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Black Box Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute |
Black Box Diaries , 10pm, BBC4, Tuesday, February 5
One of the most personal documentaries you'll watch this year sees Japanese journalist Shiori Ito put herself in the frame as she tries to investigate her own rape. Oscar-nominated, it rightly features a trigger warning up front as Ito probes the societal barriers and criminal justice failures that make achieving justice so difficult. Made following a book she wrote on the same subject, this allows Ito to consider not just the moment of her investigation but the impact it has had upon her in hindsight. A tough but informative film that saw Ito's campaigning pay off and which stands in solidarity with other survivors.
Belfast, 10.20pm, BBC4, Thursday, February 6
Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical Belfast offers a child's eye view of the city. He transports us there in the late Sixties as his tale of growing up unfolds against the rise of what would become known as The Troubles. Child star Jude Hill marks himself out as a young name to watch in the role of Buddy, whose everyday concerns about getting a local Catholic lass to notice him and contending with the domestic tensions of his ma (Caitriona Balfe) and pa (Jamie Dornan), are set against the wider picture of a community that is beginning to fracture. Branagh knows how to leaven sentiment with a good dollop of humour, much of it delivered with verve by Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench as Buddy's grandparents. Throughout it all, Branagh reminds us that love will always be stronger than hate.
Free Solo , 11.55pm, BBC2, Friday, February 7
If you're the sort of person who gets vertigo then Jimmy Chin, and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi's documentary about Alex Honnold's attempts to be the first to climb a 3000ft cliff in Yosemite Park solo and without the aid of safety ropes should be approached with caution. Even if you're not scared of heights, some of the footage of the sheer cliff face with Honnold clinging on is likely to have you holding your breath. Although the climbing footage here is incredible - and a testimony to directors who know their way around a rock face and where to put a camera so as not to distract Honnold - the film also offers an interesting psychological profile of the climber himself, his motivations and the impact on his choice of career on those around him.
Doctor Zhivago , 1.15pm, BBC2, Saturday, February 8
David Lean's epic love story set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution has lost little of its appeal in the five decades or so since it was made. It was just that Lean thought big with this film and the likes of Lawrence Of Arabia, he was able to sweep audiences easily into thinking big as well, while always remembering to retain a focus on the human stories at the heart of his films. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have the twin engines of Julie Christie and Omar Sharif generating aching longing for one another but the rest of the cast, from Tom Courtenay's zealot to Rod Steiger's manipulative cad Komarovsky, also make a lasting impression. It is only fair to add, however, that your mileage may vary in terms of Maurice Jarre's score - suffice to say that balalaika fans are well served.
The Lost City , 9.10pm, Channel 4, Saturday, February 8
A throwback to the sort of comedy romance/adventure films that were popular in the Eighties - think Romancing The Stone - Adam and Aaron Nee's film might not be the most memorable one you watch this year, but it's a lot of fun while it lasts. Sandra Bullock stars as a reclusive writer, who is reluctantly penning romance novels when she finds herself kidnapped by a billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe, having an enormous amount of fun) and thrust into a jungle adventure with her loveable lunk of a cover star Alan (Channing Tatum). The script zips along and Bullock and Tatum have plenty of spark. Brad Pitt's hair metal cameo turn as a mercenary who tries to help the pair is an added treat.
Unsane , 1.55am, Film4, Sunday, February 9
There might be a whiff of the predictable about this psychological thriller from Steven Soderbergh but even though he and his writers Jonathan Bernstein and James Greer telegraph quite a few of the plot points, it all adds to its oddly retro charm. He's also very lucky to have The Crown's Claire Foy in the central role, throwing herself wholeheartedly into the sweaty panic of Sawyer, whose life has been going south since she discovered she has a stalker (Joshua Leonard). When she finds herself admitted to a mental hospital for a week, she becomes convinced her stalker is on the staff, with the question being, will any of the staff - or us - believe her? Famous at the time of release because it was shot on an iPhone, the squared off ratio and flat lighting do add to the claustrophobic chill.
Blue Velvet, 10pm, BBC2, plus The Elephant Man, 11.55pm, Sunday, February 9
The tributes have rightly been pouring in for David Lynch since he died last month and you can treat yourself to a double-bill of two of his best. His 1986 film offers a mystery, this time surrounding college kid Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan), who finds himself in a world far removed from standard suburbia as he decides to investigate after finding a severed ear on his lawn. More straightforward than his later films in terms of plotting, Jeffrey becomes embroiled in a shadowy underworld ruled by sadistic crime boss Frank (Dennis Hopper) but many of the themes that crop up in his later work - from colour schemes to women in trouble (on this occasion, it's Isabella Rossellini) - are present. Then make sure you have some hankies to hand for his consideration of the tragic tale of John Merrick (played with great nuance under a lot of prosthetics by the late, great John Hurt). Hurt lost out in the Oscar race to Robert De Niro for Raging Bull, but he would have been just as worthy a winner, bringing a soulful anguish to his portrayal of the disfigured Merrick, who is rescued by surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins, in a similarly strong performance). Lynch fans should also look at for Straight Story and Lynch/Oz, screening from 11.20pm on Film4 on Friday, February 7.
We're having a little local difficulty with our short film archive this week, so our short selection will be back next week.