The Herald - The Herald Magazine
THIS WEEK’S BEST FILMS
SATURDAY
Koala bear entrepreneur Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) inherited a theatre from his father, but the business has gone into decline. In order to woo audiences and save the business, Buster organises a singing competition with a $1,000 prize. Unfortunately, Buster’s elderly iguana assistant Ms Crawly accidentally adds two more zeroes to the prize on promotional posters. By the time Buster discovers her costly error, long audition queues have formed around the theatre. He ploughs on regardless, shortlisting a number of animals voiced by the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane and Scarlett Johansson in this lively, if predictable animation.
SUNDAY
Dances with Wolves (1990) (Channel 5, 2.30pm)
Disillusioned cavalry officer John Dunbar (Kevin Costner, who also directs) leads his troops to an unlikely victory during the American Civil War. Afterwards, his superiors offer him any post he wants; he chooses the Western frontier, where he learns to love life again thanks to his friendship with a Sioux Indian tribe. However, the tribe is threatened when Dunbar’s former comrades come looking for him. Costner’s career reached its peak with this multiOscar winning Western.
The Proposal (2009) (Channel 5, 10pm)
In the hallowed corridors of Ruick & Hunt Publishing, New York book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is feared by one and all, including her long-suffering assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds). When
Margaret is threatened with deportation to Canada after her visa expires, she forces Andrew to pose as her fiance and walk her down the aisle, with the understanding they can get divorced a few months later when she has her citizenship. As part of the ruse, she accompanies her assistant home to Sitka, Alaska, for a family get-together, where ice queen Margaret begins to thaw. The Proposal hits more targets than it misses, and Bullock takes Peter Chiarelli’s screenplay by the scruff of the neck and wrings every giggle out of it.
MONDAY
Gone Girl (2014) (Film4, 9pm)
On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) calls the police to his home.
There are signs of a struggle and his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) is missing. Amy’s distraught parents (David Clennon, Lisa Beth) join Nick to front a high-profile media campaign to secure the safe return of their daughter but, in the glare of the spotlight, fractures appear in the Dunnes’ marriage and the cops question Nick’s innocence. Gone Girl is a spiky satire, skilfully adapted by Gillian Flynn from her 2012 bestseller.
Fury (2014) (C5, 11.05pm)
Eight weeks after he enrols in the US Army as a clerk typist, Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) is assigned the position of assistant driver in a tank christened Fury under the command of Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt).
This battle-weary veteran began the war in Africa and moved to Europe, killing numerous Germans along the way. Aided by the rest of the tank’s crew, Collier gives Norman an initiation he will never forget on a series of missions led by Captain Waggoner (Jason Isaacs). Directed with testosterone-fuelled swagger by David Ayer, Fury is an atmospheric picture of the hell of war, studded with polished dialogue that doesn’t always ring true.
TUESDAY
The Killing (1956) (Film4, 2.50pm)
Stanley Kubrick’s gripping film noir stars Sterling Hayden as a career criminal who is planning the obligatory one last big job before he settles down and marries his fiancee. To pull off the audacious heist, which involves robbing a heavily guarded racetrack, he recruits a number of accomplices, including a sharpshooter (Timothy Carey), a crooked police officer (Ted de Corsia), a bartender (Joe Sawyer) and a betting teller (Elisha Cook Jr). However, he doesn’t count on one of them confiding the plan in the wrong person.
The Florida Project (2017) (Film4, 11.25pm)
Single mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) sells designer fragrances to wealthy theme park visitors, aided by her precocious six-year-old daughter Moonee (Brooklynn Prince). It’s a struggle to raise the rent for a single room at the Magic Castle Motel and placate long-suffering manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe). During the day, little Moonee goes on adventures with other children. Their escapades drive Bobby to distraction, and an increasingly volatile Halley resorts to desperate
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