The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Seven-day TV listings guide and the pick of the week’s films
SATURDAY La La Land (2016) (BBC2, 9pm)
ASPIRING actress Mia (Emma Stone) works as a barista between auditions, which repeatedly end in crushing rejection. On a traffic-jammed Los Angeles freeway, she crosses paths with jazz-loving pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). They meet again at a party in the Hollywood Hills, where they share hopes for the future beneath the twinkling stars of the Californian night sky. But can they follow their dreams and keep their artistic integrity without sacrificing their relationship?
The Boss (2016) (Channel 4, 10pm)
MICHELLE Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) becomes America’s 47th richest woman until her dubious ethics result in a five-year prison sentence for insider trading. She emerges without any friends to greet her. Her bodyguard Tito (Cedric Yarbrough) has abandoned her and long-suffering personal assistant Claire Rawlings (Kristen Bell) has a daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson) to nurture. In desperation, Michelle turns up on Claire’s doorstep and takes up temporary residence on her sofa bed. From this low-rent headquarters, Michelle sets out to rebuild her empire.
SUNDAY Black Narcissus (1947) (BBC2, 1.35pm)
Powell and Pressburger’s classic, visually stunning drama follows a group of nuns under the control of a newly promoted mother superior, Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr), as they travel to the remote Himalayan village of Mopu to establish a convent. The exotic, intoxicating sights and smells test the moral resolve of the sisters who hanker for home.
Marguerite (2015) (BBC4, 10pm)
It was released before Florence Foster Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, but writer-director Xavier Giannoli’s award-winning drama draws inspiration from the same true story of a wealthy woman who harboured delusions of being a talented opera singer. Marguerite Dumont (Catherine Frot) is a socialite of considerable financial clout, who is blissfully unaware of her lack of talent. Her husband Georges (Andre Marcon) tolerates her because he can benefit from her vast fortune, while her dutiful chauffeur Madelbos (Denis Mpunga) attempts to shield Marguerite from those who would hurt her with the harsh truth. Aided by respected vocal coach Atos Pezzini (Michel Fau), Marguerite prepares to
sing at one of the biggest concert halls in Paris.
MONDAY Jaws (1975) (ITV4, 9pm)
It’s 44 years old but Steven Spielberg’s first blockbuster has lost none of its bite. Roy Scheider heads the cast as Brody, a police chief on New England’s Amity Island whose relatively idyllic existence is turned upside down when a great white shark starts snacking on the locals. The mayor is reluctant to close the beaches in case it scares off the tourists, so with the aid of a wealthy expert
(Richard Dreyfuss) and a salty hunter (Robert Shaw), Brody heads off to find and kill the beast. It’s a masterpiece of direction, combining genuine thrills with three-dimensional characters.
The Intern (2015) (5Star, 9pm)
Seventy-year-old widower Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) applies for a senior citizen internship at a flourishing company founded by workaholic Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). When Jules’ position as chief executive comes under threat, Ben provides emotional support in a time of crisis and teaches his boss that success shouldn’t always come at the expense of personal relationships. The Intern is a frothy exploration of romantic travails and bears all the thumb-prints of writer-director Nancy Meyers’ earlier pictures, including What Women Want and It’s Complicated.
TUESDAY Suffragette (2015) (More4, 9pm)
In 1912 London, Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) works long hours in a laundry with her husband Sonny (Ben Whishaw). Women earn less than men and are denied the vote, which rankles some of the workforce, including the outspoken Violet Miller (Anne-Marie Duff). She encourages Maud to join the suffragette movement and speak up against this injustice at a parliamentary panel. Alas, MPs refuse to honour a voting-rights bill amendment, so Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) stirs her troops into direct action. Maud becomes heavily involved in the uprising and risks her relationship with Sonny and young son George (Adam Michael Dodd).
Training Day (2001) (ITV4, 10pm)
LAPD detective sergeant Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) operates above the law and believes that officers should use any method – no matter how extreme – in the pursuit of justice. New recruit
Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) is assigned to train under Alonzo and to learn from him. Jake bears witness to corruption and extreme prejudice and he begins to question whether the LAPD is really the right place for him. Washington’s Oscar-winning performance is the best reason to watch Training Day.
WEDNESDAY Spirited Away (2001) (Film4, 6.30pm)
Spirited Away was a deserving winner of an Academy Award for best animated feature in 2003. Hayao Miyazaki’s extraordinary, magical adventure constantly surprises with its daring plot twists and unexpected flights of surreal fancy, interspersed with gentle humour as a young girl named Chihiro (voiced by Daveigh Chase) struggles to break the spell that has transformed her parents (Michael Chiklis and Lauren Holly) into pigs. The film was originally released in dubbed and subtitled versions (for the purists) and both boast lively vocal performances full of emotion, which carry the story along at a brisk pace.
Nine to Five (1980) (ITVBe, 6.45pm)
Three very capable female office workers (Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) are tired of being passed over for promotion and taking orders from their chauvinistic boss (Dabney Coleman). The trio spend their days fantasising about getting their own back on him, but unexpectedly get the chance to make their daydreams come true when a series of mishaps culminates in them kidnapping him. Nine to Five suffers from a slightly ramshackle plot and a little too much padding, but at its heart, this is a fun, sharp comedy with a take on the sexism of office politics that hasn’t dated as much as we might like to think in 40 years. The lead actresses make a great trio, with the scene-stealing Parton contributing more than just a wonderfully catchy theme tune.
THURSDAY The Ladykillers (1955) (Film4, 12.45pm)
A criminal mastermind and his motley gang of accomplices rent rooms from an elderly woman in order to plan their latest heist. The landlady doesn’t suspect a thing – she thinks they are a string quintet – but the gang fear that she still poses a threat to their scheming and realise they are going to have to kill her. However, bumping her off proves a lot more difficult than they expected. The Ladykillers is an absolute classic that jostles with The Lavender Hill Mob and Kind Hearts and Coronets for the title
of the greatest Ealing comedy. The cast, which includes Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom and Katie Johnson, is first-rate, and the script and direction aren’t too shabby either.
Double Jeopardy (1999) (Film4, 10.50pm)
A man (Bruce Greenwood) fakes his own death and plants evidence to suggest that his wife (Ashley Judd) bumped him off so that he can run off with the babysitter. The hapless spouse serves 10 years for a crime she did not commit so, when she is finally released, she breaks her parole to track down her scheming other half and kill him for real, convinced that she cannot be jailed a second time for the murder. Her grizzled parole officer (Tommy Lee Jones) gives chase. Double Jeopardy is a thriller a la The Fugitive, with Lee Jones playing a variation on a theme of Sam Gerard (the role that won him an Oscar) and Judd taking the Harrison Ford role as the wrongly convicted escapee. It’s fun, even if its understanding of the law is questionable at best.
FRIDAY The Fast and the Furious (2001) (ITV2, 9pm)
Buckle your seat-belts, put your brain into neutral and hold on tight: The Fast and the Furious is one ridiculously enjoyable, bumpy ride, which launched an entire franchise. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is the king of Los Angeles. With his computer-controlled car, he drives the city streets as if he owns them, racing all-comers for a first prize of $10,000. Anything goes in these illegal, high stakes races, and Dom is a hero to the throngs who crowd the streets to watch this masterful display of handling and speed. Dom feels invincible, until new boy – and undercover police officer – Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) dares to challenge his supremacy.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) (BBC1, 11.35pm)
Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is abducted from Earth as a child and raised by alien mercenaries. Consequently he becomes a thief for hire and steals a mystical orb sought by sadistic warlord Ronan (Lee Pace) and his army. When Peter learns that the orb has the power to destroy the universe, he puts selfish desires to one side and aligns himself with a motley crew of renegades to repel Ronan. From its visually stunning opening set to the funky strains of Come and Get Your Love, James Gunn’s film is a blast, and Pratt brings swagger and wit to his emotionally wounded hero.