Sunday (3/9) 18:45 Great Movies
The Impossible (2012) (also Tuesday 21:00)
J.A. Bayona's (The Orphanage, A Monster Calls) uplifting yet cautionary, highly effective account of the Thai tsunami of 2004, and the holidaying Spanish family that fought to survive the destruction and devastation to find eachother after being separated by the disaster. For some inconceivable (presumably) Hollywood hatched reason, the family was changed to white Americans for the film, a young Tom Holland plays the eldest son of Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.
Sunday (3/9) 23:15 BBC2
The Sisters Brothers (2018)
Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, 2009) directs this tale of two brothers who travel the wild west in search of riches whilst finding and coming to terms with the truth of their complicated relationship. It may be less memorable than it should be but this modern Western tale boasts Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly in wonderfully irreverent form as the titular duo. Jake Gyllenhall supports.
Monday (5/9) 22:00 ITV4
Platoon (1986) (also Wednesday 22:55)
Classic and revered wartime drama about a platoon of soldiers who go through hell in Vietnam. Based on the experiences of veteran Oliver Stone (JFK, Natural Born Killers), and narrated by new recruit Chris, played by Charlie Sheen, alongside Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. As they traverse terrain, we follow them and questions arise about the morality of war and treatment of innocent local natives, it pulls no punches and is not for the faint hearted. The film captures the gritty, sweaty environment perfectly and makes no effort to glamourise combat.
Saturday (3/9) 23:15 Great Movies
Limitless (2011)
Modern thriller starring Bradley Cooper as Eddie, a down and out writer with no foreseeable future. An old friend offers him a miracle drug which unlocks his brain power, at first turning him into a genius dynamo, relovutionising his life and work for the best, but becoming a threat when side effects become apparent and his supplier's shady past is uncovered. The themes of the story may not be original, and it isn't as slick as it should be but there is admirable tension, good performances and some interesting visual flare, most of which works well.
Sunday (4/9) 19:30 BBC2
Ready Player One (2018)
This film/video game hybrid is very high on spectacle, but unfortunately low on enduring watchability and quality that helped make it's director Steven Spielberg one of the most successful filmmakers of all time. Set in a dystopian future of interactive, immersive VR gaming, a young man must battle to preserve what is important. There is clear affection for video game pioneers of the 70s and 80s, but the love story element feels like an afterthought. A feast of CGI action, but you may not feel full for long.
Tuesday (6/9) 23:15 BBC2 Eastern Promises (2007)
An underrated crime thriller from David Cronenberg examining racial tensions in and around a London mafia family after a Russian girl dies in childbirth, leaving behind accounts of abuse at the hands of the gangsters, which midwife Naomi Watts investigates. Helped by the direction of a highly revered filmmaker and a Howard Shore score, Viggo Mortenson once again shows his range and versatility in a role that should be seen as a career highlight. The inimitable Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl support.
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