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| Shirley Photo: Thatcher Keats |
Elisabeth Moss put in two of the year's best - and diverse - performances in 2020, that of an abused wife in The Invisible Man and here, as writer Shirley Jackson, entrenched in a very different type of emotional warfare with her husband. Director Josephine Decker and screenwriter Sarah Gubbins take their lead from Susan Scarf Merrell's source book Shirley: A Novel, which blends factual detail with a fictional framework to present a psychodrama snapshot of the horror writer's life. Set at the height of Jackson's fame, the story revolves around the arrival to the home she shares with her husband Stanley (Michael Stuhlbarg) of a young couple (Odessa Young and Logan Lerman) building a disturbing atmosphere that draws on the sexual politics of the period as well as Jackson's own life to immerse us in the gripping power play of the house.
Catch Me If You Can, 6.05pm, Film4, Monday, April 29
The true story of serial fraudster Frank Abagnale Jr is brought to the screen with panache and plenty of Sixties styling by Steven Spielberg. Leonardo DiCaprio turns up the charm to stun as Abagnale, making it easier to believe he managed to get away with as much as he did, including impersonating a doctor and an airline pilot. Tom Hanks has the less showy role here, as the FBI agent who will stop at nothing until he gets his man, and brings nice comic touches to the part.
Casino Royale, 9pm, ITV4, Monday, April 29
Jennie Kermode writes: Daniel Craig’s first outing as the suave secret agent is an origin story of sorts, taking us back to 007’s first assignment. References to past Bond movies, some more subtle than others, are scattered throughout, creating a game for viewers to play as the spy applies himself to the card games through which he can get his man – if he plays them right. Mads Mikkelsen is the villain who has his number, sharper and less showy than most of his opponents, while Eva Green proves more than a match for him as a romantic foil. There’s some spectacular stunt work but it’s director Martin Campbell’s ability to arrest our attention at the game table that really stands out. If you're feeling like a Fleming completist, you can also catch the David Niven spoof currently streaming for free on ITVX.
Happening, 1.50am, Film4, Wednesday, May 1
Audrey Diwan's film about a student facing an unwanted pregnancy in 1960s France - an era when abortion was outlawed - has garnered sharp relevance in the wake of recent court decisions in the US. Diwan takes a clear-eyed look at what happens to Anne (Anamarie Vartolomei) as her actions become increasingly desperate in the face of a system and society that have no empathy for her situation. Diwan avoids melodrama in favour of letting the hard, cold reality of Anne's position speak for itself in a drama that is tense and compassionate in equal measure.
Henry V, 1.15pm, BBC2, Saturday, May 4
Kenneth Branagh was at the top of his game - and hailed as the next Olivier - when he adapted, directed and took on the central role in this faithful and stirring version of Shakespeare's play. Not 30 at the time, Branagh was the perfect age to play the heroic king rallying the troops for Agincourt and lands all the memorable lines impeccably - although that's perhaps no surprise given that he'd become the youngest actor to play the role for the RSC, at 23, five years before. Beyond Branagh, the cast runs wide and deep and includes Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, Simon Shepherd and Brian Blessed.
We Need To Talk About Kevin, midnight, BBC2, Saturday, May 5
It's a quarter of a century since Lynne Ramsay announced her arrival on the cinematic scene with her poetic and poignant debut Ratcatcher - which is currently back in cinemas now. Twelve years later she took home the prize for Cannes Best Director in 2011 for this gripping adaptation of Lionel Shriver's bestseller about the disconnection between a mother and son and the violence that ensues. Why spoil the plot when there's so much craft to talk about? From the fragmented way that Ramsay builds the picture of what has led up to the point where Kevin's mother Eva (Tilda Swinton, on customarily intense form) is now to the strong colour coding that sees the screen frequently drenched in red and the feeling of desolation Ramay creates around Eva more generally. A masterclass of filmmaking that retains its ambiguity to the last.
Prince Avalanche, Pluto.tv, streaming now
There are so many free streaming channels out there these days, it's hard to keep track, but Pluto.tv occasionally throws up some interesting indies, including this quirky comedy drama from David Gordon Green before he got sucked into a Halloween feedback loop. A remake of Iceland's Either Way, it pairs the diligent Alvin (Paul Rudd) with his altogether more feckless younger brother-in-law Lance (Emile Hirsch) and explores their odd couple relationship as they paint road markings on the rural roads of Texas. Although driven by the comic ups and downs of the central relationship, Green also offers more melancholic wider commentary on man's less than welcome impact on the natural landscape, which has only become more relevant since this film was made.
This week's short is Peter Peake's quirky animation Out Of Joint. He went on to make the excellent Take Rabbit.
