Network Sat 7/5 TG4 @ 21.20
Howard Beale is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. He's a newsreader and he's going offscript live on TV and audiences are loving it. His bosses are enjoying the increased ratings too. Sidney Lumet's 1976 multiple Oscar winning drama is a strong stuff, an intelligent, cruel and cutting satire that still feels topical 46 years later. Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, William Holden and Ned Beatty all do amazing work.
The Personal History Of David Copperfield Sat 7/5 CH4 @ 21.20
David Copperfield was a young man who's happy childhood took a terrible turn but resilience and a yearning for betterment saw him rise through the ranks of society. Charles Dickens' famous novel was set in Victorian times and this hilarious 2019 film adaption stays true to the story but adds a couple of modern twists and turns. Dev Patel is an enjoyable David and Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie support him ably.
A Private Function Sat 7/5 Talking Pictures TV @ 22.55
Two years after the end of World War II England is still suffering the aftermath of global change, and rationing is still in effect. Gilbert and Joyce have gone into the black market bacon business and their product is highly sought after. A very British watch, about prim and proper people who look respectable but scratch the surface and chaos is always close by. Loads of fun and all carried out by a stacked cast led by Michael Palin, Maggie Smith and Denholm Elliot.
Sea Fever Sat 7/5 Film4 @ 23.20
The superstitious crew of a trawler working the waters off the Irish coast allow a marine biologist onboard to study deep sea fauna and soon find out there might be something to the old legends about letting red haired women on boats! A rarity, a genuinely scary Irish horror film that has the courage to stick to it's convictions. Hermione Corfield, Olwen Fouéré, Dougray Scott and Connie Nielsen all do effective work.
Mindhorn Sun 8/5 BBC1 @ 00.10
Richard Thorncroft, a washed up actor best known for a 30 year old show is dragged back into the public eye when a serial killer who believes the show was real decides he'll only talk to him. If you grew up on 70's and 80's TV you'll have a load of fun here. Packed full of glorious little touches and perfectly handled homages to a cheesier era. It's great craic and the familiar British cast lead by Julian Barrett all enjoy themselves.
That Thing You Do! Sun 8/5 Great Movies @ 14.45
1964. Beatlemania is everywhere. A young band hires a new drummer who brings life to a catchy tune and before long listeners and music company execs are starting to notice. Sudden fame though, it's tough to get used to. A charmingly simple tale of a rapid rise and fall, told in a lovingly recreated way. Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Steve Zahn, Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks and many more all add to a diverting mix.
Plaza Suite Sun 8/5 TG4 @ 15.30
Suite 719 of the New York Plaza hotel. If those walls could talk they'd tell a million stories and here we get to see three of them. A recreation of an earlier honeymoon, a visitor to town looking for quick romance and the aftermath of a wedding. From the pen of Neil Simon comes a bit of Sunday afternoon fun that's lifted by a trio of Walter Matthau performances seeing him playing a different character in each story. A dated but entertaining watch.
Slumdog Millionaire Mon 8/5 Film4 @ 23.05
A teenage boy from Mumbai looks back on his life after he finds himself in a precarious position when he appears on a famous television show. A tough but uplifting film from director Danny Boyle that gives us a fantastic insight into life in one of the most densely populated places on earth. It's a film that's hard to watch at times but it's worth sticking with. It's also Dev Patel's first film role and he just nails it.
Maniac Tues 9/5 The Horror Channel @ 00.45
Frank owns a mannequin shop. He's a strange guy and that's putting things mildly. He gets even stranger when a young artist asks for his help and dark desires come bubbling to the surface. Elijah Wood stars in a remake of the infamous and long banned 1980 original and turns in a genuinely creepy performance in a ghoulish, surreal and at times nauseating look at the madness bubbling around inside the minds of men.
The Left Handed Gun Wed 10/5 TCM @ 13.30
A young man called William Bonney is offered a job and guidance from a peaceful cattleman and takes to the job like a duck to water until violence tarnishes his life and his revenge ruins the lives of those that know him. Arthur Miller's take on the legend of Billy The Kid is a cracker, an intelligent dismantling of western myths that goes to places most westerns don't dare. Paul Newman might be a bit too old for the lead role but he still nails it.
Sorry To Bother You Thur 11/5 BBC3 @ 23.35
A black man in Oakland, California gets a job as a telemarketer and realises he's much better at his job when he pretends to sound like a white man. With success however comes responsibility and with responsibility comes a hell of a lot of weirdness. Boots Riley's 2018 film is a hard one to categorise but it's certainly the wackiest film you'll see this week. There's a lot of laughs too, don't worry. LaKeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson do well leading a stacked cast.
My Favourite Wife Thur 11/5 BBC4 @ 22.40
Ellen Arden's been missing for seven years. Seven years, the magic number where you are legally declared dead. Now her husband Nick can marry again and he's in a hurry to do so. The only thing is Ellen ain't dead. She's been marooned on a desert island. 82 years old and still wicked fun. A farcical screwball comedy that goes right for the jugular and that's powered by amusing turns from Irene Dunne and Cary Grant.
Commando Fri 12/5 Film4 @ 21.00
John's daughter has been kidnapped in order to blackmail him into committing murder. A very ill thought out idea indeed. Mark L. Lester's 1985 action thriller is a slice of campy, vicious joy. It's the ultimate Arnold Schwarzeneggar experience. Buckets of blood, huge explosions, nonstop gunfire, glistening muscles, snarling bad guys and enough one liners to sink a cruise ship. Arnie does his thing well as always but Vernon Well's bad guy owns the film.
The Zookeeper's Wife Fri 12/5 RTE1 @ 23.15
Antonina Żabińska has barely survived the bombing of Warsaw as the German invasion of Poland begins. Her husband is the director of the city zoo. Together they come up with a plan to use their business as a front to evacuate the Jewish population. A tough, heart wrenching and riveting watch about the little victories snatched from the jaws of death. Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh get the job done.
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