PICK OF TV MOVIES

SATURDAY

Saving Private Ryan (1998) (C4, 9.25pm)

Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed Second World War drama tells the story of a platoon of American soldiers (led by Tom Hanks) following orders to scour the battlefields of France in search of a missing infantryman, the titular Private Ryan (Matt Damon), who has been granted permission to return home on compassionate grounds. Spielberg is a true modern-day master of film and it came as no surprise when

Saving Private Ryan scooped five Oscars in 1999. The opening scenes depicting the Normandy invasion are harrowing to say the very least and are among the most realistic ever made. This superb film is capped off by some impressive performances from Hanks, Damon, Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns and Jeremy Davies.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021) (STV, 10.15pm)

Bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is in the throes of an existential crisis now he has been stripped of his triple-A rating. So, he takes a sabbatical from the protection business during a recuperative break in sun-kissed Capri. International con artist Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek) gatecrashes the Mediterranean paradise and compels Michael to help her rescue hitman husband Darius (Samuel L Jackson) from the clutches of the Eastern European mafia. The daring mission propels Michael, Sonia and Darius into the orbits of Interpol agent Bobby O’Neill (Frank Grillo) and Greek tycoon Aristotle Papadopolous (Antonio Banderas). The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is an action-packed sequel, which relies on Reynolds’ natural charisma and exuberance to paper over the cracks in the script.

Do the Right Thing (1989) (BBC2, 12.20am)

Director Spike Lee’s powerful, provocative drama grabs you from the opening titles which feature Rosie Perez, in her electrifying film debut, dancing to Public Enemy’s Fight the Power - and never lets go. It centres on a Brooklyn pizzeria, where the Italian-American owner (Danny Aiello) is involved in an apparently minor dispute with his predominately Black customers. However, as the temperature rises on the hottest day of the year, the simmering racial tensions in the neighbourhood reach boiling point and explode into violence. Do the Right Thing still feels shockingly timely, while the Academy’s failure to even nominate it for Best Picture .

SUNDAY

Clueless (1995) (C4, 3pm)

Writer-director Amy Heckerling’s classic teen comedy takes the plot of Jane Austen’s Emma and transports it to a

Nineties Beverly Hills high school. Rich, spoilt, but essentially well-meaning student Cher (Alicia Silverstone) decides to use her popularity for good by taking an unfashionable new girl (Brittany Murphy) under her wing and finding her a suitable boyfriend. However, when her attempts at matchmaking end in disaster, Cher is forced to face the fact that she might be the one who’s truly clueless. The film’s success inspired a wave of teen updates of classic literature, but few managed it with such effortless charm and wit as Clueless. Much of the credit is due to Heckerling’s endlessly quotable script but Silverstone should get her fair share of the praise too.

Memento (2000) (BBC2, 12.20am)

The film which set Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan on the road to stardom is a fiendishly clever and ambitious thriller, starring Guy Pearce. He plays former insurance investigator Leonard Shelby, who suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss that prevents him remembering what happened 15 minutes ago. The condition has plagued Leonard since he discovered a masked assailant brutally assaulting his beautiful young wife (Jorja Fox) and he was knocked unconscious in the ensuing struggle. Ever since, Leonard has spent every waking minute in the pursuit of vengeance. For Leonard, the past is a vast blank canvas. The time has come to fill in the missing details. Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano provide solid support.

MONDAY

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) (BBC1, 7.45pm)

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is exposed as Spider-Man and he tries (unsuccessfully) to ride out the storm. When the people he loves are penalised for associating with him, Peter entreats master of mystic arts Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell with ancient runes to make the world forget his secret identity. The incantation is botched and fissures in the multiverse allow five of Spider-Man’s most fearsome adversaries - Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Lizard (Rhys Ifans) and Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) - to converge on his refraction of New York City. Spider-Man: No Way Home is a thrillingly wild ride that puts the characters - and in turn us - through the emotional wringer to underline the great responsibility that comes with great power.

Hope and Glory (1987) (BBC2, 10pm)

Director John Boorman’s semiautobiographical drama explores the Second World War through the eyes of London schoolboy Bill (Sebastian RiceEdwards). To him, the Blitz seems like a big adventure, while his teenage sister (Sammi Davis) is also excited about the Canadian soldiers stationed in the neighbourhood. But for their mum Grace (Sarah Miles), it’s a