January 2026 - Claire M O'Brien

‘Hamnet’

Very moving emotionally. I was crying a lot from this Dialogue, especially the lines of Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and how as a twin he plays and cares for his sister Judith (Olivia Lynes). This one drew from history, the story of what inspired the Shakespearean play Hamlet to be written by William (Paul Mescal). I liked the emphasis on childbirth at the start of this, and the responsibilities, trials and tribulations of parenting throughout. The impact of Shakespeare’s play output to his wife Agnes’ (Jessie Buckley) attitude to his lifestyle is quite a point of focus, so significant – so entranced was Agnes with Hamnet. I was a different person after watching this one as it was a bewitching journey of sorts.

Sing Sung Blue

Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson exhibiting acting excellence. Sing Song Blue shone with reality of up and down luck. It depicted the performing lives of Michael & Claire Sardina (aka Lightening and Thunder) with so much commitment to their Neil Diamond tribute coupling. They and their family were sometimes dealt a tough set of cards to play. I really enjoyed the performances of their two children Dana (Hudson Hensley) and Rachel (Ella Anderson) with Rachel’s friend Angelina (King Princess) – though the latter two experience the effects of marijuana on set. The protagonist couple showed resilience and verve in showing to the world that against all odds they could savour being a rock musician and enjoy the family and friend rapport that took them to the top of their game.

The Choral

Beautifully crafted movie of many layers set in a Yorkshire town in England during World War 1 times. The Choral is about a choirmaster fresh from Germany who works a choir to produce the Elgar piece ‘The Dream of Gerontius’ by adapting it somewhat. I found the choirmaster Dr Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) really innovative in choosing Elgar’s piece due to the different religion of the choir to the composer. This made a good anti-war impression on me as to the unforgiving call of duty when it comes to being called up for service (to the military). Different parts shone out to me including Jacob Dudman as Clyde – had a fantastic voice as did Amara Okereke who was fascinating as Mary as she dated Taylor Uttley as Ellis. A democratic movie for by participation in the choir they pushed for the value of human life by the practice of creativity.