Film Planner

Saturday May 4 ★★★★

The Last of the Mohicans (1992) 11.10pm Channel 4

Michael Mann’s earthy adaptation of the Fenimore Cooper classic nds Daniel Day Lewis donning tomahawk and buckskins to chase Madeleine Stowe through rivers and forests while the US colonial war rages in the background. Both leads acquit themselves admirably. ★★★

Highlander (1986) 11.50pm BBC One

In the end there can be only one as Christopher Lambert battles the immortal through time armed only with a huge sword and a dodgy Scottish accent. It’s all hokum, of course, but there’s no denying the fact that it’s great fun. And Sean Connery hams it up for all he is worth. ★★★★

Pale Rider (1985) 12.05am RTÉ One

This is a triumph for Clint Eastwood who pays homage to one of his own favourite Westerns, Shane. Given that he’s a foot taller and a yard wider that Alan Ladd, Clint is a much more convincing enforcer. Here he comes to the aid of a beleaguered mining town using a hefty two-by-four. Sunday May 5 ★★★

That Funny Feeling (1965) 3.40pm RTÉ One

This classic bubblegum rom-com from the 60s is subtitled, ‘How To Capture a Bachelor’. Sandra Dee is the gal on the prowl; Bobby Darin is the single guy in her sights; and Donald O’connor is on hand for comic relief. ★★★

From Russia With Love (1963) 6.15pm RTÉ2

Bond #2 is one of the best with Sean Connery in great form, memorable baddies in the shape of Robert Shaw and Lotte Lenya, plus Matt Monro’s brilliant theme song. Check out that train ght between Connery and Shaw; and watch out for the front of Lotte Lenya’s shoes. ★★★★

The Bright Side (2020) 9.30pm RTÉ One

Gemma-leah Devereux delivers a careerhigh performance in this moving drama based on Anne Gildea’s memoir about a stand-up comic coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis. Written and directed by Ruth Meehan, it o ers a strong supporting role for our page six gal, Siobhán Cullen. Monday May 6 ★★★★

The King’s Speech (2010) 8.00pm Sky Cinema Drama

Tom Hooper’s superb drama o ered Colin Firth the role of his career (and an Oscar) as the reluctant king who overcame a speech impediment. Geoffrey Rush, meanwhile, was typically eye-catching as the speech therapist at the heart of the story. ★★★★

Whiplash (2014) 9.30pm TG4

Damien Chazelle’s highly-regarded drama is a powerful two-hander in which Oscar-winner JK Simmons plays a tyrannical music teacher determined to put student drummer Miles Teller through the ringer in order to maximise his potential. Both leads are terrific. ★★★

The Last Duel (2021) 9.30pm RTÉ One

Ridley Scott’s Rashomon- stye revenge drama chronicles the real-life medieval showdown between Knight Matt Damon and Squire Adam Driver, when the latter is accused of sexually assaulting the former’s wife (Jodie Comer). Ben Affleck steals the show in support. Tuesday May 7 ★★★★

Lonely Are The Brave (1962) 1.45pm Film4

This little seen but delightful western nds Kirk Douglas in cracking form as the ageing cowboy who refuses to accept that his way of life has become anachronistic. Walter Matthau and Gena Rowlands co-star. ★★★★

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) 3.55pm Film 4

Forget that dud with Ben Affleck, this is the Pearl Harbor movie to savour. Shot on a then-whopping budget of $25 million, this lm is meticulous in detail and, unlike almost every other Hollywood war movie, looks at the events through the eyes of both the Americans and the Japanese. ★★★★

The Fabelmans (2023) 9.55pm Sky Cinema Drama

Steven Spielberg’s autographical tale is a moving, coming-of-age drama that follows the fortunes of a Jewish youngster called Sammy (Gabriel Labelle) growing up in New Jersey in the 1950s. Both Michelle Williams and Paul Dano are terrific as his eccentric parents.