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| If Beale Street Could Talk |
Blood On Satan’s Claw, 10.55pm, Legend Xtra, February 19
Set in the aftermath of the English Civil War, when an urgent effort was underway to modernise ordinary people’s thinking and restore civilised values, Piers haggard’s folk horror classic uses diabolic motifs to tell a story whose underlying premise is a battrle of ideas. It sees an isolated village fall prey to the malign influence of a charismatic teenage girl with a penchant for cruelty, whose brutal gang the adults are at a loss as to how to deal with. Where spiritual authority fails, only academic learning offers hope, but there is a terrible price to pay. Cleverly shot in a way that further distinguishes the children from the preceding generation, this sophisticated film has deep roots and ongoing relevance today.
If Beale Street Could Talk, 11.15pm, BBC2, February 20
They say the blues began on Beale Street, and their associated imagery floods Barry Jenkins’ film, with its grainy textures, drifting smoke, low-lit alleyways and crowded domestic spaces. This is a mood piece, scored with trumpets and strings. Sometimes its story struggles to stand up to the weight of that, never quite capturing the power of the James Baldwin novel it’s based on, but it’s compelling nonetheless. At the centre of it is Fonny (Stephan James), a young man whose efforts to defend his pregnant girlfriend, Tish (KiKi Lane) from a white stranger’s groping puts him on the wrong side of a cop, and who subsequently finds himself facing a false rape allegation. There’s impressive supporting work from Regina King as Tish’s mother, helping to defend him against a corrupt system.
Is There Anybody Out There?, Netflix, February 21
Talking about bodies is something most people do, from time to time, with friends. it an experience often accompanied by laughter, a reassuring thing which brings people closer together - but for those whose bodies are different, it can amplify loneliness. This documentary follows Ella Glendining, who has grown up with a rare difference, as she searches for somebody else in the same situation. It celebrates the good things in her family life, challenges ableism, and asks difficult questions about the use of normalising surgeries on children too young to fully participate in the decision - all while she deals with a separate life-changing event. Disabled viewers will feel relief at seeing some of societies most ridiculous ideas about them challenges with passion and wit, while others will have the pleasure of understanding the world in a new way. Though it sometimes struggles with the sheer volume of material it takes on, it's a consistently smart, entertaining and uplifting piece of work.
The Girl On The Train, February 22
Adapted from Paula Hawkins’ bestselling book and, in the process, relocated to New York State, this tricky little psychological thriller by Tate Taylor sees Emily Blunt take on the role of Rachel, a woman struggling to cope in the aftermath of divorce who becomes invested in the lives of the people she watches through the train window on her daily commute. Her developing obsession leads her down an unexpected path when she comes to suspect foul play, but nothing is quite what it seems. As disparate pieces of the puzzle come together, new mysteries form. It’s Blunt who holds it all together, digging deep into the troubled interior of a heroine whose own troubles run deeper than she is willing to acknowledge.
Wild Rose, 9pm, Film4, February 23
Dressed in white cowboy boots and fringed jacket, and just out of prison, Rose, played with typical gutsy charisma by the incomparable Jessie Buckley, has built her dreams around Nashville, single motherhood and parole terms be damned – and yet there are very few works in the history of cinema that have been quite this Glaswegian. Though it’s theoretically a narrative about growing up and settling down – or at least identifying a more reasonable and achievable dream – such is Rose’s charisma that everyone around her, from frustrated businesswoman Susannah (Sophie Okonedo) to her own long-suffering mother (Julie Walters) ends up cheering her on when she takes to the stage. it’s a heartwarming tale about the messiness of life which gets away with its sentiments due to its sharp wit, and Buckley has a formidable singing voice.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 6.25pm, 5 Action, February 24
Before the Next Generation were a twinkle in Gene Roddenberry’s eye, there was Star Trek: The Motion Picture, excitedly greeted on release by audiences unused to their small screen favourites adapted into movies. All the usual cast members are present in a story which focuses on the arrival near Earth of a mysterious and aggressive entity which might just be familiar to viewers then and now. As the Enterprise sent out to intervene, its new captain finds his authority usurped by Admiral Kirk, but story-wise it’s Spock who uncovers the really important information as, post Star Wars, Paramount studio heads were big on proper science fiction themes. The result is that there’s not as much action or energy as in a typical episode of the original series, but it’s still a historically important film and a must for fans.
Puss In Boots, 12.55pm, Film4, Sunday, February 25
It’s a brave actor who agrees to take the lead with Antonio Banderas in a bit part. Even as a cartoon, he all too easily steals the show, and from his very first appearance alongside Shrek, it was clear that no one film would be big enough for the both of them. In this spirited spin-off, which owes a good deal to Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado, Banderas resumes his acting partnership with Salma Hayek, who sizzles as cat burglar Kitty Softpaws, torn between romance and profit as she accompanies Puss on a quest to find the goose that laid the golden egg. With Zach Galifianakis playing Puss’ old criminal associate Humpty Dumpty, there’s plenty of comedy alongside the swashbuckling animated action in a film with genuine appeal for viewers of all ages.
