In the Middle’s best weekly freeview flicks picks is here! This week we take a lonely trip to the moon and encounter a man who ages backwards….
MONDAY – Kick-Ass (Film4 21:00)
When Kick-Ass was released in 2010, it was one of the biggest surprises of the year. With a mostly unknown cast, including two young and inexperienced actors, and a story about a superhero who has no special abilities whatsoever, everyone thought it would be a flop. However, with its refreshing sense of humour, engaging characters and a superb story that is an electric mixture of action, drama and emotion, it soon turned out to be a raging success. It would be difficult not to enjoy this film.
TUESDAY – Moon (BBC4 21:00)
Moon is a film people will look at in the future as a science-fiction classic. The ever fantastic Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, an astronaut who embarks on a three-year trip to the moon to find resources that will solve Earth’s power problems, with only a computer for company. Rockwell gives the performance of a life-time, and is pretty much the only presence on screen. Completely enthralling, with a unique story that twists and turns keeping you gripped, it is seriously worth a watch.
WEDNESDAY – The Angel’s Share (Film4 21:00)
Ken Loach is one of the best directors working in Britain right now, producing wonderful, engaging and realistic films. One of his most recent works is The Angel’s Share, a film that follows a new dad who narrowly escapes prison, and on a visit to a distillery is inspired find a way for him and his friends to find ways out of their hopeless lives. This is a film with a heart at the centre.
THURSDAY – Safe (5* 21:00)
No-one else does action films better than Jason Statham, so this week we are featuring another of his films, Safe. Statham stars as an ex-cage fighter, who attempts to protect a young girl whose fantastic brain has remembered an important numerical code. Of course, it is complete nonsense, but the action-packed nonsense is actually really enjoyable.
FRIDAY – Clerks (Film4 23:25)
Clerks, shot on an extremely low-budget, sees director Kevin Smith mostly using friends and family to fill the cast and crew. Who would have guessed that later on this film would be considered a cult classic? Following the lives of two convenience clerks in their art of annoying customers, Smith’s gift for writing funny and witty dialogue carries the film.
SATURDAY – The King’s Speech (Film4 21:00)
Colin Firth plays King George VI as he ascends to the throne, all the while battling with a speech impediment and an unusual speech therapist who attempts to cure him. Cue a powerful, hilarious and deeply moving film that will steal your heart, set the tears rolling and make you laugh out loud. Firth is wonderful as King George, and with a supporting cast that includes the likes of Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush, there are no second rate performances in this film.
SUNDAY – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Film4 17:40)
In The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Brad Pitt stars as a man who starts aging backwards. Pitt is extremely likeable in the role of Benjamin, with Cate Blanchett starring beside him making for an interesting dynamic. With a mixture of wonder and awe, you will easily got lost in this intriguing tale.
Emily Murray
Image property of amazon.com