Eleanor Reviews

    ****   DVD/Streaming release   Arriving in Brooklyn from Ireland in the 1950s, young woman Eilis Lacey finds herself suffering from crippling homesickness, until she meets Tony, an Italian plumber working in the city. Just as her life in America begins to make sense, tragedy strikes and she is forced to return home, where she meets handsome heir, Jim.   Having fully intended to see Brooklyn in the cinema, it was a real treat to be finally able to sit down and watch it. Feeling somewhat hungover and tired, I really wanted a warm hug of a film that wouldn't stretch me too far before bed, and that's exactly what I got. Brooklyn is an incredibly sweet film, with a series of beautiful performances and a story about love at its heart. Yes, I admit that I'm not very good at sitting through films about romance and all the rest of it, but when done well, as this film was, it's a great thing. Directed by John Crowley and featuring a screenplay by Nick Hornb

  *****   DVD/Streaming release   After a gruesome discovery at a home near the US/Mexican border, idealist FBI agent Kate volunteers to join a government task force and bring those responsible to justice.   'In Mexico, 'sicario' means 'hitman'. As these words fade from the screen at the very start of the film, there is already an unnerving sense of tension building - it is an excellent beginning, and one that perfectly sets up what is to follow. The opening section of the film is a particularly grim and gory one, which leaves you wanting to look away, but at the same time leaves you grossly fascinated at the barbarity of the situation, a feeling you will experience again and again throughout the film. Leading the acting pack is Emily Blunt as Kate Macer, a 'by the book' FBI agent who wants to put the man responsible for the deaths at the start of the film behind bars. She is a tight-lipped, no bullshit character and Blunt plays her with an

**** Snatched from her bed in the dead of night by a giant blowing dreams through bedroom windows, Sophie finds herself transported to the magical world of Giant Country where she becomes acquainted with her kidnapper, the BFG.   I was perhaps predisposed to enjoy the latest adaption of The BFG having been raised reading Roald Dahl's books and listening to the cassette tapes on long car journeys. I keenly remember the descriptions of the BFG's jars full of dreams and, of course, the disgusting snozzcumbers. In Steven Spielberg's latest big-screen release, this vibrant world is beautifully bought to life with loving care and attention to detail that is sure to make this film a classic for children and adults alike in the future.   Upon hearing that Mark Rylance had been chosen to pay the eponymous character, I was initially sceptical: I needn't have been. From the very first time you hear Rylance utter the BFG's characteristically confused language, y