STATE OF PLAY Game reviews with Steven Fox Tuesday, August 4, 2009 metrolife 13 Staying In DVD Reviews On the one hand, Tomas Alfredsons award-grabbing film is a vampire horror thriller with some splendidly gruesome shocks. Then again, its a bloody revenge fantasy, made more disquieting by the fact its protagonists are children. Author John Ajvide Lindqvist has adapted his own novel with spare precision, focusing on the tentatively burgeoning relationship between bullied 12-year-old schoolboy Oskar (Kre Hedebrant) and the mysterious Eli (Lina Leandersson), a raven-haired, saucer-eyed vampire who has been 12 for a very long time. Set in 1980s suburban Stockholm where loneliness clings to every concrete apartment block, and soft white snow can be smotheringly oppressive this is teenage angst with a chilling twist. Elegantly shot with haunting sound design and extraordinarily nuanced performances from the two young leads, this is a film to gorge on, then revel in rewatching. Extras: commentary from the director and author, deleted scenes. Siobhn Murphy DVD Of The Week Let The Right One In Momentum Pictures, 15, 21 Doubt Miramax Films, 15, 21 A study of suspicion set in a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964, John Patrick Shanleys adaptation of his hit Broadway play pits Meryl Streeps stern principal Sister Aloysius against new progressive priest Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman). When the former convinces herself despite any proof that the latter is having an improper relationship with the schools only black student, she mounts a personal crusade to bring him down. Shanleys dialogue masterfully draws the viewers into the conflict, constantly forcing you to question your assumptions as he illustrates the destructive nature of half-truths and uncertainty. It does betray its stage origins but Streeps fierce characterisation and the mounting tension keep you hooked throughout. Extras: directors commentary, cast interviews and three featurettes. Damian Tully-Pointon Genova Metrodome, 15, 24 Genova is a watchable if slight tale of grief, loss and guilt that engages the senses but never plunges deeply enough into the emotional heart of its story. Colin Firth stars as Joe, a university lecturer who carts his daughters off to the Italian city of Genova after his wife dies in a car accident. The sisters struggle to cope in different ways; the eldest Kelly loses herself in drugs and sex, while youngest Mary blames herself and is haunted by apparitions of her late mother. Meanwhile, Joe embarks on a tentative flirtation with a student, while an old friend (Catherine Keener) harbours a crush on him. Its a curious mixture of supernatural thriller and family drama, which never quite gels as director Michael Winterbottom forsakes plot for atmosphere. Extras: behind-the-scenes, featurette, original score. Ann Lee Knowing Summit Entertainment, 15, 24 As a film starring recognisably hammy leading man Nicholas Cage, about a series of numbers which have predicted every disaster to hit the earth in the last 50 years, its clear from the start that Knowing isnt afraid of its own ridiculousness. In fact, it embraces it. As Cages character races to discover the truth behind the numbers, director Alex Proyas takes us through every clich imaginable the disbelieving colleagues, the hard-drinking single father, the troubled child, the sinister figures in the background before breaking free of the constraints and running full pelt towards crazy in the films final third. If youre the kind of person who gave up on Lost when it stopped being about a plane crash and turned into a sci-fi mind-boggler, itd be best to give this one a miss. Extras: directors commentary, making-of docs. Aaron Lavery THEATRE REVIEW Present Laughter The cult of celebrity, gender hypocrisy and mid- life crises provide much mirth in the Gates third Noel Coward revival directed by Alan Stanford and twice starring Stephen Brennan as the leading man. Gary is an ageing matinee idol with a Peter Pan complex that is fast becoming more of a hindrance than a help. Lured by the prospect of spending the night in Garys infamous spare room, young starlets appear in the dead of night with the excuse of having lost their latch key cue an obligatory walk of shame across the luxurious lounge the morning after, which becomes increasingly fraught as ex-wife, PA, housekeeper, valet and hangers-on struggle to turn a blind eye to the goings-on. Its a razor sharp comedy-of-errors-cum French farce, and Brennan is magnificent every withering glance and exasperated inflection embodied by the increasingly cranky yet still charismatic Lothario. Fiona Bell is also excellent as Garys sharp- tongued secretary Monica, and Fiona OShaughnessys smokey-voiced harlot not only adds spice but killer one-liners. Even Paris Jeffersons ber-affected accent and John Kavanaghs histrionic turn as potty playwright Maule at first jarring work a treat. Meanwhile, Peter OBriens costumes and Debbie Boyds millinery are exquisite, Joannas glove- tight dove-grey number in particular threatening to steal the show, while Eileen Disss sumptuous set reaffirms her flair for period styling. Lucy White Until Sep 5, Gate Theatre, 1 Cavendish Row D1, 8pm, 15 to 34. Tel: (01) 874 4045. www.gate-theatre.ie Wii Sports Resort Wii with Wii MotionPlus 61 There are two things you need to know about Wii Sports Resort: archery and table tennis. Youll have a crack at the other sports and some youll return to for a second time but its these two that really count. The sequel to Wii Sports packs in a lot of content: there is a variety of mini-games, although a few are suspiciously similar to the first, bundled around an exotic island hub. But packaged with the new Wii MotionPlus, which refines the original controller, archery and ping-pong, particularly come up trumps. The steadiness and precise angle of your hands really make a difference here. Skydiving, power cruising and basketball are relatively entertaining distractions while frisbee, jogging and wake-boarding seem rather pointless. The whole thing is wrapped in a package that never strays too far from the originals comfort zone and it will probably leave you wanting more and at 61 thats disappointing. Trine PC 37 The 2D platformer is definitely in vogue and independently developed and independently minded Trine (pictured) has been touted as the next big thing following last years surprise hit Braid. Trine never quite fulfils that promise but its strong enough to be a very good game in its own right. Instead of fiendish time-based puzzling, Trine goes for physics-based platforming, more in the mould of LittleBigPlanet but without the try-hard cuteness. Set in a beautifully crafted fantasy, Trine sees you playing as a sort of gestalt entity three people fused into a single being after touching a crystal ball. Of course, the sum of the parts a thief, a wizard and a knight is much greater and the ability to flit between them allows you to deploy the special abilities of each. The problem is that the three-player co-op isnt nearly half the fun when the shape-shifting is removed from the equation. Nonetheless, the single-player game offers brilliantly diverting entertainment. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html