11 films worth watching on TV this week

Men & Chicken   Sat   12/5   Film4 @ 23.15

Ok, this week's first one sounds odd but it's a genuinely entertaining bit of quirkiness about two brothers who find out some biological truths about themselves and suddenly everything they know is suspect. Mads Mikkelsen as one of the brothers plays his role completely straight which makes the madness going on around him even funnier. A perfect introduction to Danish cinema.

I Used To Live Here   Sat   12/5   RTE2 @ midnight

Irish film time. A grieving girl and a troubled boy from Tallaght start having confusing and dark thoughts after witnessing a barrage of emotion during a local tragedy. Director Frank Berry's film debut is a bit of a stunner and one that will rattle around your head for days after due to it's frank look at psychological issues facing young Irish people today. Jordanne Jones & Dafhyd Flynn are both excellent leads.

Eddie The Eagle  Sun   13/5   CH4 @ 21.30

Calgary. 1988. The Winter Olympics. A young and inexperienced English man called Michael Edwards is taking part in the ski jump. Slowly he becomes a very unlikely sporting hero. Based on a true story this is absolute fluff but it's very entertaining fluff and the perfect antidote to the sunday night fear. Taron Egerton is fun in the lead but Hugh Jackman (in a very fictional role) as his coach Bronson is great craic,

We Are What We Are   Sun   13/5   The Horror Channel @ 22.50

The Parker's are a very close knit family and they have a very good reason for being so. They are good at keeping secrets until mother nature starts intervening. Oh this is a dark one. If you are anyway squeamish i'll advise you avoid it but if you have a solid constitution you'll find a lot here to....well not enjoy ...but like. Julia Garner and Ambyr Childers as a pair of sisters do fine work.

Eve's Bayou   Mon   14/5   TG4 @ 21.30

Louis Baptiste is a well respected doctor in early 60's Louisiana. But Louis is a weak man and when one of his mistakes is witnessed by his daughter things start going wrong for his family. Kasi Lemmon's drama is a cracker, and one so shrouded in southern atmospheric that it will make you melt. Jurnee Smollett and Samuel L.Jackson as daughter and father are both fantastic.

The Hunted   Mon   14/5   3E @ 23.00

An ex soldier haunted by memories of the atrocities he saw in Kosovo goes rogue in the Pacific north west and the only person who can take him down is the man who trained him. Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro are very convincing in this lean, sparse and vicious action thriller from William Friedkin. The final confrontation in this is one of the best one on one fight scenes in modern movies.

Anatomy Of A Murder   Tues   15/5   TCM @ 16.10

When an army lieutenant is accused of murder a straight laced lawyer takes up his case. But there's far more to the case than meets the eye. A very controversial film on it's initial release and pretty problematic in this more enlightened age. It's a very compelling and intriguing watch though and one filled with superb performances from the likes of James Stewart, Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara.

The Last Days On Mars   Wed   16/5   Film4 @ 23.10

In the near future a group of astronauts on Mars are coming to the end of their research trip when one of them stumbles across something interesting. And in movie land interesting is never good. Liev Schreiber headlines this atmospheric sci fi/horror that may wear it's influences on it's sleeve but it's still a film thats gripping throughout and genuinely unnerving in places. 

The Descendants   Thur   18/5   CH4 @ 01.45

On the Island paradise of Kauai a hardworking lawyer tries to reconnect with his children after an accident places their mother in a coma. George Clooney stars in this 2011 film which was one of the best of that year. A bittersweet comedy drama that will both make your laugh and slay you with it's emotional honesty. Shailene Woodley is excellent in a career making role as an elder daughter.

Sullivan's Travels   Fri   18/5   TCM @ 11.40

A comedy director longs to make a drama and be taken seriously in his profession so he sets off in disguise to find out what suffering means in an effort to inspire himself. This Preston Sturges comedy is a true classic. One that's moving in places and hilarious in others and one that moves like a racehorse. Joel McCrea and the lovely Veronica Lake do superb work.

The Hunting Party   Fri   18/5   TG4 @ 22.00

In the early 70's relaxed censorship rules & the influence of Spaghetti westerns lead to a spate of extremely brutal and grim westerns being released. This is one of the better ones. A rancher's wife is kidnapped and he sets out to get her back. A well made & well acted film but also fierce nasty and one that may upset you. This is a film without heroes. Everyone is a scumbag. Gene Hackman & Candice Bergman are great as always.