Sands: 66 Days (15)
Directed by Brendan J Byrne
4/5
On the 35th anniversary year of Bobby Sands’s death comes a powerful documentary that explores both the man and the international iconic figure that he became following his demise, while analysing the political and historical context.
The words of 1920 Irish Republican hunger striker Terence MacSwiney: “It is not those who can inflict the most, but those that can suffer the most who will conquer,” resonate loudly throughout veteran film-maker Brendan J Byrne’s film.
The 27 year old Sands knew from the outset that he was going to die when he embarked on his hunger strike in 1981 with nine others at the Maze Prison in protest at the removal of special category status previously given to political prisoners.
Through interviews with childhood friends, former IRA colleagues, leading academics, former prison officers and the likes of Gerry Adams and Norman Tebbit Byrne shows how and why Sands joined the IRA at 18 and went on to become the public face of the movement while contextualising his fight and analysing his legacy.
Byrne uses a countdown structure interweaved with extracts from his diaries, archive film footage and animated sequences as he paints a more rounded picture of the enigmatic Sands.
It is a dispassionate and balanced look at the man who was elected MP in his dying days.
Sands led the hunger strike believing that he could force Margaret Thatcher’s government to capitulate to their demands. But she perceived this to be a blackmail from prisoners she regarded as criminals.
Sands realised that the only way to win was to die and it was only after he and nine fellow protesters died in 1981 that Thatcher restored their special category status.
Of the protesters Sands is the only one who is remembered today and stands out in the public psyche, no doubt helped by the numerous films that have been made about him with Steve McQueen’s Hunger leading the foray.
In the end Sands may have proved MacSwiney right.
Maria Duarte

Up for Love (12A)
Directed by Laurent Tirard
3/5
Oscar winner Jean Dujardin reaches new romantic heights in this delightfully amusing rom com about celebrating people’s differences.
Set in Marseille this remake of the Argentinian film Corazon de Leon stars Dujardin as wealthy architect Alexandre who finds the mobile of successful lawyer Diane (formidable Virginie Efira) and persuades her to go on a date with him so he can return her phone.
Diane soon discovers he doesn’t quite fulfil her Prince Charming expectations despite his good looks and endless charm.
The twist is that Dujardin plays, with great aplomb and allure, a man who is just 4ft 5in tall — with help from CGI and old-fashioned techniques — which unfortunately proves ridiculously distracting.
Full of height-ist jokes it is Dujardin’s warm and grounded performance which makes this a delight to watch and stops it plunging into tasteless territory.
Maria Duarte

Sid and Nancy (18)
Directed by Alex Cox
4/5
Thirty years ago Alex Cox wrote and directed his scathing, occasionally unexpectedly moving biopic of Sex Pistols bass guitarist Sid Vicious centred on Vicious’s doomed rollercoaster liaison with US groupie Nancy Spungen.
By 1977 The Sex Pistols, led by singer Johnny Rotten, were punk music stars. Vicious now had fame and money and began a relationship in London with Nancy, with their mutual drug addiction becoming increasingly destructive.
Nancy accompanied the Sex Pistols on a chaotic US tour that led to Vicious quitting the collapsing band to attempt a solo career. He and Nancy became increasingly reliant on drugs and, eventually, after she was found dead in a New York hotel, Vicious was accused of her murder.
In 1986 the film’s tsunami of four-letter words, sex scenes and, above all, drug taking hit hard. Even now, the passage of time and with punk no longer a driving musical/social force, Cox’s film still hits hard, continues to shock and makes its dark points with telling impact.
Then unknown Gary Oldman, thin, pale and driven and terrifyingly convincing deservedly made his name with his scarifying portrait of Vicious while New York stage actress Chloe Webb gave her finest performance as Nancy.
Alan Frank