Cian McGrath

3 days ago | loudandclearreviews.com | Cian McGrath

Ben Petrie’s The Heirloom is an intriguing, deceptive, and amusing metafictional comedy-drama that keeps viewers guessing. Writer & Director: Ben PetrieGenre: ComedyRun Time: 84′U.S. Release: June 10, 2025U.K. Release: TBAWhere to Watch: On digital platformsThe Heirloom can often feel like multiple movies rolled into one (an impressive feat, given its 87-minute runtime). There’s cringe comedy, meta storytelling, couples drama, and the ups and downs of getting a dog.

5 days ago | medium.com | Cian McGrath

Retrospective Film ReviewA story of slavery, set in the southern U.S. in the 1930s. Lars Von Trier’s ‘USA — Land of Opportunities’ trilogy was cut short after its second entry, Manderlay, was a critical disappointment and a box office disaster. Dogville (2003), its predecessor, was already a huge gamble, with a $10M budget attached to a soul-crushing, three-hour-long indictment of the United States.

6 days ago | framerated.co.uk | Cian McGrath

Lars Von Trier’s ‘USA— Land of Opportunities’ trilogy was cut short after its second entry, Manderlay, was a critical disappointment and a box office disaster. Dogville (2003), its predecessor, was already a huge gamble, with a $10M budget attached to a soul-crushing, three-hour long indictment of the US. Likely due to the star power of lead actress Nicole Kidman, it out-earned its production budget, as well as providing one of the most depressing films of the 21st-century.

6 days ago | framerated.co.uk | Cian McGrath

The Bridges of Madison County, Clint Eastwood’s 1995 romantic drama based on Robert James Waller’s best-selling novel of the same name, purports to depict an entire life’s worth of emotions across a film that largely takes place over just four days. To say that it honestly feels as if Eastwood has crafted a work that feels that lengthy could be a scathing insult or high praise. In this case, both are somewhat applicable.

6 days ago | framerated.co.uk | Cian McGrath

Boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe) might not have gone down as one of the all-time greats of his era, let alone the history of the sport, but that’s also what made his incredible comeback story so iconic. After amassing an impressive record across almost 50 professional fights, Braddock narrowly lost a title fight against Tommy Loughran in 1929, resulting in a crushed spirit and a badly fractured right hand.