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| Trolls |
Trolls, streaming now on ITVX
A spin-off from a small plastic toy with a sprout of spiky hair might not sound like a recipe for success but this animated tale, featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick, is a dose of sunshine, complete with sparkle. The trolls are all about those fuzzy feelings that are popular at this time of year - except for Branch (Timberlake). He is worried a party that is being organised will attract the unwanted attention of the miserable Bergens, who think eating a troll will bring them happiness. When a chef swipes a handful of the cheerful trolls, a rescue mission is organised. Sweet without being saccharine and with a soundtrack that blends classics with modern remixes, it has cross-generational appeal.
The Impossible, 9.15pm, Wednesday, December 11
Emotion is to the fore in Juan Antonio Bayona's disaster movie that focuses on a single family in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami that hit south-east Asia on Boxing Day in 2004 and is based on a true story. It's an opportunity to see a star in the making as a very young Tom Holland makes a lasting impression as youngster Lucas, who tries to man up for his mother (Naomi Watts) after she is badly hurt when they are swept up by the flood. The tsunami itself is presented with gut-wrenching realism but the visceral action is followed up by just as intense performances from Watts and Ewan McGregor - better than he had been in years - as the father desperate to find his family.
Stan & Ollie, Midnight (going into) Thursday, December 12, BBC1
Steve Coogan has always been an acting chameleon and he proves his chops again here as Stan Laurel, matched by a sympathetic performance from John C Reilly as his long-time partner, Oliver Hardy, as the pair struggle with a career in decline and an increasingly testy relationship. Jon S Baird's film is a gentle sort, that begins with a beautifully shot piece of business between the two men before settling into more moving territory about the boys' last run around the block. The film also finds plenty of interest in the relationship between Stan and Ollie's wives Ida and Lucille, with Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson's performances proving just as magnetic as that of the two main stars.The Northman, 9pm, Film4, Thursday, December 12 Ahead of Robert Eggers' latest film, Nosferatu, arriving in cinemas you can catch up with his muscular tale of Viking skulduggery - and skull cracking - this week. After young Amleth (played in adulthood by Alexander Skarsgård) witnesses his dad (Ethan Hawke) being killed by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) he goes on the run with vengeance in mind. You could argue that this is a bit of a lightweight, emotionally, but when it comes to fight scenes and action, Eggers pulls them off with a primal finesse.
Baby Done, 10pm, BBC3, Thursday, December 12
If you're in the mood for something light and frothy then this New Zealand romcom is well worth a watch. Its likeable, realistic characters go a long way to making up for its reliance on the former as arborist Zoe (Rose Matefeo), finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. The film charts the problems this throws up for her and her partner Tim (Matthew Lewis), focusing not on the suggestion that neither of them want kids but on the fears Zoe has about the way her life will change once she does - and on her desire to squeeze every inch of adventure out of the intervening nine months.
The Taste Of Things, MUBI, streaming now
Given that Christmas revolves, at least in part, around food, this is the perfect time for this celebration of it - coupled with a good old fashioned romance - to drop on a streaming service.Trân Anh Hùng takes his time to explore the love, for each other and for cooking, shared by Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) and Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel), a late 19th century gourmand and his cook. The pair of them pay exquisite attention to detail as they serve up incredible dish after dish at elaborate soirees, while Dodin also bids to persuade Eugénie to marry him. Taking his lead from the characters Hùng delights in the details, not just of the central pairing but of the food they prepare, even as the light of their love gives way to some shadow. Speaking about being reunited onscreen with her former real-life partner Magimel, Binoche told us: “There were shared emotions, and we found again the happiness of just being together.” And speaking about the film's authenticity, Hùng told us: "Usually in films fake food is used and it is ‘relooked’ as required but here everything was real." Make sure you've got plenty of snacks to hand because otherwise that reality is likely to make your stomach grumble throughout. Side note, I still hate this English language title.
King Kong, Great! Movies, 9pm, Saturday, December 14
Remakes are generally not a good thing but this take on Merian C Cooper and Ernest B Schoedsack's 1933 classic is a glorious exception. Peter Jackson takes the classic ingredients of their creature feature and retains the original period but gives them a modern makeover - courtesy of the best special effects 2005 could offer, as Jack Black, Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody sail off to unknown shores. Watts brings plenty of, well, wattage to the role of the starlet and gives her considerably more oomph than Fay Wray. Kong is still the king, frightening but with a softer side that retains sympathy. Watch him and weep.
This week's short selection is Oury Atlan, Thibaut Berland and Damine Ferrie's Over Time, an homage to Jim Henson.
