PICK OF THE TV MOVIES

SATURDAY

Tove (2020) (BBC4, 9pm)

Director Zaida Bergroth’s acclaimed biographical drama paints a vivid portrait of one of Europe’s most beloved artists. In 1945 Helsinki, the end of the Second World War heralds a period of artistic and social freedom in the Finnish capital. Painter Tove Jansson (Alma Poysti) is focused on realising her stories of Moomin creatures, which she imparted to scared children in the bomb shelters. These enchanting tales bring international fame and financial security. As she rides the crest of a wave, Tove meets theatre director Vivica Bandler and an allconsuming desire takes hold.

While these powerful feelings aren’t reciprocated, Tove channels her emotions into her work and defiantly forges her own path through Moominvalley and the real world.

21 Bridges (2019) (BBC1, 11.05pm)

Michael (Stephan James) and his military-trained buddy Ray (Taylor Kitsch) receive a tip-off that a swanky restaurant in New York is a temporary hold for shipment of cocaine, but a police patrol arrives as the trigger-happy duo escape with considerably more than they came for. Eight serving officers perish in a hail of bullets and Ray and Michael flee to Chinatown to offload their stash via a high-class money launderer. Flanked by ballsy narcotics division officer Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller), Detective Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman) is assigned to lead the manhunt by Captain McKenna (JK Simmons). 21 Bridges shoots to thrill on familiar territory. Screenwriters Adam Mervis and Matthew Michael Carnahan milk droplets of dramatic tension from their simple and efficient set-up.

SUNDAY

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) (C4, 2.20pm)

New graduate Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) lands a plum job as second assistant to the fearsome Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), esteemed editor of Runway magazine. Andy hopes the position will be a stepping-stone to serious political journalism and is unprepared for the immense challenges that lie ahead, catering to her tyrannical boss’s every whim. David Frankel’s smartly tailored adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s international best-seller is delicious. Streep glides through every frame in swathes of Galliano, Valentino and, of course, Prada, armed to her polished teeth with a dizzying array of knockout one-liners. As despicable as Miranda may be, Streep expertly reveals the chinks in her villainess’ designer-label armour, showing glimmers of vulnerability beneath the impeccably coiffed facade.

Missing Link (2019) (BBC1, 3.20pm)

Suave English gentleman Sir

Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman) receives a tantalising letter, which beckons him to the Pacific Northwest to learn the truth about the fabled Sasquatch. He follows handwritten directions and encounters an 8ft, 630lb talking creature (Zach Galifianakis), who is desperate to travel to the fabled Himalayan valley of Shangri-La to be united with furry relatives, the yetis. Sir Lionel agrees to lead the globe-trotting odyssey and invites the forest-dwelling companion to pose as his new manservant, Mr Link. Missing Link is a stopmotion animated adventure, which goes down a treat like a cup of Sir Lionel’s freshly brewed Earl Grey. Jackman plies his natural charm as the cane-wielding trailblazer, whose greatest discovery will be his own compassion.

MONDAY

Silence (2016) (BBC2, 11.15pm)

In 1640 Macao, Father Valignano (Ciaran Hinds) receives a letter, which suggests Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson) has publicly denounced God and surrendered his faith in Japan. Young priests Sebastiao Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), proteges of

Ferreira, persuade Father Valignano to allow them to seek out their mentor and disprove the rumours.

Set in a beautifully rendered 17thcentury Japan, Martin Scorsese’s passion project Silence is a sprawling sermon on faith and the endurance of the human spirit, which is easy to admire for its technical precision and production design, even if the stately pace and lengthy running time may test some viewers’ patience. The cast is strong, with Garfield’s committed central performance offering glimpses of his holy man’s anguish.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) (Film4, 11.20pm)

Based on the book by Lee Israel, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a comedy drama set in early 1990s New York City about one enterprising forger who dug herself out of a deep financial hole by inventing signed

correspondence from the likes of Noel Coward, Dorothy Parker and Tennessee Williams. Melissa McCarthy milks sympathy for her self-absorbed misanthrope, who boasts “I can’t get caught. Fools get caught,” thereby ensuring her downfall. Richard E Grant harks back to his glory days in Withnail and I to portray a foul-mouthed lush who lives from day to day on charm, and acts as a fence for the letters. Director Marielle Heller’s picture dramatises the criminal enterprise with warmth and wit, and the script provides the Oscar-nominated leads with a feast of glittering one-liners.