Bend It Like Beckham Sat 26/5 TG4 @ 22.10
A young Sikh girl shuns the traditional expectations of her strict family and decides to rebel by playing football. Of course she's fantastic at it. Gurinder Chadha's film is a very entertaining one, packed with moments of exhilaration that will thrill you even if you don't care for football. It's also a nice insight into a culture we rarely see on screen. Parminder Nagra is a charming lead and Jonathan Rhys Meyers & Keira Knightley offer fine support.
Rush Sat 26/5 RTE2 @ 22.30
The story of James Hunt, a flamboyant & hedonistic superstar of Formula One racing in the 1970's and his intense rivalry with Niki Lauda, a man the exact opposite of him. Even if, like me you've no interest in the sport you'll still find this to be a cracking watch, it's funny, very entertaining and the race sequences are a the title says, a rush. Chris Hemsworth in the lead is very good but Daniel Bruhl as Lauda is perfect in his part.
South Park : Bigger, Longer & Uncut Sat 26/5 Comedy Central @ 23.00
A profanity filled movie causes uproar that leads to a war between American and Canada. And South Park, Colorado is ground zero for it all. The most underrated musical film ever made. Seriously. This feature length film of the TV show is ingenious stuff. Intelligent, profane, hilarious, packed full of digs at censorship, racism, social mores and America itself. Plus it has songs that will stay in your head forever.
The Hunter Sun 27/5 BBC2 @ 00.30
Red Leaf is an unscrupulous biotech company who need the DNA of a very rare Tasmanian Tiger so they send a skilled & solitary hunter to collect it. Life has a habit of scuppering even the best laid plans though. Willem Dafoe is excellent as the lead in this deep, intelligent, mature and beautiful looking thriller. Frances O'Connor and Sam Neill in back up are good as always.
Princess Mononoke Sun 27/5 Film4 @ 01.15
While looking for a cure to a deadly curse, a young warrior becomes caught up in a battle between forest gods and encroaching humanity. An absolutely stunning piece of Japanese animation and a damning indictment of the damage big industry is wrecking on the world's environment. A complex, thrilling, violent and epic movie. If you are looking for an entry point to Japanese cinema you can't go wrong here.
Gold Sun 27/5 TV3 @ 22.00
Ray is back in town after a decade and looking to reconcile things with his estranged daughter. But life has moved on in his absence and he's trying too hard. Something is going to give. A charming Irish film set in Dublin about family, morality, ambition and reconnection. David Wilmot is a very entertaining lead and gets superb backing from Kerry Condon, Maisie Williams and James Nesbitt.
Ghost Dog : The Way Of The Samurai Tues 29/5 Film4 @ 23.25
A brilliant oddity of a film here. Ghost Dog is a mafia hitman who bases his code of ethics on ancient samurai ways. When a hit goes wrong who must defend himself against is former employers. A unique thriller that just radiates cool. Forrest Whitaker is a superb as Ghost Dog, the cast is a who's who of faces you'll recognise from gangster cinema and the soundtrack is just A1.
Great Expectations Wed 30/5 BBC2 @ 12.35
A poverty stricken young boy in 19th century England comes into contact with both a criminal and an eccentric old woman and these acquaintances change the course of his life. This 1946 film adapted from Charles Dickens's novel is a masterpiece. A moving and thoughtful look at loss, loneliness, poverty and social mores. Amazing cast too including John Mills, Jean Simmons and Alec Guinness.
The People Under The Stairs Thurs 31/5 The Horror Channel @ 22.55
Fool, Leroy and Spencer break into their landlord's house to rob him in revenge for being evicted. What they find inside is very far from what they expected. Wes Craven's 1989 horror is a very entertaining affair, both disgustingly bloody and funny as hell but not afraid to shy away from themes of class and patriarchal control. Everett McGill & Ving Rhames play fun parts.
Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? Fri 1/6 TCM @ 18.20
Two aging sisters live together in their old, rotten Hollywood mansion and wage psychological warfare on each other as their mental and physical health deteriorates. Sounds depressing doesn't it. It's not. It's a stunner packed full of black humour and some of the most extreme sibling rivalry you'll ever see. Bette Davis & Joan Crawford are amazing as the sisters.
The Hallow Fri 1/6 Film4 @ 23.20
A family moves into a remote Irish village thats surrounded by woods. And in those woods lurks......well you're just going to have to see that for yourselves. A disturbing but very interesting Irish take on the horror genre that's sprinkled with a bit of Celtic mysticism. It starts off slow but you'll have no fingernails by the end. Joseph Mawle and Bojana Novakovic are effective in the lead roles.
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