Saturday 15/07/23
Collateral (2004) ***** (Film4, 9.00pm)
What starts as an ordinary day for Los Angeles taxi driver Max (Jamie Foxx) turns into a fight for survival and a desperate rescue mission in Michael Mann’s stylish thriller. His latest fare seems a nice enough guy – dressed like a businessman, Vincent (Tom Cruise, great playing against type) is polite and interesting. The pair get on well and the cabbie is clearly going to land a decent tip, but money is the last thing on his mind when the charismatic customer is revealed to be a hitman tasked with killing five key witnesses in a drug-trafficking trial. Vincent has one night to complete his mission, but he can’t do that without transport, making Max an essential element in his plan. As the death toll mounts, the cabbie knows it’s down to him to save his own skin and, if possible, the assassin’s remaining targets.
Sully – Miracle on the Hudson (2016) **** (BBC1, 10.20pm)
On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 takes off from LaGuardia airport in New York bound for North Carolina with 155 passengers and crew on board. Three minutes into take-off, the plane hits a flock of Canadian geese, causing multiple problems to both engines that necessitate an emergency landing. Captain Chesley Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) glides the stricken Airbus A320 onto the Hudson River in freezing conditions and oversees the evacuation of everyone on board, aided by First Officer Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart). However, the subsequent official investigation casts doubt on Sully’s version of events. Directed by Clint Eastwood, this true-life drama is a masterclass in sustained tension, which replays the events of that fateful day from multiple perspectives.
Armageddon Time (2022) **** (Sky Cinema Premiere, 10.25pm) Premiere
Jewish-American 11-year-old Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) attends Public School 173 in 1980 New York, where he becomes a target for humiliation in class alongside African-American student Johnny Davis (Jaylin Webb). The boys forge a strong friendship, but prejudices repeatedly test their bond and Paul’s parents Irving (Jeremy Strong) and Esther (Anne Hathaway) elect to send him to Kew-Forest preparatory school instead, where older brother Ted (Ryan Sell) is making his mark. The threat of change sends Paul into an emotional tailspin, but his grandfather Aaron (Anthony Hopkins) has the right words to console and soothe. Writer-director James Gray’s thoughtful coming-of-age drama explores complex family and racial dynamics against the backdrop of Ronald Reagan’s election campaign.
Possessor (2020) **** (Film4, 11.20pm) Premiere
Writer-director Brandon Cronenberg’s hallucinogenic sci-fi thriller gives new meaning to the concept of a hostile takeover, starring Andrea Riseborough as a corporate assassin who takes control of other people’s bodies using brain-implant technology. The Canadian film-maker shares some of the gore-slathered fascinations of his father, body-horror trailblazer David Cronenberg, with wince-inducing close-ups of needles and various sharp objects puncturing human flesh. While the script is sometimes a little too ambiguous, the performances of Riseborough and Christopher Abbott as her unsuspecting target are consistently discomfiting since we are never entirely sure who is in control of his actions as the plot spirals sickeningly out of control.
Sunday 16/07/23
The Locksmith (2023) *** (Sky Cinema Premiere, 6.15pm) Premiere
Ryan Phillippe stars in this thriller as Miller, an expert locksmith who takes part in a robbery that goes badly wrong, leaving him in prison – and one of his accomplices dead. After serving a 10-year sentence, Miller vows to go straight, hoping he can reconnect with his ex, Beth (Kate Bosworth), who is now a detective, and their daughter, who barely remembers him. However, he inevitably gets pulled back into a life of crime. Director Nicolas Harvard’s film could have used a couple of twists to distinguish it from all the other films about ex-cons tempted into one last job, but Bosworth delivers a strong performance in a role that’s a cut above the usual concerned girlfriend/wife cliches.
Rocketman (2019) **** (Channel 4, 9.00pm)
Taron Egerton dons the rhinestone glasses, sequinned jumpsuits and platform boots to take on the role of Elton John in this biopic of the singer-songwriter. Directed by Dexter Fletcher – who already had a bit of practice helming musical movies, having worked on Bohemian Rhapsody – the film details Elton’s breakthrough years, touching on his relationships with his lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) and manager-lover John Reid (Richard Madden). It also doesn’t shy away from the singer’s troubles with addiction. But whereas the Queen movie was a straight nuts-and-bolts narrative, this is anything but. Typical of anything made in Elton’s name, it’s a fantasy version of the singer’s life, jumping around from one time period to another, and using the most appropriate songs for that point. This one’s for you.
Ben Is Back (2018) *** (BBC3, 9.10pm)
The return of a recovering drug addict to the fold throws festive preparations into disarray in Academy Award-nominated writer-director Peter Hedges’ sensitively observed drama. Anchored by powerhouse performances from Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges, Ben Is Back explores the devastation wrought by addiction on various members of a fractured New York family, who are divided about whether to support a wayward teenager after a litany of painful relapses and mistakes. The film’s emotional heartbeat is the seemingly unbreakable bond between a fiercely protective mother and her 19-year-old son, who repeatedly pushes away his biggest supporter for fear of letting her down. Again.
The Duchess (2008) *** (BBC1, 10.30pm)
Meticulous production design, resplendent costumes and voluminous, cascading wigs combined with the pomp and pageantry of mid-18th century high society in all its glory, contribute to a feast for the senses. Keira Knightley stars as 17-year-old social butterfly Georgiana Spencer, who is married to the considerably older Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) with the sole purpose of producing an heir. But the Duke’s philandering ways and complete indifference to his young wife prompt Georgiana to search for happiness in the arms of another man, rising politician Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), leading her down a path that can only end in misery for all concerned.
Monday 17/07/23
A Few Good Men (1992) **** (GREAT! movies, 9.00pm)
Navy lawyer Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) has a reputation for settling out of court and not caring too much about his clients. This soon changes when he and fellow legal eagle JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore) are given the task of defending two Marines accused of murdering one of their comrades, and their investigation unearths evidence that the pair were acting under orders from their superiors. Rob Reiner’s courtroom drama may initially seem a little long-winded, but it’s building to a showdown between Cruise and a scene-stealing Jack Nicholson that is definitely worth the wait. The film’s sharp script was written by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin and based on his own stage play.
Moon (2009) **** (BBC2, 12.15am)
David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones made an auspicious directorial debut with this haunting science-fiction drama penned by Nathan Parker. It stars Sam Rockwell as astronaut Sam Bell, who has been working alone at an energy-generating base on the moon for three years. He desperately wants to return home, but when he is injured in an accident, he begins to uncover some disturbing truths about the operation he’s running, and is left questioning his identity. Despite a low budget, this is superb entertainment reminiscent of classic sci-fi offerings such as Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001, Silent Running and Alien. Rockwell is brilliant as the man on the moon who falls ill and meets someone who looks suspiciously like him.
Tuesday 18/07/23
Gandhi (1982) ***** (GREAT! movies, 5.20pm)
Director Richard Attenborough’s epic, Oscar-laden biopic of Mohandas K Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) explores how the former small-time lawyer become the inspirational leader of India’s struggle for independence and a worldwide ambassador for peace thanks to his philosophy of non-violent protest. The three-hour runtime doesn’t exactly fly by, and some historians have taken issue with the way it skirts over the more complex aspects of Gandhi’s life and character. However, it still makes for a powerful experience and Kingsley is simply outstanding in the lead. In fact, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role – especially not Anthony Hopkins, who was reportedly offered the part by Attenborough at an early point in the movie’s long development.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) *** (Film4, 9.00pm)
Hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has been excommunicated from the Continental Hotel in New York – a membership-only haven for the criminal underworld – by dapper owner Winston (Ian McShane) after he broke the rules and terminated a crime lord on the premises. The High Table, the guild of assassins which imposes a strict moral code on the spilling of blood, authorises a $14 million contract on John’s life. Carnage begins on the stroke of 6pm and John calls in a long-standing marker with a crime syndicate boss (Anjelica Huston) to secure safe passage to Morocco, where he hopes to reunite with fellow assassin Sofia (Halle Berry). John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is an adrenaline-pumping hoot, which raises the franchise’s already high bar on balletic slaughter.
Wednesday 19/07/23
Turner & Hooch (1989) *** (Film4, 6.55pm)
A neat, obsessively organised detective (Tom Hanks) investigates when a local man is murdered by drug smugglers. Unfortunately, there’s only one witness to the crime – the victim’s slobbering, smelly dog. The cop initially hates sharing his home with the canine, but eventually comes to realise that a dog can be man’s best friend, especially when you throw an attractive vet into the picture. This comedy would have looked predictable even if James Belushi’s very similar K-9 hadn’t been released in the same year. But what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in sheer likeability. Hanks is charming in the lead role, handling scenes with the dog and his two-legged love interest Mare Wingham with equal ease.
Rocky III (1982) *** (ITV4, 9.00pm)
Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed and starred in this second sequel. The world heavyweight boxing champion settles down to a life of luxury – but a cloud appears on the horizon in the shape of brutal contender Clubber Lang (Mr T), who demands a shot at the title. However, while Rocky is eager to take on the new fighter, his trainer Micky doesn’t want him entering the ring against such a brute. Talia Shire, Burt Young and Carl Weathers are all back, and the film also features the final appearance of Burgess Meredith (if you discount a bizarre flashback sequence in Rocky V) as hard-bitten trainer Mickey, as well as a cameo from wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. It’s also the film that gave us Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger.
Thursday 20/07/23
Sweet Charity (1969) **** (BBC4, 9.00pm)
Legendary choreographer Bob Fosse made an impressive feature-film directorial debut with this fun musical comedy. Shirley MacLaine stars as Charity Hope Valentine, a dancer in a seedy nightclub, who keeps looking for love in all the wrong places. When it finally seems like she has met her Mr Right, she decides to keep her past a secret from him for fear of putting him off, but will the truth come out? The plot matters less than the terrific numbers, which include Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now and Sammy Davis Jr’s showstopping The Rhythm of Life, while the supporting cast includes Broadway legends Chita Rivera and Stubby Kaye.
Gravity (2013) **** (BBC1, 10.40pm)
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney head the cast of this stunning, Oscar-winning sci-fi drama. She plays gifted medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone, who journeys into space for the first time alongside Commander Matt Kowalski (Clooney), a veteran of the space programme on his final mission. Out of the blue, they are ordered to abort their task and return to their shuttle. Unfortunately, space debris destroys the craft and kills another crew member, leaving Stone and Kowalski drifting through the void. The rest of the film charts their desperate battle for survival. A modern classic co-written by director Alfonso Cuaron and his son Jonas, Gravity is a breath-taking experience, although it does lose something when not viewed on the big screen.
Friday 21/07/23
The Edge of Seventeen (2016) **** (BBC3, 9.30pm)
Seventeen-year-old misfit Nadine Byrd (Hailee Steinfeld) has always been jealous of her good-looking and popular older brother, Darian (Blake Jenner). Nadine’s only friend is Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), a fellow outcast who shares her disdain for conformity. Out of the blue, Nadine discovers that Krista is dating Darian and this betrayal of the sisterly bond drives a wedge between the girls. The emotional vortex intensifies as Nadine pines from afar for a handsome older boy (Alexander Calvert). Peppered with acidic one-liners and some lovely moments of raw, unvarnished emotion, The Edge of Seventeen is a deftly constructed coming-of-age film that perfectly encapsulates the trials and romantic vacillations of those hormone-fuelled teenage years.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) ***** (BBC1, 10.40pm)
Jon Watts’ slick reboot of the Marvel Comics superhero – the third iteration in 15 years – spins an impressive web of rites-of-passage drama, buddy comedy and bombastic spectacle. Set several months after Tom Holland made his debut as the webslinger in Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker (Holland) has managed to conceal his crime-fighting alter ego from Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) with the help of his mentor, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr). When salvage company owner Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) takes flight as a larcenous winged menace called Vulture, Peter foolishly tries to prove himself to the Avengers by tackling the airborne madman alone.
