Finnegan On Films: Comedy And Drama On The Box Tonight

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Our movie guy, James Finnegan, looks at some films on the box tonight…

After a short intermission (remember them?) there are a few films on today that are worth catching.

First up is The Croods (Saturday 6.35pm RTE 1) a prehistoric family made up of Grug (Nicolas Cage), Ugga (Catherine Keener) Ugga’s mother Gran (Cloris Leachman) and their three children, who find themselves with nowhere to live when their cave dwelling is destroyed.

Grug might be classed as risk adverse, as he is terrified of anything he cannot control.  Keeping everyone alive is his primary job.  “Never not be afraid. Fear keeps us alive” he says.

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However his teenage children Thunk (Clark Duke) and Eep (Emma Stone) want to explore the world outside, especially when Guy (Ryan Reynolds) turns up with new ideas like tools, shoes, a belt (actually a monkey) and “small suns” ( fire).

On their trek through an inhospitable landscape, filled with dangerous predators, searching for a new home, their domestic arguments are almost as much of an obstacle as the hungry wildlife.

This animated film was very successful on release, but as it came out on the same year as ‘Frozen’, it has been unjustly neglected.

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Another underrated film is Anger Management (Saturday 9.35 RTE2).  Businessman Dave (Adam Sandler) s forced to go on an anger management course following an unpleasant incident on a plane.

His therapist is the renowned Dr Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) who imposes a radical 24 hour therapy on Dave, including moving in with Dave and accompanying him to work.

However, as his life is turned upside down by Dr Buddy, Dave is more and more convinced that the Doctor is the crazy one.

Directed by Peter Segal, this also stars Marisa Tomei, Woody Harrelson and John Turturro with a very amusing unaccredited cameo by John C Reilly, John McEnroe and Rudy Giuliani.

In Up in the Air (Saturday 10.15pm TG4), Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a corporate downsizer, whose job takes him around America as he specializes in company layoffs.

He loves his life, detached from mundane everyday interactions, revelling in the impersonal high class hotel living and with the personal ambition to attain ten million accumulated air miles.

He also gives motivational speeches extolling living away from the burdens of relationships and material possessions.

However, when he meets Alex (Vera Famiga) and has to deal with a new, young executive Natalie (Anna Kendrick), who has come up with a much more cost effective layoff system via video conferencing, he begins to examine his lifestyle choices and philosophies.

Directed and written by Jason Reitman, this won Best Screenplay at the 2010 Golden Globes.  Also, watch out for cameos from J.K. Simmons and Sam Elliott.  Enjoy!

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