Film Crime Log: Calvary, Raid

With Easter approaching you may well be looking for some films to go to see. If it’s whimsical romance you’re after - Easter bunnies, trilling tits, and all that tra la la - you’ve come to the wrong place. Try that Lovey Dovey Fella’s blog, he’s into all that. But don’t hang around for too long or he’ll propose marriage. He can’t help it. Like the scorpion, it’s in his nature.

Here are a couple of movies that are out this week. Calvary is director John Michael McDonagh’s follow-up to The Guard, which was a dark, swaggering comedy about an unpleasant copper.

In this new film Brendan Gleeson once again takes the lead as a good priest who is told during confession that he’s going to be killed in revenge for the sins of the church. Trouble is, he doesn’t know just who in the local village has threatened him.

It looks good. Gleeson is terrific in everything, and the locals are played by a selection of excellent Irish acting and comedic talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LfwTreMmqE

If you prefer your movies way over on the other side of batshit crazy, then The Raid 2 might be your cup of testosterone.

Gareth Evans’s first film was a massive international hit - it was one chop socky fight and shootout after another, what’s not to love? - and followed a doomed police raid on a high-rise block filled to the brim with vicious, automatic weapon toting criminals with all the kung fu moves. One of the joys of the movie were the never-ending fight scenes in cramped apartments the size of aircraft hangers.

In this second film, the action seems to have opened out to a variety of locations. As with any sequel, the violence quota looks like it’s going to be cranked up all the way to Somewhat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG9uFX3uYq4

A word to the wise: leave the old dear at home.