FILM HIGHLIGHTS
MONDAY THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL Film4, 9pm
A widow decides to stretch her pension a little further by joining a group of English expats in an Indian hotel that is less luxurious than the brochure promised. But everyone eventually warms to each other due to the infectious enthusiasm of the manager Sonny (Dev Patel)
ALEXANDER TG4, 9.30pm
Director Oliver Stone takes on the story of one of the greatest military leaders in history. Colin Farrell is the inspirational general, who famously wept at the age of 32 because he had no more worlds to conquer. Some of the historical depictions led to some furious rows with historians at the time of its 2004 release. Despite being only a year or two older than Farrell, Angelina Jolie plays his mum, while Anthony Hopkins steps into the role of Ptolemy.
THE BIG LEBOWSKI Film4, 11.25pm
In this cult classic, Jeff ‘the Dude’ Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is a stoner bowler, who is roughed up by thugs looking to collect a debt run up by the wife of a millionaire who shares his name. When the wife is kidnapped he’s dragged into a whole heap of trouble. Throw in one of the most famous rugs in movie history, German nihilists, John Goodman in full psycho mode and the hilariously offbeat Steve Buscemi and you’ve an endlessly quotable cult movie.
TUESDAY CATCH ME IF YOU CAN RTE2, 9pm
A rare outing to the light side for the latter part of director Steven Spielberg’s career, based on a true story. Leonardo Di Caprio is the extraordinary Frank Abnagale Jr who embarked on a career as a world class con artist when his parents’ marriage breaks up. The likeable con artist dons many disguises, cashing millions of dollars of scammed cheques. But he’s being hunted by dedicated Fed Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).
FAST AND FURIOUS ITV2, 9pm
The fourth of the varying quality series is a decent attempt at rebooting a franchise rapidly running out of road. After the death of a member of his oil tanker hijacking crew, a quest for vengeance sees Dominic (Vin Diesel) reluctantly team up again with FBI agent Brian O’Conner, to take down the heroin dealer responsible for the death of one of his crew members.
ROAD ITV4, 12.35am
An unmissable feature documentary about the Dunlop family, who have dominated the motorbike racing world for decades. Robert and Joey Dunlop were as fast as they were quiet. Another son of Antrim Liam Neeson narrates, as he charts their rise, and how the next generation have taken on the mantle despite Joey’s death in a race in eastern Europe.
WEDNESDAY WENT THE DAY WELL? more4, 11.30am
Classic wartime thriller based on a Graham Greene short story about a small English village who aren’t too concerned when a lorryload or two of British soldiers arrive. However, not only are they German troopers in disguise but the local squire is a fifth columnist. Can the villagers outwit the invasion?
MAXIMUM CONVICTION ITV4, 10.05pm
Steven Seagal and former wrestling superstar ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin team up to deliver a no-holds barred action movie. Crossing (Seagal) and Manning (Austin) must decommission an old prison, but when the complex is attacked by mercenaries, they realise they’re dealing with things way above their pay grade. Cue the mayhem, grab the popcorn and switch your brain off before viewing this fun ride.
THE KING’S SPEECH Film4, 9pm
Colin Firth battles his way to an Oscar as Queen Elizabeth’s father George VI – aka Bertie – becomes king on the abdication of brother Edward. A pronounced stutter throughout his childhood now becomes a much more serious issue. But his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) seeks help from an unconventional speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).
THURSDAY POSSESSION BBC1, 12.05am
Neil LaBute’s take on AS Byatt’s Booker prize-winning novel in which academic Roland embarks a quest with expert Maud to seek the real story behind a Victorian poet’s love letters to a mystery woman which both took to their graves. Aaron Eckhart and Gwyneth Paltrow star.
JACK AND JILL ITV2, 8pm
Adam Sandler plays chalk and cheese ad executive Jack AND his passive aggressive twin sister Jill whose annual Thanksiving visit he dreads each year. After a row she asks to stay on, but things are complicated when Al Pacino (Al Pacino) whom Jack wants to star in an advert, becomes quite taken with her, and he may have to extend her visit even longer.
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN ITV4, 9.05pm
Sean Connery returns to the role of James Bond, this time doing battle with the sinister SPECTRE organisation. A master criminal has stolen two nuclear weapons and is holding the world to ransom. Being Bond, he teams up with the baddie’s girlfriend to get the missiles, save the world and get the girl(s). With Kim Basinger.
FRIDAY THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE RTE1, 11.55pm
A controversial movie in its day, Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange famously steamed up the kitchen table in this remake of a film noir classic. A drifter and the wife of a lunch wagon proprietor start an affair that eventually leads them to conspire to murder her husband, but their plans for happiness don’t quite work out.
A ROYAL AFFAIR RTE2, 11.35pm
A love story that changed Denmark forever, the young Queen Caroline (Alicia Vikander), shackled to the ever more insane Christian VII embarks on a relationship with the royal physician Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), risking everything to win freedom for the people.
THE WHISTLEBLOWER TV3, 11.20pm
Nebraskan policewoman Kathy Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz) takes a job as a peacekeeper in Bosnia after the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. However, her idealism is tested when she discovers a reality of corruption and cover-up, and her attempts to bring injustice to light don’t meet with the thanks that she might have expected. Inspired by actual events, it’s a sad commentary on the times we live in. Monica Bellucci and Benedict Cumberbatch also star.
THE HEIST BBC1, 11.35pm
A trio of security guards at a museum are distressed to discover that some of their favourite artwork is being transferred to a museum in Denmark, and make the decision to steal it back in this comedy caper starring Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H Macy.
SATUrDAY THE GREAT ESCAPE RTE1, 12.55pm
Saturday afternoon should be reserved for classic cinema, and what better way to spend your afternoon than sitting down with John Sturges’ classic wartime adventure flick. Set during the Second World War, Allied prisoners of war attempt to keep their spirits high while imprisoned in a German concentration camp. It falls on the shoulders of brash American Hilts (a career-defining performance from the legendary Steve McQueen) to rally his conspirators, and devise a plot so elaborate that will help get every last one of them home. The all-star cast also features Richard Attenborough, James Garner and Donald Pleasence to name a few.
TOY STORY 2 BBC1, 5.30pm
Andy’s animated toys are back, and this time it’s Woody who needs rescuing. After accidentally falling into a box at a yard sale while trying to free some fallen comrades, the cowboy finds himself in the sweaty hands of a collector, who steals him away. It’s up to Buzz, Rex and the rest of the gang to track him down and bring him home. Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Kelsey Grammer.
DEVIL Film4, 10.45pm
Expect supernatural thrills and chills, brought to life in a story by M Night Shyamalan, the man behind modern genre classics such as The Sixth
Sense, The Village and Signs. In a high-rise office building in Philadelphia, six strangers find themselves trapped in an elevator, with their only means of communication to the outside world through a security camera that can see, but not hear them. Things take a turn for the horrifying when those in the lift start to be killed off one by one, seemingly by an invisible presence. It becomes a race against time for the police to get them out of there, while there are still survivors to rescue.