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| A Brief History Of Family Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute |
Jennie Kermode writes: Some people think of black and white films as boring, artefacts of the past to which they could not possibly relate. There’s nothing like an Ealing comedy to set them right. This one’s a classic, with Alec Guinness’ charming, silver-tongued bank clerk hatching a scheme to embezzle gold by melting it down and disguising it in the form of tourist souvenirs. When a party of schoolgirls unwittingly acquire the trinkets, however, getting them back proves much more of a challenge. Tightly plotted and full of twists and turns, it mingles elements of farce with deliciously dark wit, and there’s no shortage of thrills.
Mean Streets, 1.15am, Film4, Tuesday, March 3
This marks the first time Martin Scorsese collaborated with Robert De Niro – the beginning of a partnership that currently stands at 11 projects (if you count 2015 promotional short The Audition, which also featured Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. De Niro is in support as the loose cannon Johnny Boy, with Harvey Keitel (who had previously featured in Scorsese's debut feature Who's That Knocking At My Door), in the lead. He plays Charlie, a small-time wiseguy with big aspirations and a penchant for Catholic guilt. This is a character-driven slice of life at the gritty end. Powered by a full-blooded soundtrack incorporating hits like the Rolling Stones' Jumpin' Jack Flash and The Ronettes' Be My Baby (a revolutionary approach at the time), kinetic camerawork and dialogue that crackles with energy, these streets still feel as mean and keen as ever. Speaking of his relationship with Scorses, Keitel has said: ''We were one and the same being in many ways.''
Ex Machina, 12.40am, 4Seven, Wednesday, March 4
Alex Garland added director to his writing credit with this twisty artificial intelligence thriller. Programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) finds himself chosen by his volatile employer Nathan (Oscar Isaac) to conduct the Turing test with his AI creation Ava (Alicia Vikander) to see whether she can pass as a human. Garland's psychological thriller unfolds in slippery fashion as we try to work out who is manipulating who and, more importantly, where our sympathies truly lie, while considering larger existential questions along the way. The central trio of performances are all water tight but Isaac, in particular, reminds us what a chameleon he is when it comes to getting under the skin of characters.
Molly Vs The Machines, 9pm, Channel 4, Thursday, March 5
Given the ongoing conversations globally about the impact of social media on children, this documentary concerning the suicide of 14-year-old Molly Russell is exceptionally timely. The coroner found that the youngster took her life after being exposed to a torrent of harmful content concerning self-harm on social media. This is a nuanced consideration of the issue, built around a recreation of the inquest into Molly’s death and featuring strong contributions from her father, Ian, who now campaigns for better protections, along with friends of Molly, looking back at content they also saw online. A thorough consideration of the problem, even if solutions to it are harder to find.
Zola, 12.35am, Film4, Thursday, March 5
If you're looking for the opposite of romance then Zola is most certainly it. The sort of sleazy shaggy dog story Tarantino used to revel in, the film started life as a Twitter thread and Janicza Bravo's adaptation channels a similar energy. Waitress/stripper Zola (Taylour Paige, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) hooks up with restaurant customer Stefani (Riley Keogh) on a whim and agrees to go on a pole dancing trip to Florida, driven by a mystery "roomate" (Coleman Domingo, the best thing in the film by a country mile and who continues to not get the plaudits he deserves – look out for him in the upcoming Dead Man’s Wire). Accompanied by Stefani's Shaggy-esque boyfriend Derrek (Nicholas Braun), they head south and soon everything else does too although Zola just about stays one step ahead of the game.
Brief History Of A Family, 10.40pm, BBC4, Saturday, March 7
Modern China provides the backdrop for Jianjie’s chilly psychological drama, which has an unsettling vibe that recalls the work of Michael Haneke. Wei (Lin Muran) is an only child, with his parents (Zu Feng and Guo Keyu) pouring their efforts into him, even though he feels a disconnect. An incident at school leads him to bring home Shuo (Sun Xilun), a teenager with a very different attitude and upbringing. Wei’s parents warm to the kid but questions begin to arise about his motivations. Shot with cool angularity and an industrial tympanic score, this is a masterclass in simmering tension. Read what Jianjie Lin said about working on the layers of his story.
Kensuke’s Kingdom, 6.45am, BBC2, Sunday, March 8
This enjoyable slice of old school-style animation, adapted from the Michael Morpurgo favourite by fellow literary luminary Frank Cottrell-Boyce, is an elegant charmer. Young Michael is on a sailing adventure when a storm hits, throwing him and his dog – the delightfully named Stella Artois – overboard. Washed up on an island, they encounter Kensuke (voiced beautifully by Ken Watanabe), who begins to teach Michael about the environment they’re in as the film gradually begins to tackle notions of grief. While the pace will be a little sedate for some kids, others will enjoy the thoughtful approach to its themes.
After talking about it earlier, how could I not include Martin Scorsese’s The Audition as this week’s short? It’s worth watching for a gag about a mix-up between Greenland and Iceland that could have been tailormade as a response to one of Donald Trump’s more memorable recent gaffes despite pre-dating it by a decade..
