The Herald - The Herald Magazine
PICK OF TV MOVIES
SATURDAY
Great Expectations (1946) (BBC2, 2pm)
There have been plenty of film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ novel, but this one is by far and away the best. John Mills heads an excellent cast, with director David Lean creating the perfect atmosphere and setting. For the uninitiated, this classic tells the story of orphan Pip, who falls in love with the adopted daughter of an eccentric old woman. A mysterious benefactor provides him with the opportunity to rise through the ranks of London’s high society. However, he soon forgets all about his humble roots, and isn’t prepared when he discovers the truth about the girl he loves and the stranger funding his new life.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) (STV, 9.50pm)
Billed as a ‘rom zom com’, this hugely entertaining British movie (the first in a loose trilogy that would go on to include Hot Fuzz and The World’s End) stars Simon Pegg as Shaun, who hates his job and whose girlfriend has just dumped him for spending too much time in the boozer. In fact, he’s in such a rut that he barely notices that London is being overrun by zombies. However, when the truth does dawn, he sees it as a chance to prove to Liz that he can step up and achieve something. Even if you’re not familiar with the horror movies Shaun of the Dead is riffing on, this is superb stuff, with sublime comic touches from leading man Pegg and regular sidekick Nick Frost.
SUNDAY
Easter Parade (1948) (BBC2, 12.20pm)
When his dance partner Nadine (Ann Miller) announces she’s going solo, a spurned Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) decides to prove he can make it without her by picking a chorus girl at random and transforming her into a star. As luck would have it, the girl he picks is Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) and she takes the act to new heights thanks to her great voice and girlnext-door charm. But will Don ever see her as anything more than a replacement for the glamorous Nadine? The plot is thin, but the stars are on compelling form and some of the big musical numbers – most notably A Couple of Swells and Steppin’ Out With My Baby – are truly unforgettable.
Out of Sight (1998) (BBC1, 12.40pm)
Charming bank robber Jack Foley (George Clooney) escapes from jail, taking US Marshal Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) hostage in the process. When he gets away, Sisco takes it upon herself to track him down – but given the sparks that were flying between her and Jack, just what does she intend to do if she finds him? After a string of disappointing films, some critics were starting to wonder if former ER star Clooney was really cut out for the big screen – until this sexy, stylish crime caper from director Steven Soderbergh silenced the doubters for good. Clooney is charismatic in the lead role, and has incredible chemistry with Lopez, while the witty screenplay captures the flavour of Elmore Leonard’s novel.
MONDAY
The Transporter (2002) (C5, 11.05pm) Jason Statham is one of our most bankable exports, and his first outing as Frank, the mysterious, sharp-suited delivery driver was a rip-roaring success. Simply put, Frank finds himself in trouble when he breaks the rule that he should never ask what he’s transporting. He discovers that his latest cargo is alive, and thrusts himself into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with his unknown employers. It’s not the most gripping or clever of plotlines, but you’ll forget all about that minor setback once the action gets underway – and Statham did most of the stunts himself. Shu Qi, Matt Schulze and Francois Berleand co-star. Three more films have since been released in the franchise, as well as a short-lived TV series.
Wildlife (2018) (BBC2, 11.40pm)
Jerry Brinson (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his wife Jeanette (Carey Mulligan) move to 1960 Montana with their teenage son Joe. An unfortunate incident results in Jerry losing his job and he seeks lower paid employment as a firefighter outside town, leaving Jeanette and Joe to fend for themselves. In the absence of steady income, Jeanette takes on part-time work as a swimming instructor and in her time of loneliness, she seeks comfort in the arms of car dealership owner Warren Miller (Bill Camp). Joe becomes an uncomfortable witness to extramarital dalliances then Jerry returns home unexpectedly from fighting blazes in the mountains. Wildlife is a delicately observed portrait of familial dysfunction, adapted from the novel by Richard Ford.
TUESDAY
Aliens (1986) (ITV4, 9pm)
In James Cameron’s testosterone
fuelled 1986 sequel, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) wakes from hypersleep to discover that planet LV-426, home of the wily xenomorph, is now also home to a human colony. When contact is lost with this outpost, Ripley agrees to accompany Colonial Marine Lieutenant Gorman and Weyland-Yutani Corporation representative Carter Burke to the planet to investigate. The heavily armed Colonial Marines arrive on LV426 and discover the base is deserted except for a traumatised young girl, who warns the new arrivals about alien predators that come out at night... mostly.
WEDNESDAY
The Criminal (1960) (Talking Pictures TV, 9.05pm)
Director Joseph Losey came to Britain to make movies in the 1950s after being blacklisted by Hollywood. He
went on to make several classics, including The Servant and Accident. The latter was one of six films he made with Stanley Baker, who also takes the lead role in this gritty gangster thriller. Baker, then at the peak of his powers, plays Johnny Bannion, the criminal of the title, who is released from a long stretch behind bars at the start of the film and immediately finds himself under pressure from his former associates to reveal the whereabouts of their ill-gotten gains. Baker is superb, revealing his character’s tough side while dealing with underworld figures, but showing a more sensitive approach in his dealings with Bannion’s classy girlfriend.
THURSDAY
The Remains of the Day (1993) (BBC4, 8pm)
Anthony Hopkins gives one of his best performances as Stevens, a butler in a 1930s mansion who devotes himself to his master and the smooth running of the household. In fact, he’s so dedicated, he puts the demands of the job above his own emotional needs, rebuffing the advances of the spirited housekeeper Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) – and so obedient, he fails to question his employer’s (James Fox) increasingly pro-Nazi politics. Made at the height of period-drama specialists Merchant Ivory’s powers, this sensitive adaptation transforms Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel into a deeply moving drama.
All Is True (2018) (BBC2, 11.15pm)
In 1613, flames lick the Globe Theatre in London during a performance of Henry VIII. William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh) gallops back to the heaving bosom of Warwickshire, where he is a stranger to his wife
Anne (Judi Dench) and daughters Judith and Susanna. Unable to write, Shakespeare turns his hand to creating a memorial garden to his deceased son Hamnet. Scripted by Ben Elton, All Is True doesn’t let facts get in the way of spinning a melancholic yarn about the twilight years of the Bard’s life. Branagh sports facial prosthetics and make-up to achieve the distinctive profile of his scribe, who is weighed down with grief. Pacing is sluggish but there is a satisfying pay-off to the intrigue.
GOOD FRIDAY
Whiplash (2014) (BBC3, 9pm)
Nineteen-year-old drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is determined to excel at his Manhattan music conservatory, so he practises night and day and catches the eye of the school’s most revered teacher, Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons). The hard work pays off and Andrew transfers to Fletcher’s class, but the game of one-upmanship between teacher and pupil spirals out of control as Andrew sweats blood and tears to meet the lofty expectations of his maniacal mentor. Inspired by writer-director Damien Chazelle’s experiences in a fiercely competitive high-school jazz band.
House of the Long Shadows (1983) (Talking Pictures TV, 9.05pm)
Any movie starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and John Carradine has to be a must for horror fans. It’s certainly a curiosity, but isn’t indicative of any of the quartet’s best work, although it’s admittedly good to see them share screen time. It’s not out-andout frightening either; director Pete Walker adds a few laughs along the way. Based on the novel Seven Keys to Baldpate, it also stars Desi Arnaz Jr as an American author who decides to write his next book in a crumbling Welsh mansion, but gets more than he bargained for.