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RTÉ News
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
10 life-affirming movies you may not have seen
With the lovely The Ballad of Wallis Island now in cinemas, here are 10 more movies with all the feels. 1) Mrs Harris Goes to Paris (2022) "We need our dreams - now more than ever." Never a truer word spoken - and never in a nicer film than this grown-up Cinderella, set in 1957 and thoroughly deserving of its place in the pantheon of timeless feelgood favourites. Lesley Manville shines brighter than the City of Light as Ada Harris, a widowed Londoner who comes into a bit of money, makes her way to Dior HQ, and informs the couturiers that she wants to buy a dress. As Ada's magic rubs off on the strangers she meets, she becomes younger by the minute. Watching, you'll be a few years to the good too. And as for that ending, well... it's truly the stuff that dreams are made of. 2) The Dish (2000) With Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Sam Neill was front and centre for one of the treasures of the past decade. He had form, mind, as he also headed the cast of this glorious Aussie gem from the Noughties; a trip back to July 1969 when the world watched as one. On the eve of the Apollo Moon Landing, the team at the Parkes Observatory in New South Wales is tasked with bouncing the TV images from Lunar Module Eagle around the globe. That bit actually happened, but thankfully The Dish never lets the truth get in the way of a good gag. Led by the redoubtable Cliff Buxton (Neill at his avuncular best), the Parkes team battle climate chaos, cock-ups, and cultural differences to cement their place in history and hearts. The Dish is very sweet with just the kind of reach-for-the-stars inspiration that never gets old. "Failure is never quite so frightening as regret," says Cliff. Let's all keep that in mind. 3) Stand and Deliver (1988) Having delivered one of TV's most iconic characters as the brooding Lieutenant Castillo in Miami Vice, Edward James Olmos was almost unrecognisable - and Oscar-nominated - as real-life high school teacher Jaime Escalante in this "true story about a modern miracle". Escalante was a trailblazer who decided to teach his disillusioned students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles calculus so that they could sit exams for college credits. The kids thought he was mad, his colleagues madder still, but Escalante wouldn't take no for an answer - the life lessons here prove that every day is still a school day for us all. After 30-plus years (and countless repeat viewings), Stand and Deliver still feels fresh and urgent, the back-and-forth in the classroom scenes as special as anything we watch from the here and now. In 2011, the US Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry - arguably the ultimate endorsement of its power. You may well be adding it to your own Best Of list long before the closing credits. 4) Local Hero (1983) If it's unhurried charm you're after, then the Highlands are waiting in writer-director Bill Forsyth's glorious fish-out-of-water story. Peter Riegert plays Macintyre, the Houston oil executive who's the point man on the "acquisition of Scotland", or rather, "the bay in a million" fishing village of Ferness. Dispatched across the Atlantic by his eccentric boss (a wonderful Burt Lancaster), Mac discovers that the people of Ferness are well up on his big city ways and can run rings around him with their endearing quirkiness. He's barely unpacked when he falls in love with the place - and them. You will too. With the warmest glow of friendship, enough-is-plenty wisdom, and a strong ecological message, Local Hero encourages us all to live up to that title and leave the world in a better state than we found it. A comfort movie of the highest quality, this is a bolthole to better times. There's room for us all. 5) Love, Simon (2018) Dawson's Creek showrunner Greg Berlanti did the teenage state further service by directing this adaptation of Becky Albertalli's award-winning Young Adult book, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Nick Robinson plays the high school senior with the Midas touch who comes to the rescue of a fellow student online, only for the saloon doors of fate to wallop him right in the face. Here, the spectre of public humiliation roams the corridors and blog posts, and with Simon scrambling to do the right thing by everyone, the risk increases that his last few weeks of high school will play out with him in the leading role of the loneliest guy on campus. Robinson is great and, wisely, Berlanti leaves Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel in the background for most of the story and allows his young cast to carry the film in style. If you have Simon down as a movie BFF by the closing credits, then there's also a spin-off series, Love, Victor, with Robinson reprising his role - this time as the narrator. 6) The Station Agent (2003) Before they made HBO their own in Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, Peter Dinklage and Bobby Cannavale teamed up with Far from Heaven 's Patricia Clarkson and writer-director Tom McCarthy for this story of fresh starts and friendship. Dinklage plays Fin, a taciturn loner who inherits a disused train depot in New Jersey, turns the key in the door, and hopes he'll be left in peace. Life, however, has a better plan. As Fin pulls out all the stops to keep himself to himself, food truck driver Pete (Cannavale) and artist neighbour Olivia (Clarkson) wear down his defences, giving him a new understanding of a place to call home. The Station Agent doesn't pull any punches in its depiction of the messiness of relationships, but there are plenty of laughs too as three very different people bring out the best in each other - and us. A movie made for summer nights, but it'll feel warmer than any of them. 7) Kotch (1971) Jack Lemmon only directed the one film, but he made sure it was a treat. Of course, Walter Matthau just had to be involved. Piling on 23 years, Matthau plays Joseph P Kotcher, a retired salesman whose unshakeable determination to live life on his own terms leaves his son and daughter-in-law at their wits end. Befriending a pregnant teenager, Kotch has a series of (mis)adventures, realising that even he has underestimated the amount of gas left in the tank, reminding us to think like him. Sure, 50 years after its release Kotch has dated, but its never-say-die attitude never gets old and, if anything, Kotch as a character was ahead of his time. Back in 1971, Lemmon described the comedy-drama as "The kind of film, I think, that we need, and that the whole world can relate to." Over half a century later, he's still right. 8) Y Tu Mamá También (And Your Mother Too) (2001) Director Alfonso Cuarón headed home for this look at life and the class struggle in his native Mexico, delivering one of the great road movies of our times. Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal play Tenoch and Julio, teen slackers who set off in search of a mythical beach called Boca del Cielo (Heaven's Mouth). Joining them is Luisa (Maribel Verdú), the Spanish wife of Tenoch's cousin. Things will never be the same again for any of them. En route, Cuarón presents us with insights into the socio-political makeup of Mexico, a voice-over freezing the action as we're told about the world outside the car. In many cases, the travellers pass by incidents like police searches and arrests, blissfully unaware of what is going on around them - a ploy by Cuarón that draws the viewer deeper into the drama. Although Y Tu Mamá También packs a real emotional wallop, it's also a reminder to savour every day. Travel daydreams guaranteed. 9) The Girl from Paris (Une Hirondelle a Fait le Printemps) Bored with city life, IT worker Sandrine (Mathilde Seigner) signs up for a government scheme to take over a goat farm in the Rhône-Alpes from widower Adrien (Michel Serrault). He's none too happy about leaving his family's homestead and cuts a deal that he can stay on for 18 months, determined to watch her fail. One of them is in for a land... Leaving his job with France's Ministry of Agriculture to pursue his big screen dream, writer-director Christian Carion made his debut with this delight, capturing everyday life and the desire of the lonely to leave the past behind. Nothing too major happens here - there are changes of seasons and hearts - but the scenes between Serrault and Seigner are exquisite. Equal parts tetchy and tender, they raise the issues of the urban/rural divide with the lightest of touches. Carion, who grew up on a farm, makes lots of good points about farmers and officialdom too, but they never detract from the heart-warming nature of the story. No English trailer - you'll get the gist! 10) A Better Life (2011) This one is all about resilience and being thankful. In an Oscar-nominated performance, Demián Bichir plays Carlos Galindo, a Mexican gardener who has lived as an illegal in Los Angeles for over 15 years. An awkward relationship with his teenage son Luis (José Julián) is further challenged in an emergency, which sees man and boy embark on a cross-LA odyssey. Using a bilingual crew and testing his mettle with 69 different locations, About a Boy director Chris Weitz really captures the energy of the barrios and the challenges faced by its residents in this oh-so-wise movie. Channelling the power of good dads the world over, Bichir remains low-key throughout, bringing out the best in young co-star Julián and providing plenty of tough and touching moments as two different generations with wildly different life experiences have the opportunity to meet as equals. Don't expect to make it through A Better Life without something in your eye.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Deserves so much better': WWE fans outraged by Cora Jade's release
Image via WWE WWE fans have been left stunned after the news of Cora Jade's release broke online. The NXT star, once seen as a potential future champion, is no longer with the company, as confirmed by PWInsider. The move has triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with many fans voicing frustration over what they believe was an unfulfilled WWE run. Jade, known for her rebellious persona and fierce in-ring style, had been off television for months due to a series of injuries. While some speculated her absence was due to creative restructuring within NXT, her official release has reignited conversation around WWE's handling of young talent. A promising star plagued by injuries Cora Jade's rise in NXT was fast and promising. Her storyline with Roxanne Perez was one of the brand's key highlights, and many believed she was destined for at least one NXT Women's Championship run. However, frequent injuries interrupted her momentum, and each return was met with either a short push or storyline cancellation. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Essential Tips for Navigating Morocco Celebrities' Educational Journey Undo One Twitter user wrote 'cora deserves so much better. they've continuously dropped the ball with her. she's gonna thrive in AEW.' 'She definitely would be a major player, but the injury bug hit her hard,' one Reddit user commented , summarizing the general sentiment. Another noted , 'Every time they tried something with her, she got injured a month in. It's just sad.' Speculation also surrounds the sudden halt of her program with Perez after Stand and Deliver, further fueling rumors that WWE had lost long-term confidence in her in-ring availability. Fans link release to Becky Lynch incident While injuries may have played a part, a separate theory is also gaining traction online. Fans are pointing toward a social media spat between Cora Jade and Becky Lynch as a possible factor behind the release. Back in March, Lynch responded to a CM Punk promo with a tweet referencing Roxanne Perez. Jade, a known supporter of Punk, fired back by tweeting 'Weird behavior' - a post she quickly deleted, though not before it went viral. Since then, Lynch's creative involvement in NXT storylines has reportedly increased, and fans are speculating whether this online exchange had backstage consequences. 'Reason why Cora got released. Becky Hogan used her backstage power,' one fan wrote, mixing sarcasm with suspicion. Many fans believe Cora Jade could land in AEW or TNA, with several users noting she still has the charisma and following to make an impact elsewhere. 'She's going to thrive outside WWE. They really dropped the ball,' one fan tweeted. For now, Jade's release remains one of the most discussed exits of the year - and fans aren't ready to let it go quietly.
CBS News
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Miami Film Festival shines spotlight on local talent in 42nd year
The Miami Film Festival has returned for its 42nd year, showcasing approximately 200 films from 45 countries during its 10-day run. This year's lineup features a strong presence of local talent, celebrating the vibrant and growing filmmaking community in South Florida. "We have 11 feature films directed by local filmmakers that were filmed right here in South Florida, and then so many local shorts," said Lauren Cohen, Director of Programming for the Miami Film Festival. "Our slogan is 'Big characters deserve big screens,' and Miami is all about big characters and big personalities. We really want to reflect the true Miami spirit." Among the local filmmakers featured this year are father-son duo Tom and Alex Musca, who co-directed Aguadilla, shot on location in Puerto Rico. Tom Musca brings impressive credentials as the producer and screenwriter of the 1988 Oscar-nominated film Stand and Deliver. He now serves as a professor at the University of Miami. "I run the MFA screenwriting track at the University of Miami. I've loved doing it for 15 years," Tom said. In a unique twist, his co-director and son Alex was once his student. "Most people ask, 'Oh, how did that work?' And I say it worked very well because UM accommodates that situation—you just can't give your child a grade," Tom explained. "So he had his work evaluated by another professor." "Which was great for me," Alex added with a laugh, "because I probably would have gotten a worse grade if you had graded me." Growing up around the film industry, Alex said their collaboration thrived because of mutual respect and clear communication. "We were very honest from the beginning about where our strengths lie as directors, and we were respectful of that power dynamic." Aguadilla features actor Lou Diamond Phillips and Cuban-born actress Alina Robert, a Miami Dade College graduate who plays Alissa in what's described as a film noir-style love triangle. Tom wrote the role with Robert specifically in mind. When asked how it felt to have a role written especially for her, Robert became emotional. "I'm grateful. It makes you emotional, see, because it feels like he trusts me as an actress to perform his dreams," she said. Now presenting her third film at the Miami Film Festival, Robert sees the moment as a significant personal achievement. "This is the American dream," she said, reflecting on her journey from Cuba to becoming an established actress in the United States. Tom, celebrating his fifth film featured at the Miami Film Festival, is eager to screen Aguadilla for his hometown crowd. "We have a film that's 40% Spanish, so we know it's going to appeal to certain parts of the Hispanic culture," he said. "We're very excited to see how they react to the film." Aguadilla premieres Sunday night at the Bill Cosford Cinema. Other festival screenings will take place at venues throughout Miami. For the full schedule and ticket information, visit .
