Great Reviews for SENSATION and THE PIPE Prior to their Screenings at the London Film Festival
SENSATION
Sensation is a smart and sexy pleasure and deserves to find distributor attention. This amusing Irish indie might lack star power, but it has a sense of pace and energy that sets it apart and should certainly turn the spotlight on young stars Luanne Gordon and Domhnall (son of Brendan) Gleeson.
Expertly structured by writer-director Tom Hall, the film delves into sex and prostitution but also manages to largely avoid the obvious clichés with its tale of a young man embarking on his sexual journey. The film premiered at Toronto and also screened at the London Film Festival.
When his father dies, 26 year-old Tipperary farmer Donal (Gleeson) decides it is finally time to lose his virginity, so he arranges a visit from Courtney - her ‘non-professional' name is Kim - (Gordon), though their relationship quickly develops in different directions when they decide to open an own escort agency together.
The move sparks changes in Donal, who discovers confidence as well as a better dress sense, though it also leads to a more uncomfortable edge to their relationship.
The performances in Sensation are all spot-on. And while Luanne Gordon and Domhnall Gleeson are perfect as the oddly mis-matched couple, equally fine are Patrick Ryan (as Donal's friend) and Kelly Campbell (as the local shopgirl Donal can never pluck up courage to talk to properly).
THE PIPE
An oil company vs ordinary people...the tag line for Risteard O Domhnaill's engrossing and provocative documentary couldn't be more pertinent - except that this time the oil company is Shell, and the people are represented by the good folk of Rossport in Ireland.
With the whole BP/gulf disaster still fresh in memories this smart and at times entertaining documentary could well find a home with campaign-minded distributors as well as savvy broadcasters. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and also screens at the London Film Festival.
Delightfully shot and stirring in message, the story begins in 2005 when a group of locals - to become known as the Rossport Five, who later served time in jail - decline to let Shell lay pipeline across their land, and find themselves in a tussle not only with the petroleum giant but also with local police, the Garda.
Through Risteard O Domhnaill's provocative and compulsive structure the film allows access to the campaigners, as fiercely protective crab fisherman Pat ‘The Chief' O'Donnell, who is eloquent and passionate in his description of his occupation. He has also been arrested several times as he continue to fight against Shell...which unsurprisingly opted not to contribute to the film.
The Pipe is a fascinating and challenging film that seems highly likely to receive some sort of theatrical release, with accompanying press coverage a given.