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| Rush |
Rush, 10pm, BBC2, Monday, May 6
The story of the rivalry between F1 aces James Hunt and Niki Lauda is given a glossy big screen retelling in Ron Howard's film. Written by Peter Morgan, it's no surprise that the writer of Frost/Nixon and The Queen puts psychology to the fore and amps up the win-at-any-costs mentality of Lauda, in particular - something that led the driver to have a horrific accident. Howard's action on the racing circuit does the job but it's Lauda's battle back from the accident that really holds the interest and Daniel Bruhl, who can be a bit hit and miss in terms of performances, is on the top of his game as the driven Austrian. Chris Hemsworth puts in a solid supporting performance, although he mainly leans into the established playboy image of the English sportsman.
Gone Girl, 10.07pm, Monday, May 6, Great Movies (Freeview Channel 34)
David Fincher is at his twisty and slickest best with this big screen rendering of Gillian Flynn's thriller, adapted by the author herself. Ben Affleck's Nick finds himself under suspicion after his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike, every inch the Hitchockian-style heroine) disappears right before their fifth wedding anniversary. The film remains unpredictable despite sliding smoothly from flashbacks to the present, never once loosening its grip. Disturbing and deftly handled. Read what the cast and director said about it in New York.
Cold Souls, Plex.tv, streaming now
Tony Sullivan writes: Paul Giamatti (Paul Giamatti) is having trouble with playing a stage role in Uncle Vanya - the part is getting to him. Paul's agent jokingly suggests he look at a New Yorker magazine article concerning a medical procedure to remove the soul. Desperate to alleviate his distress, Paul, with great trepidation, approaches the clinic and succumbs to the sales pitch. This helps his mental state, but completely ruins his stage performance... which is just the start of his problems as it turns out the clinic is involved in illegal trafficking of souls from Russia. Then Paul's soul goes missing. A quirky comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously, it coasts along on Giamatti's charm. Director Sophie Barthes notes that she had Woody Allen in mind for the lead role originally and that probably tells you what you need to know. Read what Sophie Barthes told us about her inspiration.
Sweetheart, Netflix, from Wednesday, May 8
Family holidays are great as a child but not always such an enticing prospect for teenagers. That's certainly the case for AJ (impressive newcomer Nell Barlow), who would pretty much rather be anywhere else than in a caravan at a holiday camp with her extended family. Writer/director Marley Morrison handles the familiar coming-of-age themes with a light touch as AJ - whose queer identity is fully accepted by her family - embarks on a brief romance with lifeguard Isla (Ella-Rae Smith). Morrison captures the lovable messiness of families and first loves, while also offering a believable snapshot of the enduring institution that is the British holiday camp.
Happy As Lazzaro, 1.15am, Film4, Friday, May 10
Jennie Kermode writes: The relationship between innocence, ignorance and freedom lies at the heart of Alice Rohrwacher's beautifully photographed pastoral fable. Here time moves in cycles, dictated by the seasons, and peasants are so deeply immersed in the rhythms of their toil that they laugh at the suggestion that time elsewhere has moved differently, that they have rights, that they are not the property of the marchesa. Despite the day to day strain, they are content, because although they look up to her, they can look down on Lazzaro. He might be seen as the village idiot, exploited by everybody and yet exuding a mysterious inner peace. And yet when an unexpected event occurs, the peasants will realise that they might never have understood Lazzaro at all, and they will gain a knowledge and awareness from which it is impossible to retreat, shattering their bucolic idyll. Anchored by an impressive performance from newcomer Tardiolo in the title role, the film blends social insight with a sense of the magical and an understanding of the weight of possibility. Read what Alice Rohrwacher said about folktale magic and her MoMA series.
Brian And Charles, Netflix, from Friday, May 10
British absurdity is firmly to the fore in this tale of a lonely and - of course - eccentric inventor (David Earl) who creates a robot (played by Chris Hayward) to be his friend. The result, which Jim Archer wraps up in a mockumentary, has a rambling charm as robot Charles starts out as a naif before fast-forwarding to those difficult 'teenage' emotions while also falling foul of local bad guy Eddie (Jamie Michie). The stand-out performance here, however, is from Louise Brearley as Brian's potential love interest Hazel - look out for her getting a role to sink her teeth into in the upcoming Cluck Cluck Baby, which will hopefully get a release later this year.
The Day The Earth Stood Still, 3.35pm, Saturday, May 11
There's a robot of a very different sort in Robert Wise's sci-fi classic. Gort (Lock Martin) is accompanying an alien, Klaatu (Michael Rennie), on his mission to Earth to decide whether humanity is worth preserving or not. Things get off to a bad start when Klaatu is accidentally shot and Gort proves his might, but as the alien becomes a fugitive, he finds a mum (Patricia Neal) and her son (Billy Gray) who prove to be living examples of humanity who are much more worth saving. Groundbreaking in terms of effects when it was made, it's the smart scripting and impressive argument for a lot more peace, love and understanding that have stood the test of time. Bernard Herrmann's atmospheric score is also a treat.
This week's short is also a lesson in kindness to others - The Boy, The Fox, The Mole And The Horse, which is showing on BBC1 at 6pm tonight and available to stream now.
