THIS WEEK’S BEST FILMS

him up with a couple of women. However, Andy falls madly in love with fortysomething Trish (Catherine Keener), who works across the street. She seems to feel the same way about Andy and the lovebirds agree to proceed slowly, forging their relationship on the basis of no sex... for the first 20 dates at least.

WEDNESDAY Paddington (2014) (Film4, 7.15pm)

Little bear Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is raised in deepest, darkest Peru by his elderly aunt and uncle. When tragedy strikes, he’s dispatched by boat to London where Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins) and her son Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) take pity on the furry loner. They convince worrywart Mr Brown (Hugh Bonneville) and moody teenage daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris) to allow Paddington to stay, but the bear also unwittingly attracts the attention of despicable taxidermist Millicent (Nicole Kidman).

Se7en (1995) (ITV4, 11.15pm)

David Fincher’s stylish, deeply disturbing thriller stars Morgan Freeman as world-weary detective William Somerset, who is contemplating retirement when he is paired with an idealistic, headstrong young partner David Mills (Brad Pitt). Kevin Spacey co-stars as the killer, and Gwyneth Paltrow has a small but memorable supporting role as David’s wife, who is struggling with the idea of raising a family in the rain-sodden, crime-ridden city.

THURSDAY Whisky Galore! (1949) (BBC2, 3.25pm)

Alexander Mackendrick’s delightful 1949 Ealing comedy is based on the novel of the same name by Compton MacKenzie. When a freighter runs Paddington arrives in London, where he takes shelter with the Brown family

aground in fog on the Hebridean island of Todday, the locals are delighted to learn the boat is laden with cases of whisky, supplies of which have been depleted on the island following wartime rationing. English Sergeant Odd (Bruce Seton) colludes with the islanders to conceal the booty from curious outsiders and enjoy the boozy contents.

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) (Channel 5, 11pm)

The third film in the franchise sees

loose cannon cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) returning to duty following an explosion at a New York City department store. The perpetrator, who calls himself Simon (Jeremy Irons), contacts the police and tells them that unless McClane and bystander Zeus Carver (Samuel L Jackson), who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, carry out a series of instructions, more bombs will be detonated across the city. It’s not up to the standards of the original film but this thriller is a lot of fun.

Trivia fans may like to note that the script, which was originally called Simon Says, had been intended as a vehicle for Brandon Lee and was at one point rewritten by film studio Warners as a Lethal Weapon sequel.

FRIDAY Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) (ITV2, 8pm)

On the way home from a restaurant, Emily Weaver (Julianne Moore) confesses to her husband Cal (Steve Carell) that she slept with co-worker David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon) and wants a divorce. The cuckolded husband seeks refuge at a cocktail bar where lothario Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) takes pity on him and schools him in the art of seduction. Meanwhile Jacob pursues law student Hannah (Emma Stone), who is impervious to his chat-up lines. Crazy, Stupid, Love is a rare treat – an intelligent and sophisticated adult-oriented romantic comedy, boasting pithy dialogue and exemplary performances from an ensemble cast.

Iron Man 3 (2013) (BBC1, 10.35pm)

Robert Downey Jr returns as the billionaire-inventor-superhero Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, but we now find him to be a nervy insomniac prone to panic attacks. He does at least have his former assistant turned CEO Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) on hand to soothe him. It’s not long, though, before their domestic bliss is thwarted by a two-pronged attack – the arrival of biologically advanced super-powered humans and the mysterious figurehead of a terror group who is known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). A definite improvement on Iron Man 2, this enjoyable superhero sequel meets the high standards we’ve come to expect from Marvel.