France. 1940. A woman awaits news of a loved one who is missing in action but when German soldiers pour into the town the spectre of forbidden love raises its head. A slightly soap opera-ish storyline maybe but well made in an old fashioned style and buoyed by excellent acting from a fine cast led by the always reliable Michelle Williams and Matthias Schoenaerts.
I Went Down Sat 17/3 RTE2 @ 21.15
Two criminals travel into the wilds of middle Ireland to carry out a kidnapping at the behest of a man who owns them both. Things dont work out exactly as planned. For my money this is one the the most best Irish comedies ever made. Brendan Gleeson is on fire as Bunny Kelly and Peter McDonald is good craic in his film debut. As always with Irish films the laughs come with a healthy dose of pathos and the two blend brilliantly.
Citadel Sun 18/3 Film4 @ 00.40
A young father must face his worst fears to protect his family from a gang of vile little bastards. Dublin born director Ciaran Foy's 2012 horror is a unique stunner and one of those films that get under your skin and linger in your brain. It's nightmarish unnerving stuff and won't be for everyone though. Aneurin Bernard and James Cosmo as the leads do good work.
Catch Me If You Can Sun 18/3 BBC2 @ 17.45
The story of Frank Abagnale, a teenager who conned his way around the world. Leonardo DiCaprio is fun in the lead role and Tom Hanks is solid as always as the FBI agent tasked with catching him. Throw in Christopher Walken in super form as Frank's Da as the icing on the cake A sorely underrated film from Steven Spielberg right here. A very entertaining watch but with a dark cautionary edge.
Wish I Was Here Mon 19/3 Film4 @ 23.15
When a couple make a decision to home school their kids, a man who has lost his way in life begins to learn about himself. Written, directed by and starring the always likable Zach Braff this is a nice, quiet enjoyable little film that makes a nice companion piece to his debut movie, the lovely Garden State. Lovelysoundtrack and cast in this too including Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin and a certain former Scrubs cast member.
The Prisoner Of Second Avenue Tues 20/3 TCM @ 18.50
A happily married well off couple in Manhattan find their lives turned upside down after a run of bad luck during a recession knocks them on their arses. But they aren't going out without a fight. From the pen of Neil Simon and starring Jack Lemmon & Anne Bancroft, both great, this sounds depressing but it's anything but. A darkly hilarious comedy drama that still resonates in this age of uncertainty.
Spy Wed 21/3 RTE2 @ 21.00
Susan Cooper works a deskjob for the CIA. When a mission goes sideways she finally gets called into action and we get to see exactly what she's made of. I loved this. It's so much fun and genuine belly laughs aside it's a cracking action film too. Melissa McCarthy is always worth a watch and gets brilliant support from Jude Law, Rose Byrne and Alison Janney. Jason Statham though is priceless and we need to see him do more comedy soon.
Short Term 12 Thur 22/3 BBC1 @ 00.40
Grace is a supervisor at a care facility for troubled teenagers called Short Term 12. It's a tough job both physically and mentally and made harder when Grace's personal life becomes complicated. Brie Larson is fantastic in a sobering and genuinely moving story about the people helping those on the fringes of society that always get ignored. Upcoming star LaKeith Stanfield is superb as one of the teens in her charge.
The Relic Thur 22/3 The Horror Channel @ 00.40
Something is causing havoc in the Chicago natural history museum and it's up to Dr Margo Green to figure out what it is. This could have been a schlocky disaster but in the hands of leading lady Penelope Anne Miller & veteran director Peter Hyams it's instead genuinely well made and very watchable. A nicely atmospheric movie and with some solid gory shocks that goes haywire in the best way near the end.
The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin Fri 23/3 Film4 @ 01.20
After suffering a huge tragedy a young Chinese student enters a Shaolin chamber to learn the techniques he needs for revenge. These lessons aren't easy though. A very entertaining watch, fun, unique, inventive and chock full of imagination. Extremely influential too. 40 years later you'll still see homages to it regularly. Gordon Liu as the man with the plan is great, an immense physical presence.
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