The Unknown Girl Sat 30/3 BBC4 @ 21.30
After she turns away a would be patient from her closed clinic and the patient ends up dead, a doctor finds herself both wracked with guilt and obsessed with figuring out who the dead woman was. This 2016 Belgian film is good stuff. A slowburn watch but fine acting and a compelling storyline will keep you involved all the way through. Adèle Haenel does mighty work in the lead role.
The Missouri Breaks Sat 30/3 ITV4 @ 23.15
A dark, strange and blackly comic western starring Jack Nicholson as a rustler who steals both the livestock and the daughter of a rancher and Marlon Brando as the regulator hired to kill him. Violent, funny and surreal with a seriously satisfying and bizarre turn from Marlon Brando as a character you will love to hate. Nicholson rocks. Harry Dean Stanton & Frederic Forrest in support are reliable as always.
Harry Brown Sun 30/3 RTE2 @ 00.10
Harry is an elderly ex-marine who lives on a housing estate that has been ruined by drug dealers. One night he suffers a loss and decides not to look the other way anymore. Michael Caine is absolutely convincing in this well paced and gruelling thriller that might be too much for some. Emily Mortimer, Liam Cunningham and a terrifying looking Sean Harris all give good back up.
The Natural Sun 30/3 RTE2 @ 15.00
Using a bat he created out of a tree struck by lightning a young man appears out of nowhere to take the world of baseball by storm in the depression struck 1930's. A magical paean to one of the famous American sports led by a fantastic performance from Robert Redford. You don't have to like baseball to enjoy this one. Just lay back and let it and that famous soundtrack wash over you.
Odette Sun 31/3 BBC2 @ 13.30
The true story of Odette Sansom, one of the unsung heroes of World War 2. A French woman and mother who joined the SOE and learned spycraft and espionage before falling foul of the nazi war machine. A gripping and tension packed watch about a side of history rarely mentioned led by an excellent Anna Neagle as Odette. Reliable old British faces such as Peter Ustinov and Trevor Howard are great back up.
Mustang Sun 31/3 BBC4 @ 23.30
5 young Turkish girls play innocently with boys on their way home from school. This simple act sets off a scandal in their religious town and before long all their freedom is taken from them. This 2015 film is a stunner. A vital watch that's full of life but also full of pain and sadness. Superb acting throughout but Güneş Şensoy as little Lale is amazing. Definitely my film of the week.
Blue Ruin Mon 1/4 CH4 @ 02.05
A man returns to the town he grew up in looking to partake in a spot of revenge. That's all you need to know. Jeremy Saulnier's directorial debut is a gripping little lo-fi thriller full of nail biting tension, some rather grisly violence and first rate acting from a cast of faces you won't recognise at all. It's dark, it's grimy and it's pretty hard going but it's a very worthwhile watch that you won't forget anytime soon.
Hatchet Mon 1/4 The Horror Channel @ 23.15
A group of New Orleans tourists take a boat ride into the bayou in search of the legend of Victor Crowley. They get exactly what they are looking for and more aside. Ok, if you are anyway squeamish avoid this like the plague but if you like your horror movies gooey and funny then this homage to all things 80's will hit the spot big time. Tamara Feldman and Joel Moore are fun as the main characters.
Nebraska Tue 2/4 Film4 @ 23.40
A father and son called Woody and David are taking a trip from Montana to Nebraska to claim a win. Woody is slowly losing his memory to dementia and David is dragged into the mess. Alexander Payne's comedy drama is a beautifully written and crafted look at the complexities of family relationships. Plus it has a couple of wicked belly laughs hidden away. Bruce Dern, Will Forte and especially June Squibb are all on fire.
The Strangers Wed 3/4 The Horror Channel @ 21.00
Kristen and James are a couple who decide to spend a holiday in an isolated holiday home. Always a bad idea. A worse idea is answering a knock on the door in the middle of the night. It's sounds cliched but this is a genuinely scary horror movie that relies more on atmosphere and a slow amping up of suspense than the usual blood & guts. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman do well as the terrorised duo.
Still Alice Fri 5/4 RTE2 @ 22.30
Alice has been forgetting things lately and when it starts affecting her job she decides to get herself checked out. The diagnosis is a life changer for herself and her family. An undeniably tough watch but a magnificent performance from Julianne Moore and strong support from Alec Baldwin and Kirsten Stewart raise this high above the usual films of this type and save it from mawkishness and sentimentality.
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