March 26, 2022

16 films on TV to enjoy this week

Photograph   Sat   26/3   BBC4 @ 22.00

Under pressure from cultural norms, a street photographer called Rafi is being pressed to marry, something he has no interest in, so he asks a stranger called Miloni to pose as his fiance. You can probably guess the direction this lovely Indian-American drama goes but it's also a humane insight in a culture rarely seen in films outside of Bollywood. Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sanya Malhotra create a buzzing chemistry.

The Furies   Sat   26/3   Film4 @ 23.20

Kayla's been kidnapped and now she's fighting for her life, alongside other women in the same situation, all for the pleasure of an online viewing audience. Ok a warning first, The Furies is very very violent and if you've any bit of a weak stomach you should skip it but if you want a bit of full on, screw the patriarchy, rough and tumble you won't go wrong here. Airlie Dodds makes for a memorable hero as she stands her ground amidst lush Australian scenery.

The Barefoot Contessa   Sun   27/3   RTE1 @ 14.50

A tale told in flashback about the rise and fall of a Hollywood starlet and the effect she has on the men who gave her career a start. Ava Gardner is luminous in the title role. Earthy, sexy and impossible to look away from. Humphrey Bogart & Edmond O'Brien play two of the men, Bogie is his usual stalwart honest self and O'Brien is a brilliantly slimy creep. A glorious looking film full of crackling dialogue.

Cliffhanger   Sun   27/3   ITV4 @ 21.00

The early 90's were a golden age for action films and Cliffhanger is one of the most entertaining of the lot. Sylvester Stallone is in great form as a mountain rescue climber haunted by a past mistake who faces off against a team of murderous thieves who have crashed in the Rocky Mountains. Loads of naughty behaviour and crunchiness ensues. John Lithgow as the big bad is fantastically hammy and the scenery is awesome. What's not to like?

King Rat   Mon   28/3   Great! Movies Action @ 09.10

Corporal King is a wiley one and he's using his smarts and cunning to take over the prisoner side of the Malaysian World War II POW camp he's found himself in. He's a man willing to do anything to get ahead. Viewers used to seeing the lighter side of George Segal might find themselves shocked by his antics in a robust and powerful war drama that's a million miles away from The Great Escape. Segal, Tom Courtenay and James Fox do hefty work here.

Atonement   Mon   28/3   TG4 @ 21.30

Teenage jealousy causes a young girl to tell a lie and the effects of that lie haunt her for the next 60 years of her life. Director Joe Wright's adaption of Ian MacEwan's book is a devastating and beautiful looking film about the strength of words and the damage they can do in the wrong hands. There's superb acting all around as well from Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave & a baby faced Saoirse Ronan.

What We Do In The Shadows   Mon   28/3   BBC3 @ 23.30

The lives of a group of vampires in a house share in Wellington, New Zealand are being recorded by a film crew for a documentary. Sounds odd right? It is a bit but it's also so much fun. A laugh out loud comedy in parts that's sprinkled with some surprisingly bloody horror, a touch of commentary on modern life and even a smidge of pathos. Jermaine Clemant and Taika Waititi (also the director) are perfect as two of the main vamps. Give it a go.

The Guest   Tues   29/3   Great! Movies @ 01.25

A family is totally upended when a war veteran claiming to have been a friend of their dead son turns up at the door and wiggles his way into their life. An enjoyable and knowing homage to the action films and home invasion thrillers of the 90's with a little splash of horror thrown in for good measure.  Funny, nasty and totally absurd. A pleasing  and nostalgic way to spend 2 hrs. Maika Monroe and Dan Stevens are both deadly.

Sabotage   Tues   29/3   Talking Pictures TV @ 11.55

A cinema owner named Verloc is the London contact for a shadowy group of terrorists planning a series of bomb attacks throughout his city. Detective Sergeant Spencer is the man tasked with stopping the carnage. An Alfred Hitchcock thriller from 1936 that will make you gnaw the knuckles off yourself with it's masterfully crafted grasp of suspense. The bus scene will stay with you for an age. Oskar Homolka. Sylvia Sidney and John Loder all do fine work.

A Monster Calls   Tues   29/3   BBC2 @ 23.15

Conor, a broken boy is having a hard time. His Da is gone, school is miserable and his Mam is sick. And now something has begun to menace him. But it's not what you think. A slap in the face of a film, and a look at grief through a child's eyes that will floor you, fill you with fear and eventually leave you an emotional wreck. But in the right way. Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones and Liam Neeson all nail their parts.

Thelma   Wed   30/3   Film4 @ 01.40

A socially inexperienced young woman leaves the safety of her home for the first time and when trying to struggle with new found feelings discovers something rather unusual about the thoughts whizzing around her head. This 2017 Norwegian drama is a nice one to go into cold. Just let it's beauty and it's interesting story wash over you. Elli Harboe as Thelma and Kaya Wilkins both work wonderfully together.

Big Business   Thur   31/3   Talking Pictures TV @ 12.20

A mix up with two sets of twins in a rural American hospital leaves us with Rose and Sadie Shelton and Rose and Sadie Ratliff. 40 years later one half of each feels out of place and a sudden business trip answers loads of questions. A loud but diverting slice of cheeriness buoyed by a couple of delightful performances from Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin. Edward Hermann and the mighty Fred Ward add a lot of the mix too. 

Pride & Prejudice   Thur   31/3   BBC4 @ 23.00

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any film starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier is going to be worth your time. This 1940 adaption of Jane Austen's most famous book definitely is. The story of the Bennett family and their daughters and their daughters suitors in 19th century Hertfordshire. A witty and playful comedy of manners powered by excellent performances from those mentioned above.

Thoroughbreds   Fri   1/4   CH4 @ 01.50

Amanda and Lily were friends who grew apart but fate has brought them together again and the emotionless Amanda and the calculating Lily are about to do something that.... well you'll have to watch it to find out. From 2017 comes a well put together drama/thriller that takes a couple of risks and becomes nicely unpredictable as a result. Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy and Anton Yelchin have fun here.

The Miseducation Of Cameron Post   Fri   1/4   BBC3 @ 21.00

An interrupted rendezvous leads to a teenage girl being sent to a conversion therapy camp by her religious aunt to help end her "unnatural impulses." But Cameron Post is not a person to let people roll over her. A compassionate and tender look at the pain of being different in a land where deviation from the norm is a danger to your health. Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane and Forrest Goodluck do memorable things together.

Cooties   Fri   1/4   The Horror Channel @ 22.40

Chicken nuggets. Who knew they'd be responsible for the end of the world as we know it? A bad batch has infected the pupils of an Illnois highschool and now the feral horde that was the student body is out for the blood and the teachers are in big trouble. A gooey, crunchy, and diverting horror comedy from 2014 carried by a fun cast that includes Alison Pill, Elijah Wood and Rainn Wilson. 

Retweets are always appreciated. Thanks folks.

No comments: