1 TV FILMS OF THE WEEK
YARDIE Tonight, BBC2, 9.45pm
TEN-YEAR-OLD Dennis Campbell, aka D (Antwayne Eccleston), lives with older brother Jerry Dread (Everaldo Creary) in 1973 Kingston, a capital stained with the blood of innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of rival gangs. Jerry organises a block party on neutral ground, which unites the warring factions until a gunshot rings out and he becomes the latest casualty of the turf war. A decade later, D (now played by Aml Ameen) is a lieutenant for music impresario King Fox (Sheldon Shepherd), who dispatches his best man to England with a consignment of drugs. Yardie is adapted from a novel by Victor Headley and directed by Idris Elba.
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MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS Tomorrow, Channel 4, 8pm
REIMAGINING of the Agatha Christie novel. Hercule Poirot (Sir Kenneth Branagh, left) travels to London on the Orient Express. The Belgian takes a cabin next to gangster Samuel Ratchett (Johnny Depp), but as the train chugs along, a killer strikes. Suspects include governess Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley), widow Caroline Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer), and missionary Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz).
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SNATCH
Monday, Channel 5, 11pm
A STOLEN diamond sparks a series of interlinked stories that bring together a host of undesirables, gangsters, thieves and criminals, delving into the murky world of bare-knuckle boxing along the way. Guy Ritchie’s film blends savagery and emotional drama with razor-sharp wit. Brad Pitt (pictured), Jason Statham, Benicio Del Toro and Stephen Graham are among the impressive cast.
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AIR FORCE ONE Tuesday, 5*, 9pm
US President James Marshall (Harrison Ford, pictured) delivers a speech vowing to never negotiate with terrorists, but his principles are soon put to the test when the plane carrying him and his family is hijacked by a gang led by Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman). Marshall, who also happens to be a former soldier, pretends to make his escape, but really he’s preparing to lead a fight back.
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AMERICAN HUSTLE Wednesday, More4, 9pm
DARK crime comedy. Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a con man trapped in a loveless marriage to Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence, pictured). Irving recruits inexperienced sidekick Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), but the pair are arrested by FBI agent, Richie Dimaso (Bradley Cooper). He forces them to put their talents to good use by entrapping Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner).
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THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Thursday, Film4, 9pm
BLACKLY comic drama. Mildred (Oscar-winner Frances Mcdormand, pictured) is infuriated by the lack of progress in the case of her murdered daughter under police chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson). She rents three billboards on the edge of town and emblazons each with a message aimed at Bill. However, officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) reacts violently to Mildred’s spat with his station.
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CARRIE
Friday, Film4, 11.10pm
A SHY teen (Sissy Spacek, pictured) who has been brought up in isolation by her religious mother (Piper Laurie) develops strange telekinetic powers. She tries to keep them under control until the taunting of her classmates and some cruel practical jokes tip her over the edge – and she unleashes Hell at the school prom. This horror is a far cry from today’s outpouring of gruesome slasher flicks.