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| Beats |
This recent Scots indie has plenty to recommend it, including the perfect pairing casting of Lorn Macdonald - who won a Scots BAFTA for his trouble - and Christian Ortega as two teenagers determined to stop at nothing to attend their first illegal rave. Set against the backdrop of a political clampdown on the 90s music scene, Brian Welsh and Kieran Hurley do a bang on job of expanding on their stage play, capturing the scene of the time in sharp black and white with a pop of colour in unexpected places. From the high energy performances to a soundtrack that features The Prodigy, Leftfield and Prodigy, it's got its finger on the pulse. Read our full review.
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan, 10pm, BBC4, Tuesday, March 16
Jennie Kermode writes:A renowned documentarian. An alcoholic Irishman born with the gift of the gab. A film made mostly in the pub, though clips of archive footage, often ambiguous in content, serve to illustrate a tale which ranges far and wide. Johnny Depp, also present, knows when to stay in the background. This isn't so much a history of the Pogues as a rambling journey through their charismatic frontman's memories, from happy days growing up in a farming community where he smoked and drank Guinness from the age of six to the misery of a move to England where he met prejudice at every turn, a pivotal Sex Pistols gig and the discovery of a new way to bring Irish music and culture to the world. Shot through with melancholy yet full of passion and the intensity of life lived in the moment, it's tangled up with Irish history and politics, with McGowan never holding back. His frankness is every bit as compelling as the wild adventures he recounts, and one is left feeling as if he could talk like this for weeks and never run out of new things to say. Don't miss it. Read our full review.
In The Loop, iPlayer, until April 6
Modern satire doesn't come much more barbed than this comedy film spin-off of BBC hit The Thick Of It. Armando Ianucci shows no signs of nerves or rookie errors as he makes his directorial debut and transports Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi in his pre-Doctor Who days) into a trans-Atlantic web of spin, as politicians in the US and Britain spar for and against an unnamed war in the Middle East. Battle lines are drawn between Secretary Of State Linton Barwick (David Rasche) - who is gung-ho for a fight - and dove-like General (James Gandolfini) and US Assistant Secretary for Diplomacy Karen Clarke (Mimi Kennedy) as hapless minister for Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) and his aide Toby (Chris Addison) find themselves in deep. All this complexity is garnished with a heavy sprinkling of Iannucci one-liners delivered with precision by the excellent cast as he spins it to win it. Read our interviews with Gandolfini and Kennedy, Addison, Iannucci and Capaldi and our full review.
Suntan, 1.50am. Monday, March 15
A sunshine-drenched holiday isle turns into a well-lit purgatory for Argyris Papadimitropoulos' tale of a doctor experiencing a mid-life crisis. Kostis (Makis Papadimitriou) arrives on a tiny Greek island during the off-season - with joyless Christmas decorations underscoring his loneliness - and, when the summer comes, the drudge of his life is replaced by an explosion of chaos, as young people flock to the beach. Among them is Anna (Elli Tringou), whose uninhibited initial response to Kostis soon leads to obsession. There's absurdity here, but also a darker judgement of masculinity that doesn't need much to become toxic. Read our full review.
My Feral Heart, 9pm, BBC4, Thursday March 18
This is a multifaceted and warm character study of caregiver Luke (Stephen Brandon), who has been looking after his mum and who finds his world changing completely after her death. Luke has Down's syndrome - but the film shows this is just one element of who he is, even if it is the reason why he finds himself uprooted from the life he has known and placed in a group home. Gull and scriptwriter Duncan Paveling are out to challenge preconceptions here - not just those of the viewer, who may well hold stereotypical view of those with Down's syndrome that is a long way from reality, but for their central character, who discovers that his prejudice against the home may also not be entirely justified. Luke's perspective is placed front and centre so we see events through his eyes, as he struggles with grief, forms a friendship with a man (Will Ralstall) carrying out community service at the home and comes across a feral young girl (Pixie Le Knot). Brandon, in his first role, captures perfectly the emotional tug-of-war between Luke's grief and his naturally easygoing personality, while Ralstall also brings his character's internal conflict to the fore. Read our full review and our interview with Jane Gull.
Moulin Rouge, Sony Movies, 7.25pm, Sunday, 21 March
There's winning flamboyance to Baz Luhrmann's tale of the famous Parisian nightclub, which has a surprisingly affecting doomed romance between courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman) and starving writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) at its heart. Beyond the witty reimaginings of tracks including Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, Like A Virgin and Your Song - which are playfully reworked with cabaret sparkle and grit, this is a heady tale of excess and love that fully evokes the spirit of the turn-of-the-century moment in which it is set. Read our full review.
The Eagle Huntress, BBC iPlayer until June
If you're looking for a family friendly documentary then this is a perfect watch. Otto Bell's film heads to Mongolia to follow 13-year-old Aisholpan, who is determined to prove that eagle hunting is not just the preserve of men. The skilled pursuit is no mere hobby, with those who catch and train the birds using them to help find food in the tough conditions where they live. A story of both Aisholpan's determination and the fierce bond between her and her equality-minded father, Bell's camera watches as she finds and trains her bird in a bid to win a prize at the male-dominated Golden Eagle Festival, while the camera often takes flight with the eagle itself. The perfect blend of human storytelling and wildlife documentary. Read our full review and read our interview with Otto Bell.
We're staying with the blend of human story and wildlife photography for our short selection this week. Maria Wilhelm's Akashinga paints an immersive portrait of the women being trained to be anti-poaching rangers in Zimbabwe.
