The Herald - The Herald Magazine
PICK OF THE BEST FILMS
SATURDAY The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) (Channel 4, 8pm)
Evelyn (Judi Dench) is coming to terms with the recent loss of her husband and abandons Britain for the balmier climes of Jaipur and a retirement home called The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. En route, Evelyn meets other retirees all bound for this “luxury development for residents in their golden years”: cantankerous wheelchair user Muriel (Maggie Smith), waspish snob Jean (Penelope Wilton) and her long-suffering husband Douglas (Bill Nighy); retired judge Graham (Tom Wilkinson); ladies’ man Norman (Ronald Pickup); and spinster Madge (Celia Imrie). When the travellers arrive at their destination, they discover a building in disrepair and an inexperienced manager, Sonny (Dev Patel), struggling to keep the creditors off his back.
I, Robot (2004) (Channel 4, 10.25pm)
Inspired by a book of short stories written by sciencefiction icon Isaac Asimov, I, Robot imagines a future in which robots are ingrained in our everyday lives. They are our friends and confidants, but there are strict laws governing their behaviour. As decreed in The Three Laws, all automata must obey orders, and may not injure a human being or allow a human to come to harm. When a robot named Sonny (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is accused of murdering his creator, the legendary Dr Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), police detective Spooner (Will Smith) is called in to investigate.
SUNDAY The Dam Busters (1954) (ITV4, 2.25pm)
Richard Todd plays Wing Commander Guy Gibson, a skilled pilot ordered to assemble a crack squadron of fliers for a top-secret mission. After weeks of training, they will be dropping a new explosive designed to destroy three German dams, a dangerous task but one that is crucial to the war effort. Michael Redgrave plays Barnes Wallis, the man who created the bouncing bomb at the heart of the story. This is still a tense tale told well by director Michael Anderson. Watch out for cameos by Patrick McGoohan and Robert Shaw.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) (Channel 4, 9pm)
Impossible Missions Force operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is sprung from a Russian jail by fellow agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg). They are ordered to break into the Kremlin to steal intelligence files that reveal the identity of a terrorist codenamed Cobalt. The mission turns sour when madman Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) detonates a bomb inside the iconic building to cover up the theft of Russian nuclear launch codes. Disavowed by the US government, Ethan, Jane, Benji and top analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) must operate outside of official channels to apprehend Hendricks and avert nuclear Armageddon. Brad Bird’s film is truly exhilarating, boasting ingenious gadgets, bone-crunching fights and death-defying acrobatics.
MONDAY 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) (Film4, 11.15pm)
This film celebrates the contributions of backing singers and introduces us to a few of the talented women whose tireless work in music studios and at concert venues is often taken for granted by the fans. It’s a rich, detailed and inspiring valentine to those people behind the scenes who deserve so much credit, but rarely get it: like singer Merry Clayton, who sings a key phrase in the chorus of the Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter. Neville intercuts interviews with archive footage and anecdotes from luminaries including Bette Midler, Bruce Springsteen and Sting.
TUESDAY The Choir (2014) (Film4, 6.55pm)
An inspirational teacher attempts to coax a troubled boy out of his shell in this heart-warming human drama. Eleven-year-old Stet (Garrett Wareing) is left to fend for himself when his alcoholic mother dies in a car accident. The boy’s father (Josh Lucas) has a new family and would prefer to hide Stet from the world so he agrees to pack off the boy to the National Boychoir Academy, where Stet’s singing voice can be honed by head conductor Carvelle (Dustin Hoffman). Stet struggles to fit into his new surroundings and his flawless voice sparks a rivalry with one of the other boys. However, with guidance and nurturing from Carvelle, Stet embraces his natural gift and realises he is not alone after all.
WEDNESDAY Prometheus (2012) (E4, 9pm)
In 2089, astrophysicist Dr Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and her partner Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) unearth an ancient cave painting that confirms the existence of an extra-terrestrial race known as the Engineers. Wealthy industrialist Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) agrees to finance a voyage to the alien home planet. A spaceship called Prometheus captained by Janek (Idris Elba) provides the transport for Weyland company executive Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) and the crew. Operations android David (Michael Fassbender) casts a dispassionate eye over proceedings but as the explorers touch down on the Engineers’ home world, they are woefully unprepared for what awaits them.
THURSDAY Black Sea (2014) (Film4, 9.00pm)
Working class ex-Navy Captain Robinson (Jude Law) is laid off after 11 years of loyal service to a salvage company. Good friend Kurston (Daniel Ryan) has a cure for Robinson’s woes: the location of a downed German U-boat, which sank during the Second World War with a cargo of gold bullion worth 80 million Reichsmarks. Buoyed by funding from a mysterious benefactor called Lewis (Tobias Menzies), Robinson recruits a team to go in search of it. But as their vessel descends into the murky depths, fear and paranoia take a vice-like grip, causing crew members to turn against each other. Black Sea stacks the odds against the characters in this tense, if somewhat formulaic, thriller.
FRIDAY Legend (2015) (Film4, 9pm)
On the streets of London Reggie Kray (Tom Hardy) and identical twin Ronnie (Hardy again) continue a brutal turf war with Charlie Richardson (Paul Bettany) and remain one step ahead of DS Leonard “Nipper” Read (Christopher Eccleston). Reggie embarks on a giddy romance with 16-year-old Frances Shea (Emily Browning), which coincides with Ronnie’s turbulent affair with Edward Smith (Taron Egerton). Sibling rivalry intensifies and Reggie struggles to contain his brother’s sadistic impulses and keep Frances on an even keel. Legend is a brutal portrait of the notorious gangsters, which captures the fashions and sounds of 1950s and 60s London with aplomb.