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| Megamind Photo: Dreamworks |
Megamind, 11am, Film4, Tuesday, April 4
Everyone knows that supervillains have more fun - but there's more to Tom McGrath's animation than just hi-jinks. There's a complexity here that goes beyond the similarly themed Despicable Me, as the blue baddie (Will Ferrell) discovers it's tricky to be an evildoer if there's no superhero trying to stop you. Beyond a surprising amount of depth, there's some solid slapstick gags on offer and the action has plenty of verve but it's the excellent voice cast - also featuring Jonah Hill and Tina Fey - and strong storytelling that really make it a winner. Read our full review.
Stardust, 6.30pm, Film4, Tuesday, April 4
If you're looking for a family-friendly film that all ages can enjoy, this Neil Gaiman adaptation is a perfect choice. Charlie Cox stars as a young man who pledges to go on a quest into the neighbouring magical realm for a falling star in a bid to the heart of local lass Victoria (Sienna Miller). The star, it turns out, is not a lump of rock but a young girl (Claire Danes) who is being hunted by the evil Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) for her heart. Although there's a lot going on, including a fight for succession of the kingdom, it's never hard to follow and there's any number of excellent actors popping up as the tale zips along - including Robert De Niro, Mark Strong and Ricky Gervais among others. Humour, meanwhile, is deftly employed while retaining the general epic fantasy spirit. If you liked the Princess Bride, then this is for you.
Moonage Daydream, Netflix, from Wednesday, April 5
One of the best documentaries of the past year, Brett Morgan's immersive consideration of David Bowie's music is a kaleidoscopic treat. The documentarian brings the musician's life and canny knack of reinvention alive thanks to well-assembled archive that includes plenty of observations from the man himself. While not giving the music short shrift, the film also opens out into a consideration of Bowie's other artistic endeavours. Although there's no doubt the showmanship will be a little reduced by the transfer from the big to small screen this is a cracker that allows Bowie to tell his own story, while illustrating it beautifully.
Mulholland Drive, 11.30pm, Film4, Thursday, April 6
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, which surely makes this obliquely perfect for Easter.
Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves, 5.35pm, BBC1, Saturday, April 8, then on iPlayer
From the same guilty pleasures department as The Sound Of Music comes this reimagining of the derring do of the heroic outlaw. Coming the year after his box office and critical hit Dances With Wolves, Kevin Costner in his pomp was intended to be the main draw but it's the late, great Alan Rickman who steals the show. He plays the evil Sheriff of Nottingham with a delightful deviousness, nailing the best of the comic lines - including "Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas." and "I'm going to cut your heart out with a spoon!" - with aplomb. Away from the comedy, the whole enterprise speeds along at a decent pace, although I accept that many who remember it on first release may still bear the scars of Bryan Adams' Everything I Do topping the UK charts for a whopping 16 weeks.
The Sound of Music, 1.50pm, BBC1 , Sunday, April 9, then on iPlayer
Some things have become inextricably linked with Easter. Beyond churchgoing, Easter egg eating and hot cross buns, there are films that seem to always crop up on the calendar at this time of year - and The Sound Of Music is one of them. Julie Andrews, will have you rooting for her problematic novice nun within minutes. Then there's the appeal of the Von Trapp family, where Maria (Andrews) is sent to work, with seven kids of different ages, there's someone for every younger member of the household to relate to, while mums and dads can enjoy the will-they, won't-they romance between Maria and the widowed Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer, who famously disliked the end result). That, coupled with an excellent set of sing-a-long tunes from Rodgers and Hammerstein and some nicely worked choreography, make this a sentimentality steeped guilty pleasure.
Eternal Beauty, 10pm, BBC2, Sunday, April 9, then on iPlayer
This film largely comes down to a central performance of Sally Hawkins as a woman who is a paranoid schizophrenic. Craig Roberts, who people will probably remember best from his breakout acting role in Submarine, is behind the camera here for this story which he has said draws on his experience of someone in his family who had similar mental health. This is a character study that comes entirely from the perspective of Hawkins' Jane, with the camera used to show her mental state, all odd camera angles and trickery – such as a moment when it swings round, day to night, as she picks at the wallpaper when off her medication. Roberts paints her family as a study of dysfunction – from her witchy mum (Penelope Wilton, enjoying a turn as the bad guy) and troubled younger sister Nicola (Billie Piper) to her sympathetic older sister Alice (Alice Lowe). Hawkins is magnetic at the heart of the film, physically showing the nervous energy of Jane without slipping into caricature.
We're sticking with the Easter theme for our short selection this week. Easter Eggs, directed by Slobodan Karajlovic, which sees a family celebrate under the shadow of Communism.
Easter Eggs from Filmerija on Vimeo.
