Finding Your Feet Sat 13/6 CH4 @ 21.15
Posh Sandra has had the rug pulled from under her and her life is ruined. She goes to live with her estranged sister Bif. Bif's a free spirit. Sandra needs a bit of Bif's sparkle.You can see where this is going. Finding Your Feet is never not predictable but that doesn't mean it's not a charming and fun look at the strange paths life can lead you down. Imelda Staunton and a great Celia Imrie lead a fine cast of familiar British faces.
Stronger Sat 13/6 RTE1 @ 21.30
2013. Boston. Two brothers set off bombs at the city marathon and the day becomes a bloody mess. Erin, who was running sees it all happen and finds her boyfriend Jeff in the wreckage, missing both his legs. A tough watch about the human cost of violence and the resilience needed to come back from it. Superb acting from Tatiana Maslany & Jake Gyllenhaal will keep you watching through the horror.
Donnie Brasco Sat 13/6 TG4 @ 22.05
Going undercover in the mob takes balls and Joe Pistone has them in spades. His job gets awkward though when he becomes friends with a man he'll eventually have to take down. Johnny Depp may play the lead role but Al Pacino owns this film. He's in phenomenal in it, so much so that you'll forget it's him playing the part. A stressful watch laced with dark humour and carried by a cast that includes Anne Heche and Michael Madsen
Eye In The Sky Sun 14/6 RTE2 @ 00.30
The ethics of modern warfare are up for debate when a drone strike on a terrorist compound is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a young girl and her market stall. A horribly tense watch that will leave you with a pain in your face from clenching your jaw. Far from enjoyable but very compelling. Helen Mirren leads a nice cast getting back up from Aaron Paul and the much missed Alan Rickman.
The Big Country Sun 14/6 BBC2 @ 13.40
A big epic western now, perfect for a Sunday afternoon. A city boy from the east turns up in Texas to take a wife and finds himself in the middle of a land war between two rival ranchers. A beautiful looking story, shot in technicolor of course and a fine story to boot. It's a long one but well drawn characters and first rate acting from a cast that includes Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons and Charlton Heston will keep you watching.
Bend It Like Beckham Sun 14/6 E4 @ 18.45
Football loving Jess is a young Sikh woman who's parents want her to lead a tradition life but she has very different ideas for her future. Gurinder Chadha's comedy drama is a joy even if you have no interest in the sport. It's funny, exciting and gives us a look into a culture that's very rarely depicted on film outside of Bollywood cinema. Parminder Nagra is a lovely lead and gets quality back up from Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Cabin In The Woods Sun 14/6 CH4 @ Midnight
5 friends go to stay in a.... well... a cabin in the woods. Demonic presences stalk and attack them. But the underlying reason for the attacks is the last thing you'd expect. This is a joy to watch. Hilarious, knowing, gooey as hell and packed full of in-jokes for fans of the genre. Even if you ain't a horror fan there's loads here for you. Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Cooper and Richard Jenkins all have a whale of a time.
Two Days, One Night Mon 15/6 BBC2 @ 00.35
Sandra gets the flick from her job when her bosses realise her co-workers can carry her workload and so offers them a bonus to turn their backs on her. They make a choice that devastates her. This 2014 film from Belgium's Dardenne brothers is a stunner. An indictment of capitalism and human selfishness. It's upsetting but ultimately uplifting and Marion Cotillard in the lead role is as good as she's ever been.
Stoker Mon 15/6 Film4 @ 23.45
After her father dies, a young woman and her mother are visited by an uncle they never knew existed. Slowly she begins to realise that he's not what he seems. What a shocker! Mia Wasikowska is super as the lead in a slow burn thriller that breaks free of it's Hitchcockian roots to become something very gripping, lurid, darkly funny and quite unique. Matthew Goode is convincing as the mysterious man and Nicole Kidman gives solid backup.
Key Largo Tues 16/6 TCM @ 15.30
Crime drama par excellence time. A war veteran arrives in the Florida Keys to visit the family of a dead comrade and finds that all is not well in the hotel they run. John Huston's 1948 thriller is an absolute cracker of a watch. Tense as hell, action packed stuff that's full of the superstars of the era including Humphrey Bogart as the lead, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore and the always fantastic Edward G.Robinson.
Patti Cake$ Tues 16/6 Film4 @ 23.20
Patricia Dombrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$ is trying to become a rapper. She's a white girl from New Jersey and no one will take her seriously. So she knuckles down. A brilliant film, one of the best of 2017, that on the surface looks silly and cringeworthy but a fiercely committed turn from Danielle MacDonald will have you begging for her to find the success she needs. Cathy Moriarty as her gran adds loads of fun.
The Handmaiden Wed 17/6 CH4 @ 01.50
Japan. The 1930's. Sookee is hired to be the handmaiden for heiress Hideo. Sookee has an agenda but she hasn't counted on the bond that forms between her and her lady. Chan-wook Park's romantic thriller is an erotically charged and utterly absorbing watch. It's a long, demanding movie but it's one that will keep you glued to the screen throughout. Tae-ri Kim & Min-hee Kim as the leads do splendid work.
The Disappearance Of Alice Creed Wed 17/6 The Horror Channel @ 22.50
Alice is being held hostage by Vic and Danny. They want her father's money. She's tied to a bed and seemingly helpless. What will she do? This 2009 British thriller is tough stuff but it's unpredictable narrative combined with a trio of worthy performances from Eddie Marsan, Gemma Atherton and Martin Compston will keep you watching til the very end. For a movie mostly set in one room it's a surprisingly layered one.
Precinct Seven Five Fri 19/6 Film4 @ 01.50
1980's New York was a kip. The murder capital of the country. Violence and drugs everywhere and the boys in blue hired to protect the populace were responsible for a whole lot of it. A documentary that makes Serpico look like Bosco. A truly unsettling watch that exposes corruption that went to the very core. This doc centres on Michael Dowd, cop/scumbag and it's a watch that will have you dropping your jaw in disbelief through out. Martin Scorsese needs to make this into a film.
The Nice Guys Fri 19/6 RTE2 @ 21.35
The death of a porn star and the case of a missing woman bring two very different private investigators together in 1970's Los Angeles. Shane Black's 2016 film is a touch overlong and a little bit muddled but it is an amusing and surprisingly violent watch held together by two entertaining performances from Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe who bounce off each other well and display some decent comedy chops.
The Long Riders Fri 19/6 TG4 @ 22.15
A unique take on the tale of Jesse James and his gang of outlaws. Not the story, that's very well told but nothing new, it's the casting that makes it stand out. The real life gang was made up of 4 sets of brothers and here they are played by real life brothers. The Carradines, the Keachs, the Quaids & the Guests. It's clever & ensures real chemistry. Walter Hill's film is violent, tense and very underrated. Lovely music from Ry Cooder too.
Selma Fri 19/6 BBC2 @ 23.20
A look at 3 months in the life of Dr Martin Luther King as he took part in an effort to secure equal voting rights for African Americans in 1965. An upsetting look at a period of American history that the White establishment is terrified of returning. Directed by Ava DuVernay and carried aloft by a superlative performance from David Oyelowo as Doctor King, this a history lesson that everyone should watch, especially now.
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