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| The Favourite Photo: Courtesy of New York Film Festival |
The Favourite, 9pm, Film4, Monday, November 7
Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos has never been one to play a story straight, and he brings his surreal sensibilities to this consideration of the 18th Century court of Queen Anne (played with just the right quantity of black humour and sentiment by Olivia Colman). Here Duchess of Marlborough Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and her cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) vie to be top dog in the queen's affections. Acidic and expletive-laced this is not your grandma's costume drama and all the better for it as the actresses spark off one another like flint on, if you'll pardon the pun, stone. Praise is also due to cinematographer Robbie Ryan whose often distorted framing only adds to the film's off-kilter feel. Read what the director and cast said about the film.
Pink String And Sealing Wax, Talking Pictures TV, 3pm, Tuesday
Googie Withers puts in a magnetic performance as a pub landlady who is desperate to escape the clutches of her drunken husband in this dark mix of comedy and melodrama from Robert Hamer - who would go on to direct classic Kind Hearts And Coronets. She hatches a poisonous plan that involves an innocent young man (an almost impossibly young Gordon Jackson). Although Withers' Pearl is conniving, she's also shown to be a victim of circumstance as the film scrutinises the patriarchy not just of the Victorian period the film is set in but of the Forties, when it was made.
A House Made Of Splinters, 9.30pm, BBC4, Tuesday, November 8
This documentary, which had its premiere at Sundance at the start of the year, has gathered additional poignancy in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Simon Lereng Wilmont takes his camera inside a children's home in the east of the country, where children are waiting the results of custody cases being processed by the courts. The film highlights the way these children's circumstances have often been brought about by conflict that has left many parents struggling with trauma and addiction. Intimate and empathetic, this is a documentary that holds a deeply affecting immediacy. Full review coming soon.
Wild Indian, 12.05am, Film4, Thursday, November 10
A violent childhood secret that has aged and rotted between two Ojibwe men is the trigger for the action in Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr's film. As adults, one (Michael Greyeyes) has adopted an anglicised corporate lifestyle right down to changing his name, while his cousin (Chaske Spencer) has spent time in jail. This thriller goes beyond the psychological warfare between the two men to the conflict between the past and present and the heritage of colonialism. Although the film ties itself up a bit in its narrative set-up, Corbine shows an eye for strong imagery and the sort of ambition that bodes well for future projects.
Arrival, 9pm, Film4, Saturday, November 12
Denis Villeneuve's science-fiction drama puts the emphasis on humans even as Earth is being visited by an alien race. It charts the work of linguist Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams) as she, along with physicist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) attempt to communicate with the squid-like new arrivals to our planet. This is a thoughtful consideration of communication and loss that unfolds gradually against its sci-fi backdrop, with Villeneuve retaining a sense of mystery and awe about the creatures thanks, in no small measure, to Bradford Young's excellent cinematography.
Troll Hunter, Plex.tv
This wry mockumentary a documentary crew on the hunt for the truth about some bear killings – Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Joanna (Johanna Mørck) and Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) – get an awful lot more than they bargained for. Featuring an enjoyably detailed backstory for the trolls, plenty of humour from comedian Otto Jesperson as a disgruntled government employee and strong sound design, it might not be quite a monster success but it's still a lot of fun.
War Horse, 5.15pm, BBC2, Saturday, November 12
If you want someone to tell a sweeping story with finesse then Steven Spielberg is hard to beat and he delivers an enjoyable adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel - adapted for the screen by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis. The horse of the title is Joey, who becomes shackled by the cavalry and transported to the First World War battlefields of France as the farmer's son who trained him (Jeremy Irvine) also enlists. A dual tale that, though it comes with the Hollywood gloss you'd expect, also delivers in terms of poignancy.
You'll have to pop over to >Vimeo to watch this week's short selection. Carbon, directed by Craig Webster.
