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| A History Of Violence |
The Piano, 11.05pm, BBC2, Monday, August 5
Jennie Kermode writes: The story of mute Scotswoman Ada (Holly Hunter), who is dispatched, along with her daughter (Anna Paquin), to the other side of the world as a mail-order bride, Jane Campion's assured and visually stunning drama made her the first woman to win the Palme d'Or and only the second to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar, while Paquin became the youngest ever winner of a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Robbed of her voice when her inconvenient instrument is sold to plantation owner George (Harvey Keitel), Ada seems to speak for thousands of women whose stories have been erased by history. She suffers constant verbal abuse and rejection by her new husband, but there's a formidable, resilient quality about her, and when she makes a deal with George, allowing her to gradually recover the piano, what begins as something ugly and exploitative unexpectedly blooms into romance. The female-centred erotic narrative shocked cinemagoers back in 1993 and made a significant contribution to the eventual shift in how women's experiences are represented onscreen. An uncharacteristically melodic score by Michael Nyman seals this film's classic status.
A History Of Violence, Netflix, from Wednesday, August 7
Thrillers don't come much more taut than David Cronenberg's adaptation of the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, where the violence of the title continually comes as a shock. It's certainly not something you expect family man Tom (Viggo Mortensen) to encounter. We've just been introduced to his sweet family life complete with wife (Maria Bello) and kids Jack and Sarah (Ashton Holme and Heidi Hayes) before we see him head to work at his diner. Cronenberg sets up this picket fence niceness right before he starts to blast it away to reveal an American underbelly that's much less wholesome. Tom's trip to the diner leads to an unexpected encounter with some robbers that will see him celebrated as a hero in the local press, but also bring him the unwanted attentions of a shady stranger (Ed Harris). The latter accuses Tom of being an old acquaintance, a violent mobster called "Joey", setting in motion both mystery and a spiral of violence that implicates us as well as those on screen.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me, 1am, Film4, Wednesday, August 7
Chloe Zhao was catapulted to international stardom after her third film Nomadland blazed an awards trail all the way to Oscar glory - all a far cry from her first film that premiered with little fanfare at Sundance in 2015. In fact, her first film didn't even get a full release until her Frances McDormand-starrer caught the eye of the Academy in 2021 and, as you can see by the middle-of-the-night time slot, it still struggles to garner the attention it deserves. Lyrical and low-key, Zhao's coming-of-age tale of two Lakota Nation youngsters Johnny and Jashaun Winters (John Reddy and Jashaun St John) living in Pine Ridge nevertheless builds a head of emotional steam. Although this is fiction, the story, like its non-professional child stars, has very strong roots in reality, extending to the inclusion of a home fire that actually occurred.
Stand By Me, 11.35pm, Film4, Wednesday, August 7
Rob Reiner's moving drama of friendship in small-town America has lost none of its charm in the 30 or so years since Raynold Gideon did what many have failed to do and successfully adapted a Stephen King novella. This resultant coming-of-age drama is one of that small subset of films that is about children but not for them as it explores the emotions that come to light when a group of kids set out to look for a missing boy's body. The performances - from Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland and River Phoenix among others - never miss an emotional beat. Make sure you have a box of tissues to hand, even if you've seen this before.
Mud, 11.35pm, BBC2, Thursday, August 8
Jeff Nichols' 2013 film also has friendship as it core as it charts the story of two teenagers who are trying to reunite a fugitive with his long-term love. It marked something of a turning point for Matthew McConaughey, who had a serious run of good films after this, including Dallas Buyers Club, Wolf Of Wall Street and Magic Mike. Here he plays Mud, an offbeat charmer who befriends teenagers Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who, in turn, try to help the course of true love run smooth – with unintended consequences. A coming-of-age tale that is less about the loss of innocence than the gaining of knowledge, this is a modern descendant of Mark Twain's Huck Finn.
Flushed Away, 12.30pm, ITV, Sunday, August 11
The first Aardman animation to jettison stop-motion work in favour of CGI may not have quite the charm of Wallace and Gromit but there's enough here to keep the kids entertained. The voice talent is strong, as always, with Hugh Jackman on vocals for spoilt pet mouse Roddy St James, who finds his circumstances drastically altered after being flushed down the loo. As he tries to get back to Kensington through the sewers of London, he teams up with spirited risk-taker Rita (Kate Winslet), who is battling an evil toad (Ian McKellen), with plans for world domination. The singing slugs are a high point.
Snowpiercer, ITVX, streaming now
A slew of new titles dropped on ITV's free streaming service for August, including this gripping dystopian thriller from Bong Joon Ho. Like Songs My Brothers Taught Me, this also took ages to come to UK screens after being acquired by the Harvey Weinstein Company who wanted to cut it dramatically. Finally it was released i nits original form and don't be put off by the running time as it zips by. The action unfolds in the confines of a train, where the front carriages carry the world's elite in the lap of luxury, while the hellish rear end holds those whose lives are considerably less fortunate. As a metaphor for society's haves and have-nots, the film is familiar if on (and about) the money but it is elevated by visually arresting action sequences that make excellent use of the train's cramped spaces and high concept class system as Chris Evans' Curtis Everett leads the revolutionary charge towards the front. Read our interviews with the director and the late, great John Hurt, who also co-stars as Everett's mentor.
This week's short selection is Graeme Cole's debut animation Pilot For A 22nd Century Sitcom. He's part of the Bistrik7 group of filmmakers who were part of Béla Tarr’s first generation film.factory in Sarajevo - read more about their work here.
Pilot For A 22nd Century Sitcom from L'Institute Zoom on Vimeo.
