 |
| Puss In Boots |
The swashbuckling cat with the silky voice of Antonio Banderas was so beloved by fans of Shrek 2 and its sequels that he got his own spin-off film, a franchise that also now continues to expand with this year’s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. This first instalment is an origin story that's every bit as enjoyable as Shrek was - a rip-roaring adventure that includes all round bad egg Humpty Dumpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis), cat burglar Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and a magic beans quest. Packed with visual humour and cat-inflected comedy, with the double-act between Humpty and Puss a real family treat.
Baby Done, 10.45pm, BBC3, Monday, August 28
If you're in the mood for something light and frothy then this New Zealand romcom is well worth a watch. Its likeable, realistic characters go a long way to making up for its reliance on formula as arborist Zoe (Rose Matefeo), finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. The film charts the problems this throws up for her and her partner Tim (Matthew Lewis), focusing not on the suggestion that neither of them want kids but on the fears Zoe has about the way her life will change once she does – and on her desire to squeeze every inch of adventure out of the intervening nine months.
In the Heat of the Night, 11.15pm, BBC2, Tuesday, August 29
Opening in US cinemas the months before the assassination of Martin Luther King, Norman Jewison’s is and was a stinging exploration of racial tensions in the country wrapped around a satisfying murder-mystery. Sidney Poitier’s Philly cop Mr Virgil Tibbs finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as he is passing through Mississippi. Briefly arrested for murder, he finds himself working alongside racist cop Chief Gillespie (Rod Steiger, who won an Oscar) in order to catch the reall killer. Beyond the central performances, which spark off each other like flint off stone, Jewison creates an atmosphere that suggests a community whose problems run much deeper than a single murder. A fitting film to watch in the week that marks the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington.
Kung Fu Panda 3, ITVX, streaming now
Somehow the law of diminishing returns doesn’t seem to apply to Jack Black’s loveable panda Po, who rolls from one adventure to the next while barely missing a beat. That's thanks in no small part to the fact that Black's voice suits the bumbling but good-hearted hero down to a tee. This time out, Po the panda discovers who his real dad is but also has his hands full taking on spirit warrior yak General Kai (voiced by JK Simmons). The action, as with all the films in the series, offers a nice blend of knock-about visual humour alongside a decent slice of kung-fu action. There's a sweet appeal to its heartfelt story that should be easy for even the youngest members of the family to follow but enough in the tank to keep older siblings engaged as well.
Inside Man, 9pm, Film4, Thursday, August 31
Jennie Kermode writes: There are heist films about action and heist films about emotion, and then there are heist films set out as puzzles. Spike Lee uses elements of the first two to present the finest example of the latter yet made. We enter it after the bank vault has been breached, after the hostages have been released, yet nobody seems able to discover who the perpetrators were - nor quite what it was that they took. Most of the story plays out in flashback en route to a beautifully realised final twist. Lee dazzles the eye like a master magician so that even after you've watched the film several times you'll find it hard to catch everything, but it's all there, immaculately worked out, not just in terms of what happens inside the bank but also the complex interactions taking place on the outside. Most importantly, he makes room for character development within all this. Both on superb form, Denzel Washington and Clive Owen create one of those detective/master criminal conflicts that ultimately brings them closer to each other than to anyone else.
Monsters And Men, 2am, Film4, Sunday, September 3
The killing of an unarmed Black man unfolds in triplicate in this debut from Reinaldo Marcus Green. His film focuses on the aftermath as three men face tricky choices. Manny (Anthony Ramos) has to decide what to do with footage he shot of the incident, Dennis (John David Washington) finds his loyalty to his police badge strained by institutional racism and promising baseball player Zee (Kelvin Harrison Jr), who is becoming increasingly politicised by the police stop-and-search tactics. Green highlights the pressures the men are under in a system that is loaded towards the police, while never losing sight of the complexity of his characters or their lives. The sort of film that leaves you mulling over its philosophical questions afterwards.
Judy, 10pm, BBC2, Sunday, September 3
This engrossing biopic zeroes in on the six months before Judy Garland's death. Rupert Goold's film – adapted from Peter Quilter's stage musical The End Of The Rainbow by Tom Edge – shows the star's struggles with alcohol and drugs, and her eating disorder but uses flashbacks to remind us of her sense of fun and sheer star power. Renee Zellweger – who took home an Oscar for this performance – may not be a ringer for Garland but she captures her look and attitude perfectly, showing the paradox of her power and fragility while nailing the musical numbers. In that regard, Goold also plays a blinder, having faith in his star to deliver the goods in generous long takes.
This week’s short selection is Rita, directed by Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza, who have gone on to co-direct the features Salvo and Sicilian Ghost Story, which are both also worth catching if you can.
