Come and Visit Our Namesake Ship!

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Have you ever wondered what life is like onboard a real military ship? Well here’s your chance to find out! The HMS Bangor will be arriving at Eisenhower Pier, Bangor on March 16th for the start of a five day visit.

The weekend’s main event will see HMS Bangor throw down her gangway to welcome the general public from 12 Noon – 5pm on Saturday 19th March. Admission to the ship will be free so come along with family and friends to marvel at this wonderful vessel and see close-up, what life is really like onboard.

HMS Bangor is a 600 tonne, Sandown Class Minehunter commissioned by the Royal Navy and launched by Lady Lisa Spencer in 1999 at Southhampton Docks. She is named after our very own Bangor and is the second Royal Navy vessel to bear the name. She is 52.5m in length and has a max speed of 13 knots.

HMS Bangor is the first navy ship in over 15 years to be closely affiliated to Northern Ireland and has other official affiliations with the town of Bangor, Bangor Combined Cadet Force and Bangor Grammar School. She is also closely affiliated with Clifton Special School, the ship’s adopted charity.

Senior Naval Officer, Commander Don Crosbie said: “We are really looking forward to being back in our hometown to renew old acquaintances and hopefully make some new ones. We are especially looking forward to a visit from our friends at Clifton School on the Friday and greeting members of the public when they visit the ship on Saturday.”

On Monday March, 21st the ship will spend the day on the Lough.

‘RUGBY COUNTRY’ HEADS NORTH AS PIENAAR, FERRIS, MURPHY & HUMPHREYS SET FOR IRELAND V ENGLAND GUINNESS® RUGBY PREVIEW EVENT

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Gerry Webb, general manager of The Botanic Inn, Belfast, South African world cup winner Ruan Pienaar and Cool FM’s Pete Snodden.

The Botanic Inn, Belfast will become ‘Rugby Country’ for the very first Guinness® Area 22 Supporters Event in Northern Ireland on Tuesday 15th March, ahead of Ireland’s clash with England.

Guinness, proud partner of Irish Rugby, are delighted to offer rugby fans a real treat as hosts on the night, Nigel Ringland and Pete Snodden, will be joined by South African world cup winner Ruan Pienaar; Ulster, Ireland and British and Irish Lion, Stephen Ferris; Ireland and Leicester Tigers captain Geordan Murphy, and completing the line up will be former Ireland International and European Cup winner, David Humphreys.
The entire event will be streamed live on www.Facebook.com/GuinnessRugbyIreland and www.coolfm.co.uk.
Fans interested in attending this event at the Botanic Inn, 23 -27 Malone Road, Belfast should register now at:

www.Facebook.com/GuinnessRugbyIreland


Tickets are free.
All those attending must be over 18 years of age.
ID will be required on the night.

For further event details, check out:

www.Guinness.com/rugby
www.coolfm.co.uk

This week’s movie review – Inside Job

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Director: Charles Ferguson

Stars: Matt Damon (narrator).

“The Film That Cost Over $20,000,000,000,000 To Make”

In and around Oscar season, I usually find myself watching a lot of documentaries. It’s not really a conscious choice, more of a natural knee-jerk reaction to the amount of hysterical hyperbole buzzing around the movie world in the first few months of the year. A healthy dose of reality to reinvigorate the mind and soul. Of course, most documentaries ultimately come off as more unlikely than the strangest of fiction. Inside Job is no different, it is a disaster movie of epic, global proportion.

The credit crunch instigated a financial epidemic that wiped $20 trillion off the world stock markets. That is equivalent to the annual GDP of the United States, United Kingdom and Germany – three of the largest economies in the world. Millions of people lost their jobs and homes. The most frightening aspect was the speed of the disaster,  which was dangerously close to a complete cardiac arrest of the global financial system. Inside Job explores the warning signs and how they were largely ignored or arrogantly dismissed. There were crises before, in the 80s and late 90′s (dot com collapse) each substantially more severe than its predecessor. Profit and greed however, have no memory.

The film opens in Iceland, an idyllic stable democracy which is largely self sufficient. However, once the cold arm of corporate greed reaches in, the horizon soon darkens. Deregulated provision of natural resources and financial services resulted in a country with a GDB of $13bn racking up bank losses of $100bn. Iceland was a blip on the radar, but still an early sign of looming disaster. The film then goes on to effectively simplify the over-arching causes of the disaster; pointing largely towards the lack of regulation of the markets and increasingly complex financial instruments being used to speculate (gamble) on anything from oil prices to the weather. The completely unregulated derivatives market is worth $50 trillion, attempts to control the market were dismissed by government officials who received $5bn political contributions from Wall Street between 1998 and 2008. Collateralised debt obligations were used to lump in all kinds of debt (from mortgages and credit card debt to student loans) into one easy to manage unit which could be sold. Subprime mortgages were the favoured component of CDO given the higher interest rate the loans attracted.

The well structured documentary utilises a chapter-type narrative structure which establishes a distinct chronology to the film. The background to the situation is thoroughly and impartially discussed, we then explore the area which is most likely to rile the average viewer: The Bubble. From 2000-2007, the big banks really were making obscene amounts of money. The CEOs and exec’s were treated and behaved like royalty. There were private elevators, fleets of private jets, high class hookers charged back to the company’s expense account and by several accounts rampant use of cocaine. The film does present a largely one sided view of the situation, sure the filmmaker has an agenda and he does his best to offer an opportunity to those eager to insist the blame is not solely borne by the banks.  The argument is a little unbalanced, but then I suppose if you were making a documentary about the holocaust it would be pretty one sided too.

Filmmaker Charles Ferguson recruits an impressively diverse panel of interviewees, each of whom deliver their own take on the cause and impact of the 2008 global financial disaster. Ferguson is extremely well informed and as such poses incisive and penetrating questions to Wall Street bankers, politicians, lobbyists, senior academics and esteemed financial commentators from The Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. He is mostly content to remain in the background, a calm voice off screen. Occasionally the audience can feel his blood boil, when his questions are deflected or when he is just straight-up lied to; a slight wavering in an otherwise flawless voice of professionalism is his only tell. A fascinating examination and exposé on the causes of the credit crunch and global recession told with a measured and intelligent narrative. It succeeds in simplifying complex financial principles and distilling the salient information.

I doubt that when Oliver Stone made Wall Street, he could ever have foreseen it as a rallying call to arms for a generation of up and coming traders and financial brokers. It has bred a ruthless army of pin-striped mercenaries who worship at the feet of “greed-is-good” overlord Gordon Gecko. The things is, greed remains. We are only just inching our way from the crippling hardship of a long recession, the big banks remain – many bolstered through cheap acquisitions during the economy’s lowest ebb – predatorily consuming failing banks; JP Morgan, Bank of America and Wells Fargo are now bigger than ever. The Obama Administration’s hard-line promises on financial reform have not manifested, undoubtedly victim to financial lobbyists and the self serving interests of America’s ruling elite. The real tragedy in the situation, which Inside Job alluded to – is that while Wall Street is bailed out, individual homeowners are not. There has not been a single prosecution let alone conviction, disgraced CEOs left with their fortunes in tact, whilst tented refugee camps pop up to house those left jobless and homeless.

Charles Ferguson does a fantastic job with this documentary, there is no personal exploitation of individuals a la Michael Moore, he provides an intelligent and overarching view of the complete situation with succinct explanations of complex concepts. His target is not just the bankers, but the interconnected network of the powerful and influential. This ranges from politicians to honoured academics to the ratings agencies and of course the banks. Wall Street could not have done this alone, the lack of ‘supervision’ is key. During 2000-2007, the Stock Exchange Commission launched no major investigations, their Risk Management department had a staff of one. Any worries raised regarding the relaxed limits on bank leverage guidelines or personal borrowings was ignored. Everyone was getting rich, who cares?! The short term incentives enjoyed by few, led to long term suffering for many millions. Inside Job is essential viewing.

2011 : A Film Odyssey is the movie review site of Chris Vaughan.

Web : www.2011afilmodyssey.com

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/2011-A-Film-Odyssey/167390143294012

Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/2011FilmOdyssey

Movie Review of the Week – Black Swan

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Director: Darren Aronofsky

Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell

Is it Oscar time already? The annual barrage of cinematic Oscar-baiting flawed character studies is coming thick and fast. The King’s Speech, 127 Hours and Black Swan all opened within a few weeks of each other. Strategically placed to ensure they are at the forefront of the academy’s consciousness, February has been a veritable bloodbath of promotional frenzy. A month rife with the unusual Hollywood veiled modesty and deflected platitudes from those in contention for Oscar glory on February 27th. Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky’s latest is certain to contend.

Aronofsky’s early work set him apart as an exciting visual auteur. Pi’s monochrome styling and Requiem For a Dream’s lush aesthetics, replete with busy hip-hop montages and quick cuts marked him as a creative force to be reckoned with. His next feature, the bloated but underrated The Fountain marked something of a sea change. He followed the grand strokes of The Fountain with a more personal and intimate work. The Wrestler enabled Aronofsky to focus on characterisation and the development of relationships. It garnered widespread critical acclaim and re-asserted Mickey Rourke as a Hollywood talent. Not an easy task.

His latest and most fully realised feature Black Swan, finds impressive subtlety and it disorientatingly crosses genres from a seemingly linear plot. What opens as a straightforward examination of the competitive world of professional ballet, gradually mutates into a deep exploration of purity and corruptibility. Portman’s Nina is a technically astute dancer. Her naive, almost virginal character is adrift in a sea of back-stabbing, blood-thirsty competitiveness. Flashdance this ain’t.

Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Nina in Black Swan is peerless. She drips with aching vulnerability throughout and assuredly makes the role her own, I struggle to think of anyone else who could come close to matching her empathetic performance. Portman exudes a physical and emotional vulnerability that is painfully delicate and tender. She lost 20 pounds to play Nina and spent almost a year training tirelessly for the part. Portman’s sacrifice in the pursuit of perfection will undoubtedly place her as firm favourite for Best Actress come Oscars Night. Aronofsky says of Nina’s evolution: “It’s about transformation, it’s ultimately a werewolf movie. Swan Lake is about a girl trapped as a swan, at night she’s half swan half human, so I saw it as a werewolf movie.”, the film definitely mutates into something quite dark and akin to a troubled psychological horror movie. It is often difficult to watch, I was more grossed out by some of the displays of contorted physicality in Black Swan than ‘that’ scene in 127 hours. The graceful beauty outwardly seen cloaks a dark turmoil.

The excellent supporting cast bolsters Portman’s tour de force portrayal.Vincent Cassel’s company director ‘Thomas’ controls his dancers through dark sexuality and brash arrogance. Nina’s mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) lives her failed dreams of becoming a ballet star through her daughter, they share an uncomfortably close relationship and she is visibly unhinged, teetering on the brink of collapse. Mila Kunis’ Lily is brilliantly disconnected, Nina’s view of her rival is eerily distorted as her dream world infiltrates her reality. All of the support cast help and hinder Nina in her pursuit of perfection. Perfection requires sacrifice, in Nina’s case she quickly loses her grip on reality.

The film is frighteningly powerful. Every aspect has been obsessed over and perfected, there is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional ‘Swan Lake’ score imagined by regular Aronofsky collaborator Clint Mansell which is suggestive of underlying tension and a dark undertow. Even the incidental sound effects are vital; as Aronofsky states “Most of the sounds in this film are manipulated swan sound. Everything from a flushing a toilet, subway… a swan noise… Sound is what takes it to the next level, I always make it part of that collaboration in filmmaking.” Aronofsky frequently uses the reflected reality of mirrors on screen, suggestive of the conflict between good and evil in Swan Lake. They serve to disorientate both Nina and the audience. The complete product is a fully accomplished masterpiece of modern cinema; displaying refined control, gripping tension and a superlative individual performance at its emotional centre.

2011 : A Film Odyssey is the movie review site of Chris Vaughan.

Web : www.2011afilmodyssey.com

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/2011-A-Film-Odyssey/167390143294012

Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/2011FilmOdyssey

Home Help – New Home & Interiors Show Brings Mad Men Style to Belfast

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Design addicts and home owners from all over Ireland will descend on Belfast this March when The Retro Rooms Show makes its debut, showcasing vintage and restyled furniture, homewares, interiors, and design for the modern home.

Featuring 3o+ handpicked dealers from all over Ireland, The Retro Rooms Show will showcase affordable 20th century design classics including the best in vintage furniture and homewares sourced from all around the globe, as well as innovative restyled creations. Visitors will be able to search for the antiques of the future among mid-century modern designs and retro-kitsch collectables, ranging from furniture and textiles to ceramics and glassware, mirrors and lighting to kitchenalia, original movie posters, and much more besides.

The exciting new event is the brainchild of Becky Moore, creator of Northern Ireland’s leading vintage fairs, which include the popular and successful Frock Around The Clock events running since 2008. Exhibitors will include Dublin-based Kirk Modern and Retrorumage who specialise in mid-century furniture and decorative items, Palace Posters, specialists in original vintage movie posters, Belfast-based Jenny Bond Interiors specialising in restyled vintage furniture, and art collective ReFound who fuse reclaimed furniture and art into individual one-offs.

The Retro Rooms Show will be the hottest home and interiors destination in Ireland this year, affording visitors the perfect opportunity to choose unique focal pieces for the home from design originals of the 1930s – 1970s and to invest in quality vintage pieces that won’t depreciate in value.

Becky says ‘spring is traditionally the time for change and rejuvenation, particularly in the home, and in these recessionary times it makes sense to invest in quality vintage pieces that won’t lose their value. With vintage it is possible to create a unique and personal statement for your abode whether your taste leans towards sleek modern lines or an eclectic style, and The Retro Rooms Show is an exciting opportunity to find the coolest stuff on the planet for your pad. All of the exhibitors are hand-picked to uphold our reputation for high quality and originality and to give access to rare and beautiful design which offers an alternative to modern-day imitations’.

The event will also boast the fun and relaxed atmosphere that has become a trademark of all the Decadence vintage fairs, with cool and laid back sounds from the Buskers’ Den with singer and songwriter Della Storm and friends.

The Retro Rooms Show takes place on Sunday 6th March at the Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast from 11am to 4.30pm. Admission costs £5 for adults and £3 for seniors and students.

More information on The Retro Rooms Show and all the Decadence events can be found on the website www.northernirelandvintage.com. Enquiries should be made by email to info@northernirelandvintage.com.

The 2011 Mourne Way Marathon Saturday 11 June 2011

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The 2011 Mourne Way Marathon will be on Saturday 11 June 2011

In addition to the Marathon there will also be an “Ultra Marathon” which will be an out and back format along part of the route of the Mourne Way Marathon, a Half Marathon and a 10k run / walk incorporated into the route – these races, like the Marathon, will also finish in Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor. There will also be a “Challenge Walk” on the day along the full 26 mile route of the Mourne Way.

The route of the Mourne Way Ultra Marathon, Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k and Challenge Walk DOES NOT cross the tops of any mountains. It traverses the foothills of the mountains as opposed to crossing them. You will be able to enjoy the views of the mountains without having to climb them.

The main event will see competitors race the 26 miles of the Mourne Way from Newcastle to Rostrevor, Co Down. This route is a linear route, almost entirely off road, traversing the foothills of the Mourne Mountains passing Tollymore Forest, Fofanny Dam, Spelga Dam, Leitrim Lodge and Yellow Water before arriving at the finish in Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor.

The route will be fully waymarked.

The Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a unique; largely granite landscape shaped by ice and man, with stunning vistas of coast, sea and countryside and all competitors will get a chance to take in these sights along the route.

Check out some footage from last year’s event:

For full details go to www.26extreme.com

Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

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Eating Disorders Awareness Week is coming on 21st – 26th of February and as part of this Adapt Eating Distress Association is launching a campaign, “Never Give up the Sun Will Shine Again”, to raise awareness of the growing problem of Eating Disorders within Northern Ireland.

With 1 in 4 people suffering with a mental health problem and 5- 10% of people suffering with an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia, which has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, it is becoming more important to talk about these issues. Numbers are reaching an all time high and children as young as 8 being diagnosed with an eating disorder.

To tackle this Adapt, a Lurgan based eating disorders charity, are teaming up with fellow ED charities the Eating Disorder Association in Belfast and Family Eating Disorder Support in Newry to promote the services currently provided in Northern Ireland. For many years NI had no specialist services however with this campaign we hope to raise awareness to show those struggling with an Eating Disorder that there are specialist services now available in NI as well as support services through three major ED charities. For this EDAW we are inviting YOU to get involved and show your support for those suffering from ED’s, their family and friends. With a large number of people dealing with ED’s today it’s likely that you will know someone dealing with problems related to eating, body image and self esteem. We want to break down the stigma and take freely about eating disorders, the real effects of ED’s and bust a few myths about ED’s.

As part of this Eating Disorders Awareness Week we will be running workshops across February and beyond for young people, parents and anyone working with young people. We are offering an informal Q&A session in which Adapt aim to answer your questions about Everything You Wanted to Know about Eating Disorders but Were Too Afraid to Ask to help raise awareness about the issues surrounding Eating Disorders and to help distinguish the myths and stigma attached to Eating Disorders. To book a workshop please contact Una Foye on 02838347535 or email info@adapteatingdistress.com. Want to support us? We don’t want your money, all we are asking is for you to pledge your support by contacting us, follow us on twitter (@adapt_EDA), like us on Facebook (search for Adapt Eating Distress Association), email us on info@adapteatingdistress.com or call 02838347535 and tell us you are supporting our campaign. We will add you to our banner of support that will be posted our website and we can post out info, badges and leaflets for you. We will be making my way around NI to get photos of people supporting our cause; feel free to contact us to join this or simply download a poster from any of our websites or social networking sites and email us a picture of our logo in a famous location or with a group.

To get involved call Una on 02838347535 or email info@adapteatingdistress.com, or come along to our office 37 High Street.

LARK IN THE PARK 2011 – ANNOUNCE TINCHY STRYDER

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Lark In The Park 2011 are proud to announce an exciting addition to this years festival at Moira, Demesne Park on April 29th – May 01st. One of the UK’s leading artists TINCHY STRYDER has been confirmed to play on Saturday April 30th, sharing the bill on the saturday with Razorlight.

Mandie Brankin from Lark In The Park 2011 commented “We are incredibly proud of the line up for Lark in The Park 2011 and want to make it as enjoyable for all those attending as possible, we would like to thank the public for all their support” Many before him have tried and failed; in April 2009 Tinchy Stryder became the first artist ever to reach number 1 in the official national singles charts with a song title featuring the phrase ‘number one’. A self-fulfilling prophecy personified? Well, he’s certainly living up to his music moniker ‘Star in the Hood’. Over the past six months, 23 year-old Tinchy has signed a recording deal with Island Records and has racked up three consecutive top 3 hits, ‘Take Me Back’ feat. Taio Cruz, released in January debuted at no 39 on downloads alone, the following week on it’s official release the single climbed 36 places to number 3, and maintained a Top 5 position for four weeks. In April, ‘Number 1’ feat. N-Dubz debuted at Number 1 and topped the UK charts for a whopping three weeks, this was followed in August by Tinchy’s second 1 single ‘Never Leave You’ featuring Amelle from the Sugababes. Tinchy Stryder, is undoubtedly one of the UK’s most exciting artists, The Independent recently said, “If Grime was the football world, Tinchy Stryder would be like your Michael Owens and Wayne Rooney’s of today.” He just completed a sold out arena tour in September 2009, which caused such a demand with fans that he has had to put a larger arena tour straight on for February 2010. Tinchy, real name Kwasi Danquah, was born in Ghana in 1986 and moved to East London at a young age. He was brought up and still lives in one of the capital’s most dangerous boroughs – Tower Hamlets; yet despite his tough upbringing he has a distinctly positive outlook on life and is determined to provide a positive role model for kids across the country. Having started making music, along with his group ‘Ruff Sqwad’, aged just 13 Tinchy has seen through the years the negative press that the music he loves has received and is on a mission to change this. He recently completed a degree in Digital Arts and Moving Imagery at University of East London. “It’s important to me to show that black males aren’t all about looking threatening and robbing your granny” Tinchy quips. “It’s not always easy growing up in an inner city area, wherever it is, but in my music I want to show people that you can take that experience and turn it into something positive.” “I guess my writing is pretty much from my life experience right now” says Tinchy. “That’s why I’ve focused a lot on the whole star in the hood thing – cos I’m still here – where I always have been, but now people know me, so I can’t always go the same places I used to be able to. I’m not in a rush to get out cos I know my area and I love it, but hopefully one day through my music I can.” By the age of 21, Tinchy was a seasoned MC on the grime and London pirate radio scene. One of the industry’s main players, Wiley of ‘Wearin’ my Rolex’ fame, crowned Tinchy the ‘Prince of Grime’. In 2006 he was booked by two forward thinking teenagers, Archie Lamb and Jack Foster to play one of their club nights they ran while at school; this meeting changed the course of his career. The three of them struck an immediate bond and Tinchy signed to their company Takeover – for management, live, recording, merchandise and publishing. Together they designed the ‘Star in The Hood’ T-shirts which they sold on myspace and ebay and the profits financed the promotion/marketing of Tinchy’s debut album Star In The Hood. It’s now a flourishing clothing line, which has just expanded into retail, with the kind of profit margins that would impress Phillip Green. The buzz surrounding ‘Stryderman’, one of the singles released from the album caught the attention of execs at Island records. Tinchy Stryder, Jack and Archie signed a joint venture with the major at the end of 2008. Having just released his major label debut, Catch 22, which went Gold within 2 weeks of release and just signing a joint venture deal with EMI Publishing alongside Takeover for a joint music publishing company allowing Tinchy Jack and Archie the opportunity to develop and invest in new talent, the future is looking extremely bright for Stryder. As 2010 draws near he embarks on pushing the boundaries of Star In The Hood clothing and entering into partnerships with some of the UK’s largest retailers, planning his all new fully live show and summer full of festivals whilst also beginning the recording process for his second major label album with a host of exciting collaborators including re-uniting with Fraser T Smith and working with some of the top US record producers and writers, Tinchy is feeling great about the new year, “I’m out to takeover the world this time round, for 2010 and beyond” he smiles. Tickets for Lark In The Park 2011 are available now at selected HMV stores and Online from HMVTickets.com For further information please visit www.larkinthepark-ni.com

Movie Review of the Week – The Rabbit Hole

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Director: John Cameron Mitchell

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Diane Wiest

Grief in American cinema often seems confined to the middle class. In The Bedroom, American Beauty and The Ice Storm are amongst the finest examples of loss and anger committed to film in recent years. The odd similarity is their setting; all affluent families struggling with grief, isolation and a bourgeois malaise. Are the working class invulnerable to sorrow? Or are we simply to believe that material wealth cannot buy happiness, hope or consolation?

Director John Cameron Mitchell follows two films of sex obsessed eccentricity (Shortbus, Hedwig and The Angry Inch) with a film devoid of any intimacy at all. Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) lost their four year old son Danny, 8 months ago in a blameless traffic accident. The family’s excitable dog chased a squirrel onto a road by the garden, Danny followed and was struck by a passing car – driven by local high school student Jason. The once happy family has been torn apart, painfully wounded by the tragic incident. Becca and Howie attend group therapy in at attempt to reconcile their guilt and trauma. The therapy only serves to further strain the troubled relationship. Howie desperately clings on to the memory of his son, watching old videos and obsessing over Danny’s paintings which still adorn the fridge. Becca seeks to remove any trace of Danny from her life; donating his old clothes to charity, convincing Howie to sell the house that is so full of memories and baking endlessly in an attempt to occupy her troubled mind.

Rabbit Hole is a successful character study and moving portrait of grief and loss. Fine lead performances are bolstered by an effective supporting cast (most notably Diane Wiest as Becca’s mother). The simmering, reserved behaviour of the leads threatens to boil over – but never really does. Despite one brief shouting match, feelings are mostly swept under the carpet. However, unlikely figures of solace and comfort slowly appear. Becca befriends Jason, the boy who killed her son. Howie smokes pot with Gaby, an eight year veteran of his trauma therapy group. Ultimately nothing much is resolved, how could it be?

It is difficult to look at the performances of Kidman and Eckhart in isolation. Whilst many of the scenes involving he grieving parents involve them being apart; each dealing with the loss in their own way – the dynamic of the relationship really dictates and influences how the other behaves. Like Blue Valentine, a movie in which the leads witness the death of a marraige – the actors are equal parts of a whole.

The restrained direction allows the actors to inhabit their roles without intrusion. The pristine home, beautiful neighbourhood and attractive leading couple act merely as a shiny veneer, thinly masking the turmoil bubbling underneath. Kidman’s Becca is difficult to warm to, sympathy mainly resides in Eckhart’s portrayal of Howie which conveys more sincere and relatable emotional reaction. The method by which grief is examined through two very different perspectives is both touching and jarring. The overall result is a film of opposites. Past and future, comfort and sorrow and most vividly – hope and despair. Often deeply affecting but unfortunately somewhat inconsistent in its delivery.

2011 : A Film Odyssey is the movie review site of Chris Vaughan.

Web : www.2011afilmodyssey.com

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/2011-A-Film-Odyssey/167390143294012

Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/2011FilmOdyssey

Local support group says having a social worker can be a really good thing.

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Making plans for the Connect parents support group meeting, How having a Social Worker is a good thing’ on Weds 23rd February at Dromore Nursery School are Judith Clarke, Niamh Shiells and Sharon Beattie, principal at Dromore Nursery.
Making plans for the Connect parents support group meeting, How having a Social Worker is a good thing’ on Weds 23rd February at Dromore Nursery School are Judith Clarke, Niamh Shiells and Sharon Beattie, principal at Dromore Nursery.

Local support group CONNECT is having an information and support evening for parents of children with additional educational and support needs. The group’s founders Judith Clarke and Niamh Shiells invite local parents to an informative meeting about the support a social worker can give parents at Dromore Nursery School, at 7.30 on the 23rd February 2011.

Niamh Shiells spoke about the theme for the evening, “There is a myth that having a social worker is a bad thing and in some way a judgment of you as a parent. We want to show our parents that this myth can be turned completely on its head. If you have a child with additional needs a social worker can be invaluable, someone who can help you to access grants, services and a whole package of support for your child.“

Judith Clarke says “We are very pleased to have Karen Edgar from Social Work Services for Children with Disability speaking at this meeting and Karen will outline the support that her department can offer parents with children with additional needs. The evening is also a great chance for parents to talk to and receive support from other parents who may have similar experiences.”

Sharon Beattie, principal at Dromore Nursery continues to offer vital support to this new group and commented, “We are so pleased that our local parents now have a growing support network that they can meet with, to share and seek information. We will continue to host these very positive meetings at Dromore Nursery.”

All parents and others interested are welcome to attend Dromore Nursery School, 23rd February, 7.30pm. Please contact Judith Clarke on 07764 200870 if you wish to attend or for more information about the group. You can also visit Connect on Facebook.

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