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| Alcarràs Photo: Courtesy of London Film Festival |
Alcarràs, MUBI now
If you have a MUBI subscription then don't miss this top-notch ensemble drama from Carla Simón, which tracks a family over a sultry summer. After lifetime of peach farming, they are facing losing their livelihood and their home as the trees are replaced by solar panels. Simón handles the multi-layered experiences of both the children and adults with balanced ease, whether its grandad Rogelio (Josep Abad) contemplating what is to be lost, youngsters getting up to mischief amid the orchards or teenagers taking shape into the adults they will become. Simón shows the frictions of family life but also emphasises the way that clans also come together as a unit when it counts.
The Motorcycle Diaries, 1.10am, Film4, Wednesday, March 1
Gael Garcia Bernal was fast cementing his name among international audiences when he starred as the young Che Guevara in Walter Salles' coming-of-age film about the young revolutionary, having already grabbed attention with Y Tu Mama Tambien, The Crime Of Padre Amaro and Bad Education. The film - based on books by Guevara and his biochemist buddy Alberto Granado (played onscreen by Rodrigo de la Serna) - hits the road with the pair as they head across South America, learning about their continent and themselves as they go. With winning central performances and cinematography from Eric Gautier that captures the magnificence of the landscape in all its diversity, Salles keeps his storytelling simple but effective as Guevera's ethos is shaped by his experience.
The Godfather, 9pm, Film4, Wednesday, March 1
There's a chance to see all of Francis Ford Coppola's trilogy about the lives of a Mafia clan in America this week on Film4, with parts two and three following at the same time on Thursday and Friday. The first part is a masterful piece of craft, from the central performances of Mafia kingpin Don Corleone (Marlon Brando) and his son Michael (Al Pacino) to the wide and deep supporting cast, including James Caan, Diane Keaton and Robert Duvall. The taut story shows how power is shifting from father to son amid changes in the post-war crime world. Definitely make sure you catch the follow-up on Thursday, which fits this instalment like hand in glove - although you may want to sink a pint or two in the pub on Friday rather than subject yourself to the far inferior third part.
Cry Of The City, 11.50pm, Talking Pictures TV (Freeview channel 82), Thursday, March 2
There's crime of a different kind in this gritty film noir, which gives a tale of two childhood friends who chose to live on opposite sides of the tracks a great run over the jumps. Richard Conte plays a gangster who is dying in hospital, while Victor Mature stars as the cop who hates all his former friend represents. Conte nails the anti-hero as he goes on the run and whose only weakness is for his girlfriend (Debra Paget), while director Robert Siodmak makes New York feel tense and dangerous. Look out for Shelley Winters offering eye-catching support.
Tove, 2.40am, BBC2 Sunday, March 4
This graveyard hour slot seems a bit late for Moomin fans - although the film will subsequently be available on BBC iPlayer if you don't fancy staying up. Whenever you catch it, you'll be glad you did as this film about children's book author Tove Jansson (Alma Pöysti) is one of the better biopics of recent years. Zaida Bergroth charts Jansson's struggle to step out of the shadow of her famous father at the same time as giving an insight into the artist's personal life. Bergroth goes beyond the whys and wherefores of Jansson's life to offer a satisfying emotional portrait of a woman shaping her identity.
Beasts Of The Summer Wild, ITV.com, on demand
Given the presence of a paid subscription service in these listings this week, it seems pertinent to remind you that the list of films available for nothing on ITVX is quite impressive. Among them is Benh Zeitlin's Oscar-nominated treat. His film is a riot of imagination, focused on the magic realist adventures of little Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis in the role that would propel her to stardom) in the back (and rising) waters of the Louisiana bayou, with her extremely unconventional dad Wink (Dwight Henry) and the rest of her off-kilter community. This is a vibrant journey into a child's imagination, where all things are possible and a warm celebration of humanity that combines the mythic with the wonders of the natural environment to brilliant effect.
The Girl And The Spider, All4.com, on demand for until March 23
Meanwhile, this unusual indie gem is currently tucked away on Channel 4's free streaming service. Twins Ramon and Silvan Zürcher have a style that's all of their own, making tensions spring up from what have previously appeared to be the most benign of environments. Their follow up to Strange Little Cat centres on Lisa (Liliane Amuat) who is preparing to move from the place she shares with Mara (Henriette Confurius) and Markus (Ivan Georgiev) and into a new one where she will live alone. A real spider will make its presence felt across this web of relationships but the mood is dominated by the desire for connections that ebbs and flows over the course of a couple of days.
This week's short selection is Quick Fix, an animated tale from Alexandra Lemay about a coffee cup whose love affair might not be as long lived as he hopes.
