 |
| Marion Cotillard - "bravura and introspective performance." |
Two Days, One Night, free to stream on demand on ITVX
We're continuing to find foreign language gems on ITV's streaming service and with the Dardennes Brothers' Tori and Lokita out in cinemas this week, now's a great time to catch up with some of their back catalogue. This film, unusually for the Belgian filmmakers, stars a French A-lister, Marianne Cotillard, although their intimate shooting style and humanistic themes are very much to the fore. Cotillard plays Sandra, who discovers her work colleauges have voted to oust her from her job in order to keep their bonuses. We follow her as she attempts to persuade each co-worker, one by one, to change their minds. The Dardennes and Cotillard keep us firmly with her as she determinedly tries to spark solidarity - watch it here and, if you like that, be sure to also check out The Kid With A Bike, which they're also streaming here. Read what the Dardennes told us about Two Days,One Night.
Mulholland Drive, 11.05pm, Film4, Wednesday, December 7
David Lynch has made so many great films that it's tricky to choose a favourite - but this one certainly has a claim to it, not least because it just came in at eighth place in Sight and Sound's Greatest Films of All Time poll. Lynch's alternately dreamy and nightmarish tale sees an actress (Naomi Watts) try to unravel a mystery with an amnesiac woman (Laura Harring), a thriller plot which will see both actresses adopt double roles. The surreal narrative, like so many of Lynch's films, is an open invitation for multiple interpretations and is best viewed without any steering from me. Just enjoy the fabulous central performances and, if you have questions, there are plenty of rabbit hole solutions on the internet for you to slip down afterwards - and if there's one thing Lynch likes, it's a rabbit.
The Silent Enemy, 5.45pm, Talking Pictures TV, Thursday, December 8
There might be a fair bit of poetic licence at work but this dramatisation of the plucky Brits going up against Italian frogmen in the war is a solid effort from director William Fairchild. It charts how Lionel "Buster" Crabb (Laurence Harvey) trained up to take part in a secret and unauthorised mission to neutral Spain to work out how the Italians are managing to be so successful. Notable for its underwater sequences - and for the appearance of Sid James in a straight dramatic role as the chief petty officer.
Blue Velvet, 11.10pm, Film4, Thursday, December 8
We don't usually include two films by the same director in this column but it would be a shame not to treat yourself to double Lynch this week. Many of the motifs in Mulholland Drive can also be seen in this earlier classic Blue Velvet - from colour schemes, including red curtains, to women in trouble (on this occasion, it's Isabella Rossellini) to Roy Orbison. Like, Mulholland Drive, this 1986 film offers a mystery, this time surrounding college kid Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan), who finds himself in a world far removed from standard suburbia after he decides to investigate after finding a severed ear on his lawn. More straightforward than his later films in terms of plotting, as Jeffrey becomes embroiled in a shadowy underworld ruled by sadistic crime boss Frank (Dennis Hopper), this is a great starting point for Lynch's film work.
Stand By Me, Netflix
Rob Reiner's moving classic about friendship in small-town America is back on Netflix this week and it has lost none of its charm in the 30 or so years since Raynold Gideon did what many have failed to do and successfully adapted a Stephen King novella. This resultant coming-of-age drama is one of that small subset of films that is about children but not for them as it explores the emotions that come to light when a group of kids set out to look for a missing boy's body. The performances - from Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland and River Phoenix among others - never miss and emotional beat. Make sure you have a box of tissues to hand, even if you've seen this before.
The Place Beyond The Pines, BBC1, 12.45am, Saturday, December 10
Anne-Katrin Titze writes: Breathing and carnival noises - Ryan Gosling, covered in tattoos up to his throat, bleached blond, with a knife, invites us to follow him. Across the fairground we stroll, as he puts on layers of clothing, first a torn tank top, then a jacket, striptease in reverse. He signs autographs for little girls. He is Luke, a motorcycle stunt driver for the carnival. There is Eva Mendes as Romina, in a tank top of her own; does he remember her? He gives her a ride. Ben Mendelsohn, with the same acuteness he gives his dog trading idiot robber in Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, adds a mysteriously benign presence. Bradley Cooper portrays police officer Avery Cross, a rookie from a wealthy family. He chews gum to calm his nerves. Ray Liotta, who plays the good bad guy in Killing Them Softly and a badly corrupt police officer called Deluca under Derek Cianfrance's direction, looks clean as a whistle.The Place Beyond the Pines, tells stories of fatherhood with a fine-tuned generosity, as haunted men cycle through patterns spinning out of control. Read more about fathers, sons and rebellion in the film The Place Beyond The Pines.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, 10.30pm, Sunday, December 11
This is a sold film to snuggle up with on a Sunday evening, and let John Madden whisk you off to the warmth of the Indian sunshine. One of the most successfully worked ensemble dramas from British shores in recent years it also benefits from an all-star cast, including Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith. There's more at work here than just wheeling out some famous names, however, as the film, scripted by Ol Parker, is crafted around an assortment of enjoyable ageing characters who don't quite get what they bargained for when they head to India for retirement. The will-they/won't-they romance between Nighy's Douglas and Dench's Evelyn, is lovingly worked by two actors at the top of their game, while Smith brings a sharp acerbic kick and a dollop of pathos to proceedings.
This week's short selection is One Small Step - an animated charmer from Andrew Chesworth, and Bobby Pontillas.
