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THIS WEEK’S BEST FILMS
SATURDAY
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 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 and public openly question Nick’s innocence.
Basic Instinct (1992) (5 Star, 10pm)
Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) is pressed into action when a rock star is killed with an ice pick during sexual intercourse. His investigations immediately point to Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a crime novelist who was dating the musician at the time of his death. Curran is sure that she’s the murderer, but he’s unable to get enough evidence to arrest her. She emerges as a sultry mastermanipulator, who knows how to use her assets to get what she wants.
SUNDAY
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) (STV, 4pm)
Francisco Scaramanga isn’t the sort to be messed with. He’s arguably the world’s leading assassin, and charges a million a kill. However, his nefarious activities need to be brought to an end, so 007 is sent to deal with him. Of course, this being a James Bond movie, the task is incredibly difficult, with our hero dodging death at every turn as he chases Scaramanga to his secret island lair, where a dual to the death takes place. There are no prizes for guessing who comes out on top, but watching the events unfold is
strict routine may be boring for her. Jacob is concerned when Nate is brought into the ED struggling to breathe. Masters guiltily remembers that he should have picked up Nate’s medication as soon as the interview was over. And when Lev’s family life takes a turn for the worst, he battles temptation and wanders into the arms of a man he’s been messaging.
SUNDAY
The Durrells (STV, 7pm)
Remember the spring of 2018 when the world was open and we could jet off to sun-kissed climes? Obviously things have changed a bit since then, but if you are missing picture-perfect backdrops, then here’s another chance to see
have unexpected – and tragic – consequences. This adaptation of EM Forster’s novel is one of the finest movies to come from period drama specialists Merchant Ivory.
MONDAY
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) (C5, 10pm)
Thirtysomething Bridget Jones struggles with her age, weight, job and lack of a serious relationship. Deciding to turn things around, she makes a New Year’s resolution to take control of her life, and
BBC Young Musician winner from 2016, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, is the soloist, with soprano Jeanine De Bique and conductor Kevin John Edusei also performing. The concert includes works by Pulitzer Prizewinning George Walker and young British composer Hannah Kendall, whose The Spark Catchers takes inspiration from the urgent energy of Lemn Sissay’s poem of the same name.
The Edge (BBC2, 9pm)
Great dramas about cricket are few and far between. Yes, there was Bodyline in the 1980s, the series which helped launch the career of Hugo Weaving, but clearly when it starts by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. However, she soon finds herself torn between her charming though disreputable boss and a disagreeable, but handsome, acquaintance who she just can’t stop running into. Renee Zellweger gives what is perhaps a career-defining performance as frustrated singleton Bridget. And her boss Hugh Grant proves that he can play more than his typical bumbling and foppish roles when he gets the chance.
Mr & Mrs Smith (2005) (Film4, 11.25pm)
Doug Liman’s slam-bang actioner sees embittered duo John Smith (Brad Pitt) and wife Jane (Angelina Jolie) heading for marriage guidance counselling, hoping to rediscover their lost spark. Excitement is certainly what they get when they learn they are both assassins-forhire for rival firms – and have been contracted to kill each other.
TUESDAY
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) (Film4, 4.20pm)
The one where Herbert Lom’s unhinged former police commissioner Dreyfus attempts to take over the world with the help of a giant laser gun. Naturally, Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) has to stop him in his own unique way. The last of the great Pink Panther movies before director Blake Edwards decided to milk the series for all it was worth.
Dead Calm (1989) (5 Star, 11pm)
A loving couple (Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill) take a boat trip to get over a family tragedy, but instead of the gentle journey they envisaged, they stumble on a wrecked vessel and a traumatised ‘survivor’ (Billy
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