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| Phantoms Of July Photo: MUBI |
This droll slice of absurdism from Julian Radlmaier is a perfect summer watch. His roving story is set against the backdrop of the East German mining town of Sangerhausen – picturesque and quaint if you ignore the enormous slag heap on its outskirts – and spans both centuries and several plotlines. An 18th century maid (Paula Schindler) dreams of improving her lot, while her modern-day equivalent Ursula (Clara Schwinning) is holding down multiple jobs. Also in town are a travel influencer (Maral Keshavarz) and a Korean tour Guide (Kyung-Taek Lie). As their stories intersect, Radlmaier probes at the triggers for xenophobia, while celebrating quiet solidarity and community that can appear unexpectedly.
Robot Dreams, 11am, Film4, Tuesday, August 4
Beware those who fear an earworm, because this delightful story from Pablo Berger will, at minimum, have you humming Earth, Wind & Fire’s September for a week. Based on the graphic novel by Sara Varon, it charts the tale of a lonely dog who buys a robot companion, finding a thrum of emotion without any need for a script and a sweet simplicity in its hand drawn style. The pair become immediate best friends but a trip to the beach leads to trouble and separation. The joy of this bittersweet story is in its heartfelt characters, gentle sweep and constant sense of surprise. All ages can enjoy it but its messaging isn’t just intended for children.
Under The Skin, 11.15pm, Film4, Tuesday, August 4
Jennie Kermode writes: There are hundreds of films out there about aliens arriving on Earth, but how many of them do feel just that – alien? Filmed in and around Glasgow with a tiny cast, almost all of the amateurs, Jonathan Glazer's inventive and poignant science fiction tale presents us with a creature whose differentness is unfathomable, a predator who consumes human bodies in a manner that defies logic yet becomes believable. The real trick, however, lies in the way he persuades us to empathise with this creature as it slowly finds itself empathising with the people around it, identifying with them to a degree that could be fatal. Scarlett Johansson is a picture of alienation in the lead and her interactions with Glaswegians who didn't even know they were being filmed lend an almost documentary quality to something which, elsewhere, is very much in art film territory. Constantly shifting in its sympathies and sometimes coruscatingly bleak, it benefits from some stunning cinematography by Daniel Landin as we move out of the city and into remote spaces where nothing can be taken for granted.
Total Recall, 11.20pm, 5star, Wednesday, August 6
Jennie Kermode writes: With its memory implantation devices, alien machinery on Mars and secret mutant conspiracies, it’s understandable if people tend to overlook the romantic elements in Paul Verhoeven’s spectacular take on the work of Philip K Dick. Verhoeven however, understands the love triangle like few other filmmakers – consider Flesh And Blood, Basic Instinct and even Starship Troopers – and without it, this one wouldn’t get off the ground. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dual-ID’d hero ‘Quaid’ has been living on Earth for six months as part of a complicated plot, all along thinking he’s married to Lori (Sharon Stone), but if the plot is to be taken at face value, she’s really married to Richter (Michael Ironside), who is none too happy about the situation, and whose personal feelings drive a lot of the action. Meanwhile Quaid has a very angry girlfriend (Rachel Ticotin) waiting for him on the red planet. The line “I lost my memory,” goes down just about as well as it would in real life.
Women Talking, 11.05pm, BBC2, Thursday, August 6
Jennie Kermode writes:Today, in light of the Gisèle Pelicot case, the particular horrors at the core of Sarah Polley's drama feel all the more resonant, but really there are any number of forms they could take. That men frequently abuse women is not a new story, and it's not one that the film concerns itself with in detail; there is nothing gratuitous about it. Rather, its focus is on how women might react. Here, the options seem limited and clear. All of the men from their small Mennonite community - apart from a sympathetic young gay man and a younger trans man who has himself been abused - have gone into town to arrange bail for a man whom the women dared to accuse. They have given the women an ultimatum: forgive them completely or face eternal damnation. The women now see themselves as having three options: stay and do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. The film follows their discussions as they are determined to make their choice together. It is not a perfect film and parts of it drag, but the stellar cast makes quite an impact, and Polley's willingness to explore the mechanisms of power between the women as well as externally give it real depth.
Sick Of Myself, 2.05am, Film4, Saturday, August 8
Kristoffer Borgli has risen more to international prominence since he directed The Drama, starring hot properties Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. Now there’s a chance to catch his earlier, equally acerbic black comedy that skewers the modern selfie-driven need to be the centre of attention. Signe (Kristine Kujath Thorp, putting in a magnetic performance) starts to try to vie for the limelight with her artist boyfriend Thomas (Eirik Sæther). Her ruse is a sort of riff on Munchausen's syndrome, which takes us down a body horror rabbit hole showing the disastrous consequences for her obsession. Borgli's blackly comic take on all of this suggests we all, in crafting modern society as it is, share some of Signe's culpability.
Barry Lyndon, Plex.tv, streaming now
Stanley Kubrick’s epic adaptation of William Thackeray picaresque novel is, at a smidge over three hours, split into two films when shown in the cinema. For those wanting to enjoy his Oscar-winning masterpiece at leisure, it’s on free-to-view service Plex, which often has some older gems tucked away. The story follows the eventful life of Redmond Barry (a rakish Ryan O'Neal) from humble beginnings in Ireland as he progresses – by fair means and foul – upwards until he reaches the aristocracy. This trajectory in the first film is mirrored by his descent in the second as laughter is deftly replaced by tragedy. Beyond the fact the story is compelling and, as you would expect from Kubrick, the whole thing is impeccably shot and framed, there’s a wonderful supporting cast, including Leonard Rossiter, Patrick Magee and Michael Hordern (who would go on to become the voice of TV series Paddington) offering excellent world weary narration laced with irony.
Our short selection this week is animated musical The Burden. You can read more about her distinctive, award-winning work on her official site
