12 films worth watching on TV this week

Mambo Kings   Sat   8/9   TG4 @ 22.35

After a spot of bother in Cuban, two brothers leg it to America in the hopes of reviving their musical careers under the bright lights of New York City. Not exactly a deep film but electrifying music and two great performances from Antonio Banderas and the underrated Armande Assante bring a story to life and fill it with vitality. Plus it's also good to see a story about Latin Americans that isn't about criminality.

Drive   Sat   8/9   BBC2 @ 23.00

Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stunt driver who's second job is as a getaway driver for criminals. When he tries to take a step back from crime he finds out just how highly valued his skills are. A very watchable blend of style and violence that might be a bit too rough for some but if you can stick with it you'll be sucked in fast. The cast including Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Oscar Isaac all do first rate work.

Mr Smith Goes To Washington   Sun   9/9   TCM @ 10.20

Naivety and idealism clashes with corruption and cynicism in this 1939 classic which sees a wide eyed scout master elected into government. Controversial in its day for portraying bent politicians and pretty quaint to modern eyes but there's just something very charming and  likable about this. Most of that is of course down to yet another winning  performance from James Stewart. Jean Arthur & Claude Rains are excellent in back up.

Killing Them Softly   Sun   9/9   Film4 @ 23.10

Brad Pitt stars in this compelling & bluntly cynical thriller as a hitman brought in by the local mafia to deal with a robbery at a card game. Dark, gritty and blackly funny, this is a gangster film by way of Ken Loach not Martin Scorsese. There's no glamourisation of mob life here. Pitt is brilliant in the lead and James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Richard Jenkins lend superb support. All this and it has one of the best all time final lines of dialogue in film

9/11   Mon   10/9   RTE2 @ 00.35

17 years ago lower Manhattan was decimated in a terrorist attack and 2 brothers making a documentary about rookie firefighters documented it all. This is their footage. A genuinely terrifying and very upsetting watch about a moment in history imprinted on the mind of everyone alive that day that somehow becomes a testament to the sheer spirit of New Yorkers.

Black Mountain Poets   Tues   11/9   Film4 @ 01.55

When their life of crime goes sideways two sisters go on the run and find themselves in the wilds of Wales hiding out in a place they could never have imagined. A place that could be very beneficial to them. Alice Lowe and Dolly Wells are very entertaining in this interesting and underseen British comedy that is on at a ridiculous time for some reason. Full of beautiful scenery too.

Key Largo   Tues   11/9   TCM @ 17.15

Crime drama par excellence time. A war veteran arrives in the Florida Keys to visit the family of a dead comrade and finds that all is not well in the hotel they run. John Huston's 1948 thriller is an absolute cracker of a watch. Tense as hell, action packed stuff that's full of the superstars of the era including Humphrey Bogart as the lead, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore and the always fantastic Edward G.Robinson.

Handsome Devil   Wed   12/9   RTE1 @ 21.35

Ned sticks out like a sore thumb at his new school due to his lack of interest in sports and it isn't until he gets a new room-mate that things start going right for him. John Butler's coming of age film is a lovely watch, heartbreaking in places and hilarious in others. A fine Irish cast brings it all together too, with Moe Dunford, Andrew Scott, Fionn O'Shea and others all putting in a splendid shift.

Lockout   Wed   12/9   Film4 @ 23.10

Snow has been accused of treason and his only way out is to rescue the daughter of the President. Of course she's trapped onboard a space prison and of course that prison is in the midst of a riot. Yes, it sounds idiotic and yes it sounds like a rip off of Escape From New York but it's also an extremely enjoyable watch. Guy Pearce is a fun lead but Joseph Gilgun as the prisoner in charge steals the show.

The Sessions   Thur   13/9   CH4 @ 01.00

A man trapped in an iron lung feels he is missing out on living to his fullest so hires a therapist to help him out with one of life's important rites of passage. Very brave performances from Helen Hunt & John Hawkes carry a very affecting story. This is about a side of life with disability that most of us thankfully never have to think about. Frank, uplifting and upsetting but you'll be glad you watched it.

Starship Troopers   Fri   14/9   Syfy @ 22.00

Giant insects from outer space are threatening Earth. So Earth decides to send its best and brightest to threaten them back. Paul Verhoevens sci-fi spectacular may sound stupid but it's actually a very clever satire of fascism as well as being a deadly action film. 20 years on and the special effects are still amazing too. The cast is fun with Neil Patrick Harris and Clancy Brown being the standouts.

Still Alice   Fri   14/9   RTE1 @ 23.55

Alice has been forgetting things lately and when it starts affecting her job she decides to get herself checked out. The diagnosis is a life changer for herself and her family. An undeniably tough watch but a magnificent performance from Julianne Moore and strong support from Alec Baldwin and Kirsten Stewart raise this high above the usual films of this type and save it from mawkishness and sentimentality.