 |
| Grace in Memoir Of A Snail. Adam Elliot: 'I always try to push as many buttons on the audience as I can and keep the film unpredictable' Photo: Arenamedia Pty Ltd |
Memoir Of A Snail, streaming now, BFI Player
It’s been a while since I’ve included the BFI’s subscription service in the Stay-at-Home, but there’s some great things to watch on there at the moment, and they have a free 14-day trial if you’ve not already given them a go. It’s certainly worth doing that for this fabulous stop-motion animation that I can’t help feeling flew under the radar a bit last year because of the championing of Flow. Incredibly detailed – and most certainly not for children – it tells the tale of Grace Pudel (which rhymes with ‘muddle’). Grace (voiced by Sarah Snook) has not had an easy life and she takes us through it, from a difficult childhood and separation from her twin (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to hoarding and a redemptive friendship with Pinky (Jackie Weaver). Elliott has always been a master at juggling emotions, offering up belly laughs one second and poignancy the next, sometimes almost simultaneously. As Adam Elliot told us: “I always try to push as many buttons on the audience as I can and keep the film unpredictable. To keep them not knowing what I’m about to do to them.” If you’re looking for additional BFI films to watch on the player, I’d also recommend: Loving Couples, Night Games and The Girls, all directed by Mai Zetterling, which were recently showcased by Glasgow Film Festival.
Sunshine Follows Rain, Netflix, streaming now
It seems churlish to talk about Mai Zetterling and not recommend a film of hers to watch in its own right, so I’m pleased to say you can also catch her in front of the camera in this romantic melodrama charting the forbidden love between the daughter of a rich farmer and a penniless fiddler. The film, directed by Gustaf Edgren, saw Zetterling reteam with Alf Kjellin after the pair starred opposite one another in Ingmar Bergman’s Torment. A box office hit in her Swedish homeland, it underlined her star status.There’s actually a surprising number of older Swedish films on Netflix if you dig about a bit, with Nordic noir The White Cat and drama The Boy In The Tree also well worth a look.
Blinded By The Light, 9.50pm. BBC3, Monday, June 2
For those looking for a bit of feelgood escapism that still has something a bit more serious under the bonnet, this coming-of-age charmer from Gurinder Chadha should hit the spot. A longtime fan of Bruce Springsteen, she immediately connected with writer Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir Greetings From Bury Park, which the film is based on. Javed (Viveik Kaire) is a teenage wannabe writer, who finds the music of The Boss is a revelation. Although set in the late-80s, the film speaks to the racism and many of the social problems that existed then and still endure today, although the emphasis is firmly on the upbeat, with plenty of Springsteen's music that carries you on the wave of Javed's enthusiasm.
Deadpool 2, 9pm, Film4, Wednesday, June 4
Ryan Reynolds reprises what must arguably be his favourite role - since he also served up a variation of it in Pokemon Detective. As with most of the MCU sequels, this serves up more of the same while upping the ante. As Deadpool finds himself trying to protect a young mutant (Julian Dennison), he assembles a super squad to take on the enjoyably gruff Cable (Josh Brolin). The jokes and action come thick and fast and there’s even a note of poignancy, although that’s soon kicked into touch. After all, you come to Deadpool for the punchlines not the emotional punch.
Ema, 1.15am. Film4, Thursday
Mariana Di Girolamo is a Chilean name to watch as she brings chameleon-like qualities to roles like this (look out for her in La Veronica and El Jockey, too). Here, she plays reggaeton dancer Ema, one half of a couple (alongside Gael Garcia Bernal's choreographer Gaston) whose adoption of a young boy has turned sour along with their relationship. Blazing with contradiction, we see Ema trying on personas for size - mother, wife, sexually liberated fly-by-night - with Di Girolamo bringing a magnetic intensity to each, as her character begins to show she wants to get the child back, no matter what the cost. Beyond the performances, the dance choreography embedded in the film and fiercely colour-coded cinematography from Sergio Armstrong are stunning. Di Girolamo is also slated to appear alongside Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi in Martin McDonagh’s upcoming Wild Horse Nine… another reason to look out for it.
Fatal Attraction, 9pm, Great Movies, Friday, June 6
The film that gave the world the phrase "bunny boiler" is still well worth a look more than 30 years on, first and foremost for the powerhouse performances of its leads. Michael Douglas plays a married Dan - could the name be more Everyman? - who gets a lot more than he bargains for following a one-night stand with Alex (Glenn Close). After being given the brush-off, Alex starts to stalk Dan with increasing intensity and Close brings the complexities of her character to the fore, before the more melodramatic elements really crank up. Sadly shorn of its more intelligent ending - that had much less of a "hurrah, for masculinity" vibe and a more multifaceted, tragic sweep - this is nonetheless a solid and cerebrally inclined thriller. Close, incidentally, hated the revised ending.
Piggy, midnight, Film4, Saturday, June 7 (into Sunday)
Jennie Kermode writes: There’s a serial killer at work in Carlota Pereda’s highly acclaimed adaptation of her 2018 short, but the real horror lies in the mundane. It takes a strong stomach to endure this insider perspective on the abuse doled out by classmates, neighbours and even her own mother on teenage heroine Sara (Laura Galán) just because she’s fat. When the first person to show her any kindness is a murderer whose victims seem far from sympathetic, it’s difficult for her to get her moral bearings, and harder still for her to work past a lifetime of trauma to the point where she can exert her own will. Piggy is an astounding piece of work with a central performance you’ll never forget. Director Carlota Pereda told us: "I wanted to make a film about a moral question and how real life is more nuanced than just doing the right thing."
This week's short selection is The Reason I Collect, directed by Emma Curtis
