Prince of Egypt PG
Starring (voices) Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Steve Martin
This version of the story of Moses is visually stunning at times, with set-piece sequences that outstrip anything Disney has done in years. Most impressive are the scenes of Pharaonic Egypt, which manage to be both epic in scale and brilliantly animated. Weakest are close-ups and intimate scenes - too often they are wooden. The film-makers have cited David Lean and Akira Kurosawa as inspirations, but the most obvious comparisons are with Cecil B. DeMille, in particular with his ponderous The Ten Commandments - certain sequences seem to be based on it almost frame-for-frame.
Luke PG (retail)
Directed by Sinead O'Brien
Shown recently on RTE, O'Brien's portrait of the late, great Luke Kelly features wonderful footage from the 1960s and 1970s, and moving testimony from friends and colleagues. It's a fitting tribute to one of modern Ireland's greatest artists, an inspiring figure whose influence is acknowledged in the film by contemporary musicians. However, the cupla focail from the likes of Gerry Adams seem unnecessary and distracting.
Tea with Mussolini PG
Directed by Franco Zeffirelli Starring Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Lily Tomlin and Cher, Baird Wallace
Zeffirelli's amiable, very old-fashioned melodrama relies heavily on its cast of old troupers, as expatriate art lovers who stay in Florence during the second World War. All of them handle these cliched roles with gusto, although, surprisingly, it's Cher who emerges as the most memorable of the bunch. The peculiar sub-plot about Smith's nephew, forced to dress in drag for three years to evade the fascists, remind us that this is Zeffirelli. Implausible, sentimental and often silly, it nonetheless has a certain fusty charm.