In the Middle’s best weekly freeview flicks picks is here! This week we lose friends and alienate people, retire to India and track down a murderer by tattoos.
MONDAY – Casablanca (Film4 17:10)
1942’s Casablanca is a film that changed movie history and has truly stood the test of time. It is a classic tale of war and love, with one of the greatest romances in movie history. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are outstanding in the roles of Rick and Ilsa, now archetypes in film. Entertaining, emotional, beautiful and breath-taking, this is a must watch.
TUESDAY – In The Valley of Elah (BBC1 23:40)
Everyone loves a good crime thriller, and In The Valley of Elah is one such film. The ever wonderful Tommy Lee Jones plays a retired military investigator, who works with police detective Charlize Theron to uncover the truth about the disappearance of his son who vanishes after returning from duty in Iraq. Although this film treads lightly on the politics surrounding the Iraq war, it is still quietly effective with uniformly good performances from all cast members, and a dramatic ending with an important message to give to its audience.
WEDNESDAY – Beasts of the Southern Wild (Film4 23:40)
At the last Academy Award ceremony, one little girl stole the whole show. This of course was Quvenzhane Wallis, the young star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, who at Christmas will be seen as the lead role in the Hollywood Annie remake. Wallis plays Hushpuppy in her debut role, a young girl who is faced with a hot-tempered ill father and an oncoming storm that may threaten the community in which she lives. She gives a remarkable performance and we quickly fall in love with her character, as well as the magical nature of the film. With a unique vision that will blow the audience away with its optimism, energy and beauty, it really is something quite special.
THURSDAY – Seven Pounds (Movie Mix 21:00)
When we think of Will Smith we think of the great entertainer, the funny man of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. In Seven Pounds, though, Smith really shows off his versatile acting abilities as a man on the hunt for redemption by changing the lives of seven strangers. Although the story can be slow and confusing at times, if you stay with it until the end you will be crushed emotionally.
FRIDAY – Memento (Film4 01:25)
Known as one of the best filmmakers currently working, Christopher Nolan certainly set his standards high with his first full length directorial Memento. Following Leonard (Guy Pearce), a man with short-term memory loss who is trying to discover who killed his wife using tattoos, Nolan certainly shows off his outstanding storytelling and narrative skills. Although told backwards, and with many twists and turns, it is not confusing and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the shocking end.
SATURDAY – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Channel 4 21:00)
Who would have guessed that a film about a group of British retirees, who travel to India to take up residence in a less than luxurious hotel, could cause such a storm. You do not have to be a pensioner to enjoy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which charms you just as much as the hotel charms the characters. With a stellar British cast that includes Judi Dench to Bill Nighy, this is a true feel-good film to take away those essay stresses.
SUNDAY – How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (Film4 23:15)
Simon Pegg knows how to make people laugh, and in this film he knows how to lose friends and alienate people , playing the role of a British writer who is struggling to fit in with a high-profile magazine in New York. Pegg is as funny as ever, but Kristen Dunst gives the best performance, being surprisingly funny, witty, sexy and real. With a smart and satirical look at the way high-profile magazines and Hollywood works, it is a clever film.
Emily Murray
Image property of MGM.