Great Reaction for Irish Films at Sundance
The Sundance Film Festival is well underway, and audiences and critics have reacted warmly to the Irish titles which have screened at this year’s festival.
Sing Street, the new film from director John Carney (Once) proved hugely popular after its premiere on Sunday evening. Collider.com editor Steven Weintraub Tweeted “Had a huge smile on my face while watching Sing Street. Audience absolutely loved it. HUGE crowd pleaser.” Buzzfeed film critic Alison Willmore Tweeted that “John Carney's belief in music as a source of joy, connection, and way of transmuting life's troubles into art defies cynicism. It's lovely.” The Guardian in a 4-star review described it as “pretty terrific” and reviewer Jordan Hoffman noted “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Sundance premiere’s fade to black bring on such rousing cheers.” Variety meanwhile noted that “no 21st-century filmmaker has a more intuitive understanding of movie-musical construction than Irishman John Carney.”
Whit Stillman’s Love & Friendship, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Lady Susan, debuted to positive reviews, with Variety describing it as “a supremely elegant and delicately filigreed” film, praising the script, direction, performances and design of the film. The Guardian awarded the film a 4 star review, stating that “Despite its period trappings, Stillman’s film never feels stilted, largely thanks to his bracingly modern heroine who takes no prisoners, and makes no apologies for her conniving behavior.”
Mammal is the new feature from director Rebecca Daly, starring Rachel Griffiths and Barry Keoghan. Screen Daily noted that the “raw vulnerability of their performances creates a rock solid centre to this delicately handled immersion in love and grief.”
Documentary review website Nonfics.com described The Land of the Enlightened as “Full of striking visual metaphors, breathtaking landscapes and narrative sequences that seem to take place entirely outside of historical time, The Land of the Enlightened is a tremendously assured debut feature.”
Viva, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award® nomination, was reviewed by thefilmstage.com, saying “Paddy Breathnach brings an emotional authenticity through a compassionate touch” and that it “has the pedigree to connect with its audience.”
Other Irish films to screen at this year’s Sundance Film Festival include The Lobster, which won the Jury Prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, and A Coat Made Dark which has been officially selected for the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival.