you would imagine – and has gone on to write and illustrate a book for children. As with everyone, her diagnosis blindsided her. 'How do you tell your children, who are four and seven, that you have cancer?' she asks. [ The Last of Us review: Prepare to be shocked by this compelling new season Opens in new window ] Dragon Hearts is deeply moving, but as is often the case with RTÉ documentaries, it is oddly structured and lacks coherence. It starts as a film about dragon boat racing, but halfway through this element of the story is essentially set to one side and the focus is exclusively on the experience of those with cancer. It also tries to cram in too much – introducing us to people from Donegal, Sligo, Cork, Dublin and elsewhere who have had cancer. Each of their experiences is heartbreaking and compelling and surely deserves longer screen time. Squeezed into a single 50-minute documentary, one story runs into another – a disservice both to them and the viewer.
