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| Passing Photo: Edu Grau |
Jennie Kermode writes: Rebecca Hall's directorial debut, this consummate adaptation of Nella Larson's 1929 novel tells the story of two Black women navigating US society at a time when social boundaries were precarious but the risks involved in transgressing them remained huge. When one of the women, Irene, discovers that her old friend is passing as white and has married a white man, a catalogue of anxieties is exposed, exposing tensions which also concern perceptions of class and beauty. Irene worries that her friend, who misses Black culture, is going to steal her husband, but the story is complicated by her own sublimated queer desire. Hall - who would herself be classed as Black under the 'one drop rule' used in US law at the time - uses black and white photography and clever lighting to play with audience perceptions of colour at different moments, and draws out superb performances from Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga in the leading roles, creating an outstanding piece of cinema.
Pooja, Sir, 2.45am, Film4, Tuesday, July 28
Deepak Rauniyar and Asha Magrati’s gripping Nepalese crime thriller follows queer police officer Pooja (played by Magrati), who is sent to a border town from Kathmandu to investigate the kidnapping of two boys – one of whom has prominent parents – against a backdrop of constitutional protests by the Madhesi community. As Pooja investigates alongside local officer Mamata (Nikita Chandrak) – who is also from the Madhesi community – questions of prejudice and social injustice begin to emerge. Sociopolitically complex but presented in a way that is accessible to non-local audiences, the crime plotline is also propulsive, with Magrati’s performance anchoring the whole thing. Claustrophobic and intense. Read what the husband and wife team told us about their "24-hour collaboration".
Night Of The Eagle, 9pm, Talking Pictures TV, Tuesday, July 28
This genuinely creepy black and white horror had the more lurid alternative title Burn, Witch, Burn in the US – which feels all wrong for the understated chills offered up by Sidney Hayers' film. The story centres on a sceptic academic (Peter Wyngarde, making a big impression in his first leading role on the big screen), who discovers his wife (Janet Blair) is a practising witch. His career has been going swimmingly, but when he takes her to task for her spells and protections, trouble that starts to brew – with Hayers retaining an impressive ambiguity as to whether the rational or the supernatural holds the upper hand. The suburban setting adds to the oppressive atmosphere, and this and its scrutiny of gender politics may well put you in mind of later horror hits like Rosemary's Baby and Stepford Wives. The mood is capped off by sharp chiaroscuro and use of a reel-to-reel recorder in the unsettling sound design.
The Florida Project, 9pm, Film4, Wednesday, July 29
Sean Baker's Oscar-nominated film about a precocious six-year-old and her mum is a candy-coloured exploration of life on the margins of America. The Magic Castle hotel might not hold many tricks up its sleeve for single mum Hallee (Bria Vinaite) but it's an enchanted playground so far as little Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her friends are concerned. They run – and skip and frolic – through the film with an infectious energy, while illustrating the unique pressures that exist for families who live in these sorts of circumstances. Young Prince is a natural and it's a treat to see Willem Dafoe in a warmer role for once, as the benevolent Magic Castle manager Bobby, who is trying to nudge the older members of the community into line.
Midnight Movies: From The Margin To The Mainstream, 12.20am, Sky Arts, Thursday, July 30
The move of Stuart Samuels' 1983 book Midnight Movies: From The Margin To The Mainstream to documentary was a long time coming but well worth the wait. He turns his attention to a handful of iconic 'midnight movies' from the Seventies, including John Waters' Pink Flamingos, George A Romero's Night Of The Living Dead and Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Picture Show, to chart how these outsider offerings, which were scorned by most critics, found cult status by word of mouth. A fascinating celebration of a subculture that charts its lasting influence.
Chuck Chuck Baby, 11pm, BBC2, Friday, July 31
It's always nice when there's a network premiere you can recommend and this is the perfect upbeat accompaniment to the sunny weather we've been having. Helen (Louise Brealey) finds her life is at a low ebb. Her spoilt and unpleasant husband Gary (Celyn Jones) has moved his much younger girlfriend into their house, while still expecting his wife to look after his ailing mum Gwen (Sorcha Cusack). Helen takes refuge among the camaraderie at the chicken factory where she works and allows her emotions to flood out while listening to songs. Janis Pugh mixes the sort of northern humour fans of Victoria Wood and Caroline Ahearn will love with a musical element and a light brush of fantasy as the return of Helen’s childhood neighbour Joanne (Annabel Scholey) brings the prospect of unexpected romance. An impressive mix of comedy and heart. Read how Pugh got permission from Neil Diamond himself to use I Am I Said, in our interview.
Minari, 1.20am, Film4, Friday, July 31
Lee Isaac Chung's semi-autobiographical film pulled off the double at Sundance, winning both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards in the US Dramatic Competition. It went on to be nominated for six Oscars, although it lost out for Best Picture to Nomadland. It tells the tale of a Korean family who move to start a new life in rural Arkansas – a move that sees the shine come off the patriarch Jacob's "American dream" quite quickly as things prove tougher than he imagined. The film hits its stride when grandma (Yuh-jung Young, who did take home the Best Supporting Academy Award) comes to help look after seven-year-old David (Alan S Kim, a real find), who has a heart condition, and his sister Anne (Noel Cho). Chung explores the family microcosm through details, to paint a vibrant, emotional picture of both the family and the broader immigrant experience.
Our short selection this week is Avant Pétalos Grillados, an experimental short from Velasco Broca, who is currently working on his first feature, The Future Testament.
