Northern Soul Sat 22/1 TG4 @ 23.05
It's grim up North but two young lads called Matt and John have found a way out. American soul music. Music that feels like it was written for them personally. Their passion for tunes brings them to the darker side of life. A bleak look at life in 1970's England but one filled with charm,vim and some fantastic music. Josh Whitehouse and Elliot James Langridge do affecting work as the leads of a film that's worth your time.
American Animals Sat 22/1 RTE2 @ 23.45
Warren, Chas, Spencer and Eric. Four bright young college students. Four young men who really should have known better than to plan a heist from their own university. A story about pretentious fools who think the world revolves around them doesn't sound like fun but this is one gripping film that mixes in documentary footage to great effect. Nicely shot, wicked soundtrack and our own Barry Keoghan in the mix. How could you go wrong?
The Man Who Fell To Earth Sun 23/1 Talking Pictures TV @ 01.05
The tall thin man wandering around New Mexico might look human, but he's not. He's an alien here on a mission to save his dying planet but the many temptations available on earth are getting in the way of his job. Nicolas Roeg's surreal 1976 science fiction drama is a cryptic, confusing, disorientating beaut of a film but it's the outlandish turn from David Bowie as the titular character than really makes it sing.
Personal Shopper Sun 23/1 BBC2 @ 01.25
A young woman called Maureen is working hard in the Parisian fashion world. She's also engulfed by grief and sorrow after a family tragedy and she's waiting for a sign connected to an oath she once took. An unusual and unsettling drama to say the least that's best watched knowing as little as humanly possible. A restrained but emotive performance from Kristin Stewart makes Personal Shopper a compelling watch.
The Wretched Sun 23/1 The Horror Channel @ 21.00
His parents are getting divorced but that's about to be the least of Ben's problems when he starts suspecting one of his next door neighbours of being up to no good. No good? How about down right evil. The Wretched will make your skin crawl but in a wholesome, old fashioned way. By the way, the wholesome part is a lie, it will freak you out in all manner of lovingly crafted ways. John-Paul Howard and Zarah Mahler are memorable in their parts.
The Souvenir Sun 23/1 BBC2 @ 22.00
Julie's in film school and she has an idea in her head for her first production. Then she meets Anthony. He's a charmer but he has his secrets. Secrets that will pull her down into a deep and dark hole. This 2019 drama from director Joanna Hogg is a powerful look at the toll a toxic relationship can have on a person's psyche and it's sadly going to be a familiar watch for a lot of people. Honor Swinton Byrne, her real life mam Tilda Swinton and Tom Burke go very well together.
Paradox Mon 24/1 Film4 @ 01.50
Pattaya in Thailand is a dark and sleazy place as Hong Kong cop Lee Chung Chi finds out when his teenage daughter is kidnapped while on holiday. So he does what all good fathers would do. A dark and violent thriller that will not be for everyone but it's worth sticking with for some cringe inducing fight scenes. Think film noir crossed with South East Asian cinema and you're there. Louis Koo is a solid lead.
Mr Brooks Mon 24/1 Great! Movies @ 21.00
Earl Brooks is loved by all. He's a respected businessman. He gets his city's person of the year award. He's married. He has kids. Oh and he's a serial killer. A particularly crafty one at that. The film where Kevin Costner finally goes to the dark side and he does it brilliantly. The parallel plot line with Demi Moore playing the cop searching for him is not as well realised but there's a lot of ghoulish glee to be found here in seeing clean cut Costner cutting (Alliteration!!) loose.
Suffragette Tues 25/1 Film4 @ 18.50
This is the story of the suffragette movement in early 20th century Britain and the hardships they faced in the pursuit of rights that women should have had all along. A rage inducing, angering, moving and stressful film but one that needs be watched by everyone. A finely tuned cast led by Anne-Marie Duff, Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter makes the whole thing barrel along too.
Double Indemnity Tues 25/1 Great! Movies Classic @ 18.50
Time for a classic slice of film noir from master director Billy Wilder. An affair between a salesman and a married woman takes a murderous turn all in the pursuit of money. Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray are at the top of their game here but Edward G. Robinson robs the film out from underneath them as a man who just won't let things go. A crime masterpiece that truly lives up to the hype.
Face To Face Wed 26/1 TCM @ 01.10
A teacher goes west looking for a dry, arid climate to help his health and along the way falls in with an outlaw gang who's values go against everything he believes in but as he spends more time with them things change. Sergio Sollima's 1967 spaghetti western isn't as famous as Sergio Leone's films but it's an excellent character study laden with all the style and shootouts you'd expect. Tomas Milian and Gian Maria Volonté are a wicked pair of leads.
Hangover Square Wed 26/1 Talking Pictures TV @ 21.05
George Harvey Bone has been cursed with both a terrible name and a terrible affliction. He's a music composer but certain sounds make him black out and during these memory gaps he gets up to evil things. Despite being set in the early 20th century but it's film noir through and through and brought to eerie life by a stunner of a turn from Laird Cregar and by Linda Darnell as the singer who has the misfortune to cross his path.
Little Joe Wed 26/1 BBC2 @ 23.10
Alice has taken a piece of her job home with her in an effort to please her son but it's after backfiring on her and now it's effecting both her familial and romantic relationships. Or is it? Who knows? Jessica Hausner's 2019 film is unconventional and a hard film to categorise but it's certainly an intelligent and unsettling watch with a soundtrack designed to keep you on edge. Emily Beecham, Ben Whishaw, Kerry Fox and Kit Conner all put in a strong shift here.
Benjamin Thur 27/1 Film4 @ 02.00
Lack of confidence is killing Benjamin. His first film was successful but too much time has passed since and he's doubting himself into the grave. Then he meets Noah. Is he a catalyst for change? You might know Simon Amstell as an annoying music quiz show host but the man has talent and this charming comedy drama directed by him is proof of it. Downbeat, hysterical and led by a couple of super turns from Colin Morgan and Phénix Brossard.
The Swimmer Thur 27/1 Great! Movies Classic @ 22.50
Ned is living the suburban life in a New England valley. One day he realises he can swim his way home via a series of swimming pools dotting the backyards of his neighbours. As he sets off on his journey he makes a connection with the people who own them. A strange and surreal but oddly funny story about a person trying desperately to hold on to a life he's not living anymore. Burt Lancaster is a spectacular lead.
Manchester By The Sea Fri 28/1 RTE2 @ 21.30
Lee Chandler's brother has just died and now he has to go home to deal with funeral arrangements. The trip home also forces him to revisit the ghosts of his past. Kenneth Lonergan's 2016 drama is a tough watch, pushing us headfirst into the ongoing effects of grief and loss and all their repercussions. It's brutal, but it's humane and even humorous in places. Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams are both incredible.
Westworld Fri 28/1 BBC1 @ 23.25
Westworld's a place where you can live out your wild west fantasies, you can be a hero or a villain and tourists get a taste of both when the artificial intelligence running the park goes faulty. Yes yes it's Jurassic Park with robot cowboys but it did come first. An enjoyable watch that rapidly becomes a scary one courtesy of a demonic Yul Brynner in a rare bad guy role. James Brolin & Richard Benjamin are a fine pair of heroes and keep an eye out for Alan Oppenheimer aka the voice of 80's cartoons.
If you discover something new here or even spot an old favourite a retweet is always appreciated. GRMA.
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