END SEAT

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 150 minutes  Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro The story: An ambitious man with a talent for manipulating people takes a job at a carnival and begins to learn the art of mentalism. The verdict: When you think of Guillermo Del Toro, you might automatically think of horror - of demons and beasts and things that go bump in the night. Though Nightmare Alley may be devoid of the supernatural and mythological elements of many of Del Toro’s previous films, it is not vacant of monsters. The difference is that these monsters are a lot closer to home - walking among us and reflected back at ourselves in the mirror.  Bradley Cooper plays Stanton Carlisle, a mysterious drifter who gains work at carnival. Stanton is immediately an intriguing character - not only is his past ambiguous but it soon becomes clear that his intentions and morals are ambiguous too. ...

  Certificate: 12A Running time: 98 minutes  Starring: Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Caitríona Balfe, Ciarán Hinds, Jude Hill Directed by: Kenneth Branagh The story: Belfast follows young Buddy and his working class family as he grows up amongst the tumult of 1960’s Northern Ireland. The verdict: There is no place like home, or at least no place like your home town. This is certainly the case for young Buddy who lives with his Pa, Ma and brother Will in Belfast. With Granny and Pop living around the corner and their neighbours like extended family, Buddy and his family cannot imagine ever leaving Belfast. Indeed, Ma never worries about where her boys play because “everyone knows them and everyone likes them.” Unfortunately, this sentiment is severely tested when their home, livelihood and lives themselves are threatened by The Troubles. Belfast is an astonishingly evocative film. Not only is the film a love letter to 1960’s Belfast and the people who lived there, it is also a lo...