TV FILMS OF THE WEEK

1

GANGSTER SQUAD Tonight, ITV, 10.30pm

ONE-TIME boxer Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) rules the roost in 1940s Los Angeles. Police chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) is powerless to stop the rise of Cohen’s criminal fraternity so he approaches Sergeant John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) to establish a covert team of officers, who are willing not only to bend the law but also to break it in order to restore order. O’Mara recruits pal Sergeant Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) for this dangerous assignment but the mission is compromised when Wooters falls under the spell of Cohen’s squeeze, actress Grace Faraday (Emma Stone).

2

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR Tomorrow, BBC1, 10.30pm

PIERCE BROSNAN and Rene Russo, left, have sizzling on-screen chemistry in this remake of the 1968 Steve McQueen movie. He is the bored billionaire who steals a valuable Monet piece from the New York Museum. Russo is the insurance company investigator determined to retrieve it. This does the original movie justice without losing any of its intrigue or gutsiness.

3

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT Monday, Film4, 9pm

CHRIS PINE, pictured, takes on the role of soldier-turned-CIA analyst Jack Ryan. When investigations suggest an imminent strike that could cripple the US economy, Jack is dispatched to Moscow to probe businessman Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh, who also directs). This is an old-fashioned espionage thriller with briskly edited action sequences.

4

GET CARTER Tuesday, ITV4, 9pm

WHEN his brother is killed in their hometown of Newcastle, Jack Carter (Michael Caine) journeys north to take revenge. Vindictive, ruthless and determined to get his man, he investigates the area’s underworld. Get Carter is a gritty, low-budget masterpiece. Britt Ekland, pictured with Caine during filming, plays Anna, a gangster’s moll.

5

CHEF Wednesday, Film4, 11.10pm

CARL CASPER (Jon Favreau) is the star chef at an LA restaurant owned by Riva (Dustin Hoffman). When a prestigious food critic pens a scathing review, Carl quits his job and heads to Miami with ex-wife Inez (Sofia Vergara, left with Favreau) and their young son. In familiar surroundings, Carl transforms a worn-out truck into a mobile eaterie par excellence.

6

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL Thursday, Film4, 9pm

THIS first collaboration between writer-director Richard Curtis and Hugh Grant, left, was the movie that put them both on the map. This romantic comedy makes full use of Grant’s natural charm and boasts a superb cast. Grant plays Charles who finally finds the stirrings of true romance after a one-night stand with beautiful American Carrie (Andie MacDowell).

7

WE’RE THE MILLERS Friday, ITV2, 9pm

SMALL-TIME drug dealer David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) reluctantly agrees to clear his debts by picking up drugs from Mexico. To throw customs officers off the scent, David asks stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston, pictured with Sudeikis) to pose as his wife and a homeless girl (Emma Stone) and neighbour (Will Poulter) to be their kids. A comical road movie.