Film choice

Igor (2008) 5STAR, 11.25AM ★★

In a fairytale dystopia, nasty, Frankenstein-style scientists vie to invent monstrous creatures for a gladiatorial contest. The eponymous hero (voiced by John Cusack) is a humble hunchback assistant, whose dreams of assembling his own mutant come to fruition after his master accidentally atomises himself. Steve Buscemi’s unhappy laboratory rabbit is endearing, but the overall tone is uneven.

The China Syndrome (1979) FILM4, 12.35PM ★★★★

A riveting if somewhat right-on drama in which two television journalists (Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas) attempt to expose dangerous faults and corporate corruption at a nuclear power plant; Jack Lemmon plays an engineer trying to help them. It’s a sobering and compelling thriller and, spookily, mere weeks after the film’s release came the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island.

The Monuments Men (2014) FILM4, 9.00PM

George Clooney directs and stars in this historical caper, based on the true story of an Allied group on a mission to find treasured artefacts before they are destroyed by Adolf Hitler. Though the source material is fascinating, and the cast is strong (Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman and Hugh Bonneville are among the big names), it feels too heavy-handed and selfcongratulatory.