The Herald - The Herald Magazine
THIS WEEK’S BEST FILMS
SATURDAY
On May 9, 1940, Clement
Attlee, leader of the opposition Labour Party, demands Neville Chamberlain stands down as prime minister. King George VI subsequently invites Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) to form a government at a critical juncture in the fight against Hitler. Foreign secretary Lord Halifax spearheads senior figures within the Conservative ranks, who expect Churchill to agree to talks with the Germans – but they are gravely mistaken. Darkest Hour is a handsomely crafted character study, which elegantly dramatises the 27 tumultuous days that led to Churchill’s impassioned cry for the British to fight on the beaches.
Gangster Squad (2013) (STV, 10.30pm)
One-time boxer Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) rules the roost in 1940s Los Angeles. Police chief Bill Parker is powerless to stop the rise of Cohen’s criminal fraternity so he approaches Sergeant John O’Mara to establish a covert team of officers, who are willing not only to bend the law but also to break it to restore order.
SUNDAY
John Wick (2014) (5*, 9pm)
Infamous hit-man John Wick
(Keanu Reeves) holsters his weapons for good to marry Helen. Shortly after terminal illness upends the fairy tale, John receives a present from his late wife: an adorable beagle puppy called Daisy. One night, Russian playboy Iosef Tarasov and his underlings break into John’s home, beat him to a pulp and kill Daisy. John Wick is a blood-soaked action thriller laced with macabre humour, and Reeves is wellequipped for the physical demands.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) (BBC1, 11pm)
The 1968 Steve McQueen movie is given a makeover, with Pierce Brosnan taking the title role. A bored billionaire, Thomas Crown decides to steal a valuable Monet piece from the New York Museum. However, Catherine Banning’s insurance company underwrite it, and the feisty woman is determined to retrieve it from the crook.
MONDAY
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
(Film4, 9pm)
Chris Pine follows in the footsteps of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck by taking on the role of soldier-turned-CIA analyst Jack Ryan. His job is to look for irregularities in overseas finance transactions that could tip the wink to future terrorist activity. When his findings suggest an imminent strike that could cripple the US economy, Jack is promoted to a field agent and dispatched to Moscow to probe enigmatic businessman Viktor Cherevin, who seems to be at the centre of the diabolical plot. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is an old-fashioned espionage thriller with some briskly edited action sequences.
The Expendables 3 (2014) (C5, 11.05pm)
Barney (Sylvester Stallone) and the rest of the team come faceto-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who co-founded The Expendables. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and now is making it his mission to end the group -- but Barney has other plans.
TUESDAY
Wind River (2017) (Film4, 9pm)
Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) works as a tracker for the US
Fish and Wildlife Service on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. During one sortie into the wilderness, Cory stumbles upon the frozen body of 18-year-old Natalie Hanson. Wind River is an impeccably crafted survival thriller of the fittest, photographed against breathtaking backdrops described by one wise character as “the land of You’re on Your Own”.
Get Carter (1971) (ITV4, 9pm)
Jack Carter (Michael Caine) isn’t a happy man. He’s not the sort you should cross either. When his brother is killed in their hometown of Newcastle, Jack journeys north to take revenge. Vindictive, ruthless and determined to get his man, he investigates the area’s underworld, uncovering a complex case of lies, backhanders and double-dealings involving a series of unsavoury characters. Despite being a flop on its initial release, Get Carter is a gritty, low-budget masterpiece.
WEDNESDAY
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) (ITV4, 8pm)
George Lazenby stepped into James Bond’s shoes for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969 but his turned out to be a one-time-only performance and in 1971, Sean Connery picked up the role again for this adventure. Guy Hamilton, who directed Goldfinger and would helm two more Bond films, is in the chair for a caper which has Bond pretending to be a diamond smuggler in order to defeat the ends of arch-enemy Ernst Blofeld who has designs on a space-mounted laser satellite. Jill St John co-stars as Tiffany Case and the most memorable scene is the chase involving Moon buggies.
Chef (2014) (Film4, 11.10pm)
Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) is the star chef at a Los Angeles restaurant owned by Riva. Prestigious food critic Ramsey Michel makes a reservation and Carl excitedly plans a new tasting menu. However, Riva forces Carl to revert to his signature dishes and Ramsey pens a scathing review, which berates Carl for resting on his laurels. The argument between chef and critic spirals out of control and Carl publicly quits his job and heads to Miami with ex-wife and their young son. In familiar surroundings, Carl transforms a worn-out truck into a mobile eaterie par excellence. Written and directed by Favreau, Chef is life-affirming drama that wears its heart on its olive oilspattered sleeve.
THURSDAY
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) (Film4, 9pm)
Posh English Charles (Hugh Grant) seems destined always to be the best man at weddings and never the groom. However, he finally finds the stirrings of true romance after a one-night stand with beautiful American Carrie (Andie MacDowell). After going their separate ways, he realises he wants to be with her but fate seems to intervene at every turn. This romantic comedy makes full use of Grant’s natural charm and boasts a superb cast giving their best.
RoboCop (1987) (ITV4, 9pm)
In the future, the city of Detroit is on the brink of collapse due to
crime and financial problems.
The corporation Omni Consumer Products steps in to take over the police department, with a plan to unleash their robot officers on the population. Their first prototype isn’t up to the job, but they get a second chance when human officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is killed in the line of duty and rebuilt as a cyborg. However, some of his memories remain, prompting him to try to track down the criminals who killed him – and in the process, he begins to turn against his masters. Director Paul Verhoeven’s satirical, blackly funny and very violent sci-fi thriller deserves its cult status – no wonder the 2014 remake couldn’t compete.
FRIDAY
We’re the Millers (2013) (ITV2, 9pm)
Small-time drug dealer David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) attempts to save a homeless girl, Casey, from being mugged. In the process, he loses his entire stash of ill-gotten gains and reluctantly agrees to clear his debts by picking up a small consignment of drugs from Mexico. To throw customs officers off the scent, David approaches sassy stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his wife and recruits Casey and next-door neighbour Kenny (Will Poulter) to portray their kids. Sudeikis delivers the one-liners with aplomb in this comical road movie, but the revelation is British star Poulter, who melds sweetness, vulnerability and goofiness to winning effect.
Election (1999) (BBC1, 11.45pm)
Over-achieving, unstoppably enthusiastic high-school student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) announces she’s running for class president – an idea that fills teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) with dread. So, in a bid to halt her seemingly inevitable rise to victory, he convinces dim-but-popular athlete Paul to stand against her. However, when Paul’s rebellious sister decides to throw her hat into the ring as well, Jim’s plot begins to spiral out of control. Director Alexander Payne pulls off a sharp, dark comedy that takes a satirical look at more than just high-school politics. Viewers of a certain age will find the sight of Matthew Broderick playing a crumpled teacher especially poignant, but it’s Reese Witherspoon who runs away with the movie.