Malcolm X Sat 3/9 RTE2 @ 21.30
A young boy's father is murdered in a racist attack. The boy grows to be a man. Wrong turns are taken and religion is turned to. The man becomes a preacher. A preacher who too many people are listening to. A preacher called Malcolm X. Spike Lee's masterful biopic is as incendiary as you'd expect and 30 years later nearly packs more of a punch than it did on release. Denzel Washington does career best work as the man himself.
Ali Sat 3/9 TG4 @ 21.25
In 1964 Olympic gold medalist Cassius Clay set the boxing world on fire with his big personality and his even bigger talent. The film tells the story of the next decade of his life. Not a biopic in the true sense but this story about the man who became Muhammad Ali is a quality film that focuses more on the man than his sport. Will Smith is immense in the lead role and gets able back up from Jada Pinkett Smith and Jamie Foxx.
The Martian Sat 3/9 CH4 @ 22.00
When a Mars exploration mission goes sideways, a man is left to fend for himself until the brains at NASA can figure out a way to get him home. Matt Damon holds the fort brilliantly in a hugely enjoyable and smart survival drama. The kind of film only a misery wouldn't enjoy. Jessica Chastain, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristin Wiig, Benedict Wong.....there's too many famous faces in the supporting cast to name them all but they all add something.
Eighth Grade Sun 4/9 BBC3 @ 21.55
It's Elsie's last week in junior high. High school is next and the prospect is both appealing and petrifying. She's a quiet teen who's only outlet is her youtube channel. Her father wants to be part of her life but doesn't know how. Bo Burnham's 2019 drama is an affecting one that will ring true to many viewers. Elsie Fisher is an accomplished lead in a film that may be rated 15 but it's a story younger teenagers will take a lot from.
La Belle Epoque Sun 4/9 BBC2 @ 23.35
His marriage to Marianne is on the rocks and Victor has lost all interest in life. To get him out of his funk his son buys him an evening with a company that performs it's own take on time travel. So back he heads, to a time when he first fell in love. There's a big smell of the work of Charlie Kaufman here but it's an intriguing and interesting romantic comedy that stands on it's own two feet. Daniel Auteil and Fanny Ardant make magic together.
The Outsiders Mon 5/9 Talking Pictures TV @ 01.25
Ponyboy, Darryl and Sodapop, three orphaned brothers are the core of the Greasers, a gang from a poor part of Tulsa. Pony's afraid the authorities will take him away from his brothers and tries to stay out of trouble but it's just not that easy. Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 naturalistic drama is a lot more entertaining than it sounds and helped introduce the wider world to actors like Tom Cruise, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze and Matt Dillon.
Long Shot Mon 5/9 TG4 @ 21.30
Charlotte Field is in the middle of a presidential campaign when she bumps into journalist Fred Flarsky, who she used to babysit. They are polar opposites but when she hires him to write a speech for her sparks start to fly. Seth Rogen tones down his usual schtick in an amusing and heartfelt comedy drama and is far more likable than usual as a result. Charlize Theron though is the star of the show and displays a fantastic comic streak that should be used more often.
For A Few Dollars More Tues 6/9 ITV4 @ 21.00
A bounty hunter by the name of Manco is chasing a gang lead by El Indio, a violent outlaw. He teams up with another hunter called Mortimer. Manco's out for money but Mortimer has his own reasons. The second film in Sergio Leone's Man With No Name trilogy is a truly great film. A quirky, humorous and surprisingly wicked spaghetti western. Clint Eastwood does his laconic thing but this time it's Lee Van Cleef that creates something iconic.
Eastern Promises Tues 6/9 BBC2 @ 23.15
A young girl dies in hospital and a nurse uses her Russian ties to try to figure out where the girl came from. A mission that involves delving into the dank and dangerous underbelly of London. David Cronenberg's 2007 thriller is as brutal and violent as you'd expect but it's also a complex, moody, and in places, blackly funny look at a very secretive society. Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen and a venal Vincent Cassel work well together.
The Keeping Room Wed 7/9 CH4 @ 02.45
The Civil war is coming to an end. Sons, husbands and brothers are dead or captured. Three women have nothing left in the world only themselves and with the Union army approaching they need to stick together to stay safe. This 2014 western drama is tough going in places but it's slightly odd sensibilities and a trio of strong turns from Brit Marling, Muna Otaru and Hailee Steinfield make it worth your while.
Blanche Fury Wed 7/9 Film4 @ 14.25
Blanche has notions and is willing to do anything it takes to fulfill them. Her cousins have money and she wants it but her lust for a man as willing to do anything as she is might be her undoing. A hell of a gothic mystery drama from the late 40's with Valerie Hobson and Stewart Granger on fire as a pair that thoroughly deserve each other.
A Nightmare On Elm Street Thur 8/9 TCM @ 01.30
Something is stalking the teenagers of Elm Street through their nocturnal slumbers but the scarred bogeyman haunting them and his dream actions are having devastating real life consequences too. Wes Craven's imaginative slasher film might be 38 years old but it still packs a hell of a wallop due to it's creepy and surreal imagery and a bad guy for the ages, Freddy Kreuger, played with relish by Robert Englund. Heather Langenkamp aces the final girl role.
Julia Fri 9/9 Talking Pictures TV @ 15.15
Lillian and Julia, friends since childhood and torn apart by war. They meet in Russia and Julia convinces her friend to fund an anti nazi movement in Germany. An action that will be very dangerous for all involved. A wonderful story of a friendship brought to life perfectly by Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, bound up in an interesting true life history lesson. Jason Robards and Maximilian Schell give nice support.
True History Of The Kelly Gang Fri 9/9 Film4 @ 23.20
The Kelly gang and their leader Ned ran wild in the Australian outback in Australia in the 1870's. This 2020 film tells us their story from young Ned's first criminal experience to their fiery comeuppance. First off, it's a vicious and profane film that never shies from the harsh truths of frontier life so it will offend some but it's powerful stuff, telling a side of a legend rarely heard. George MacKay, Essie Davis, Russell Crowe and Nicholas Hoult all deliver muscular turns.
