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| Mr. Nobody Against Putin Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute |
Mr Nobody Against Putin, BBC iPlayer, streaming now
I know I only put this one in here last month, but since it triumphed at the Oscars, it seems like a good opportunity to recommend it again. When Russian teacher Pavel “Pasha” Talankin realised that his school was becoming weaponised to steep children in the propaganda of the state as the Ukraine invasion began, he was in an unusual position in that he was specifically employed to record events. From a position of that legitimacy, he charted the coming months as the messaging became stronger and the shadow of war slowly creeps over the schoolyard. Shaped by David Borenstein, who was supporting Pasha from a distance, this begins in playful manner but is ultimately a sobering consideration of the Russian war machine and its lasting impact on the youth of the country.
American Fiction, midnight, BBC2, Monday, March 16
Cord Jefferson serves up a sharply worked satire for his debut, which revolves around a superb central performance from Jeffrey Wright and has a raft of cultural hypocrisy in its sights. He plays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a college professor who writes high-end lit and who, spurred by anger, decides to give the people what they want and write a spoof novel My Pafology, riddled with clichés, under the pen name of Stagg R Lee. Needless to say, to his horror, it meets with success. This is just the tip of the iceberg of a film that also digs into Monk’s family dynamics and plays around with form in interesting ways. Suffice to say it’s funny, complex and surprisingly touching, do catch it if you can.
Wild Rose, 9pm, Film4, Tuesday, March 17
Jennie Kermode writes: Dressed in white cowboy boots and fringed jacket, Rose (played with typical gutsy charisma by the incomparable Jessie Buckley and perfectly timed for her long anticipated Oscar win last night) is just out of prison. She has built her dreams around Nashville, single motherhood and parole terms be damned – and yet there are very few works in the history of cinema that have been quite this Glaswegian. Though it’s theoretically a narrative about growing up and settling down – or at least identifying a more reasonable and achievable dream – such is Rose’s charisma that everyone around her, from frustrated businesswoman Susannah (Sophie Okonedo) to her own long-suffering mother (Julie Walters) ends up cheering her on when she takes to the stage. It's a heartwarming tale about the messiness of life which gets away with its sentiments due to its sharp wit, and Buckley has a formidable singing voice.
Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy, 1am, Film4, Thursday, March 19
Mateusz Tarwacki writes: Ryusuke Hamaguchi's film consists of three film novels, which ironically point out the artificiality and awkwardness of interpersonal relationships. It fits perfectly into the time of the pandemic, in which contact between people has become more alien and social competences must be learned anew. Spinning the wheel of fate, it is as easy to find fortune, fantasy and chemistry as misunderstanding, conflict, regret and bad decisions – and once set in motion, it cannot be stopped. Hamaguchi is as sociologically sharp as Eric Rohmer, as ironic as Hong Sang-soo, and although he may sometimes lack essence, the richness of form undoubtedly makes up for it.
In Camera, 11.10pm, BBC2, Friday, March 20
Naqqash Khalid's debut steps into the life of Aden (Nabhaan Rizwan), an aspiring actor whose home life actually turns out to be even more performative than his work. He shares a flat with exhausted doctor Bo (Rory Fleck Byrne) and the stylish and confident Conrad (Amir El-Masry). Khalid's film spins out from the trio into an examination of modern masculinity and what that means within the context of the everyday performance that is part and parcel of just getting by in a neo-liberal capitalist world. Ambitious and not afraid to challenge the audience, Khalid told us:”I was creating a narrative structure that I consider to be bulimic, in that there are moments of narrative starvation, and then narrative excess.”
The Third Man, 1pm, BBC2, Saturday, March 21
Carol Reed's classic is worth catching no matter how many times you've seen it – and even if you are likely to have Anton Karas' zither-led Harry Lime Theme in your head for a week afterwards. It boasts a script from Graham Greene (with notable additions from Orson Welles) and a plot that feels as off-kilter as Robert Krasker's camera angles. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton), an old friend of recently deceased Harry Lime (Welles), finds himself increasingly suspicious as to what has caused his pal's death and, as the black market and grey morality begin to come to the fore, you're likely to find yourself gripped by this noir all over again.
La Chimera, 9.20pm, BBC4, Saturday, March 21
As Josh O’Connor’s star continues to rise, with everything from Wake Up Dead Man to Rebuilding, he’s talking Italian in Alice Rohrwacher’s drama. Arthur is an Englishman abroad and adrift in Italy, but who has a talent for dowsing, which makes him popular with a group of grave robbers on the hunt for artefacts. Rohrwacher blends darker social drama elements with magic realism. One of those films that might be described as fiercely arthouse, you’ll know if you’re in our you’re out within minutes but no matter how you feel about the meandering plot, O’Connor’s rakish but faded performance is worth a look.
We're returning to the Oscars for our short selection this week. You can watch Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh's Two People Exchanging Saliva, which shared the live action short honours with Two Singers in Tbe New Yorker screening room on Youtube.
