Wah-Wah Sat 30/11 TG4 @ 21.15
Ralph is a young boy living in 1960's Swaziland. English rule is crumbling and so is Ralph's family. His mother has a new man and his father is dealing with his own demons. This kinda sorta autobiography of Richard E. Grant's early life is a sentimental watch but also a very interesting look at the last vestiges of a dying way of life. Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson and Nicholas Hoult all do good work.
Keeping Up With The Joneses Sat 30/11 CH4 @ 23.35
Karen and Jeff live the perfect American suburban life. Tim and Natalie are the new neighbours who wow them with style and friendliness. But all is not what it seems. This 2016 action comedy doesn't do much new but it does it well. Plenty if action and giggles are held together by a game cast that includes Isla Fisher, John Hamm and Zach Galifianakis.
Local Hero Sun 1/12 Film4 @ 14.30
A representative of a huge American oil company arrives in the far reaches of Scotland looking to buy up an entire village. Small villages have a way of charming visitors though. A lovely little gem from 1983 full of fun performances, sly asides on the nature of big businesses & small communities and some glorious scenery. Burt Lancaster, Peter Reigert, Jenny Seagrove and a very young Peter Capaldi all add to the mix.
Bridge Of Spies Sun 1/12 RTE1 @ 21.30
Cold war intrigue abounds in this gripping drama from Steven Spielberg. An American lawyer hired to deal with a Russian spy finds himself sucked into a negotiation involving a downed U.S. pilot in a Berlin divided in two. Initially slow moving and confusing, but when it settles it turns into both a very entertaining watch and a history lesson. Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance and Amy Ryan are all on fantastic form.
The Program Sun 1/12 BBC2 @ 23.00
An Irish journalist digs into the background and training regime of famous cyclist Lance Armstrong and what he finds shakes the sporting world to it's core. You know how this one ends but there's plenty here that will surprise you while Armstrong's arrogance will enrage you. Chris O'Dowd does mighty work as David Walsh and Ben Foster is uncanny as sport's most infamous drugs cheat.
The Serpent & The Rainbow Mon 2/12 The Horror Channel @ 23.00
In the mid 80's a Harvard doctor travels to Haiti to investigate a report of a man who has come back from the dead. Voodoo and revolution conspire to make his job tricky. From the mind of Wes Craven this is a genuinely unnerving horror film filled with some very effective sequences. Anyone with claustrophobia should probably give it a miss. Bill Pullman is a solid lead and Zakes Mokae is a seriously ghoulish villain.
Blue Is The Warmest Colour Wed 4/12 Film4 @ 23.35
In Lille in northern France a girl called Adèle meets woman called Emma. They fall in love. We bare witness to the relationship from beginning to end. This film is famous for some pretty explicit love scenes but there is far more to it than that. It's compelling, multilayered stuff filled with superb acting and spun all around a heartbreaking tale. Léa Seydoux & Adèle Exarchopoulos both give brave, brilliant performances.
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid Thur 5/12 TCM @ 16.45
In post civil war America the Cole/Younger gang of outlaws is pardoned by the Missouri legislature. Some want to go straight but the lure of easy money is too much for others. This fine retelling of the oft told tale of Jesse James & his buddies is an authentic and old fashioned watch buoyed by some beautifully realised performances from Robert Duvall, Cliff Robertson & plenty of familiar genre faces.
Letters From Baghdad Thur 5/12 BBC4 @ Midnight
Documentary time. Gertrude Bell was a british explorer who's trips into the middle east in a volatile post World War 1 era helped shape it into the place it is today. Maybe not the best claim to fame but this is a well fleshed out and engaging look at a person and a time that most don't know about. A voiceover from the always reliable Tilda Swindon does wonder at bringing Gertrude to life.
Sinister Fri 6/12 The Horror Channel @ 22.45
While researching a serial killer for a new book which may kick-start his failing career a writer discovers a box of home movies. Home movies with a bit of an edge to them. Ethan Hawke always does well when he dips into genre movies and this one is no exception. It's a film that starts off creepy and ends up truly unsettling. A horror hat gets the job done. Juliet Rylance & James Ransone do well in support.
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