Film choice

Only Two Can Play (1962) TALKING PICTURES TV, 10.00PM ★★★★

 In this adaptation of That Uncertain Feeling, a novel by Kingsley Amis, Peter Sellers plays John Lewis, a librarian in Wales who’s strapped for cash and cursed with a roving eye. When he meets a local businessman’s wife (Mai Zetterling), things begin to look up on both fronts – but this is a Sellers comedy, so comic frustration conquers all. Sidney Gilliat’s film is bright and witty, with a star on form.

Elle (2016) FILM4, 10.45PM ★★★★

 What happens when you cross Isabelle Huppert, an arthouse icon, with Paul Verhoeven, the director of Total Recall and Basic Instinct? The answer: an odd thriller about a woman who’s raped at home by a burglar, then reacts in emotionally peculiar ways. Based on Philippe Djian’s novel “Oh…”, it’s needling, provocative, and gives you not only a moral challenge but more laughs than you might expect.

(2013) CHANNEL 5, 11.00PM ★★★

 Tireless action-man Jason Statham follows Lee Marvin, Mel Gibson and Robert Duvall in playing Parker, a professional thief who’s doublecrossed by his team and swears a brutal revenge. Adapted from Donald Westlake’s novel Flashfire, the film ticks off genre tropes without much flair, but Jennifer Lopez brings some warmth as an unlikely ally. (Even more unlikely is Patti Lupone’s tidy cameo.)