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| Since Yesterday Photo: Peter McArthur |
This enjoyably positive new documentary turns the spotlight on girl bands in Scotland down the decades and asked the question why, given the popularity of so many of them at the time, many are so poorly remembered now. The answer, unsurprisingly, mostly comes down to misogyny but it's still shocking to hear how recently people felt free to raise concerns about their pop star golden geese becoming pregnant. Beyond the more serious inquiry, there's a wealth of enjoyable anecdotes about the pop scene down the decades, with contributions from everyone from the McKinlay Sisters Jeanette through to more modern successes including Strawberry Switchblade's Rose McDowall and Jill Bryson. As well as considering what has held women in the industry back, this is also a celebration of the power of camaraderie and collectivism.
Citizen Kane, 11.05am, BBC2, Friday, December 20
Orson Welles' film regularly tops 'best loved' lists for a reason - despite some tough competition in recent years from a little bear from Peru. If you haven't seen it before, now's your chance to see what all the fuss is about in Welles' superior tale, which sees a reporter (William Alland) piecing together the story of the life of a newspaper magnate (Welles) after his death. A masterclass in technique from cinematographer Gregg Toland, from the oppressive ceilings and deep focus that pulls you into its Dutch angles and chiaroscuro, it is matched by Welles' muscular performance at its heart.
The Duke, 11.15pm, BBC2, Friday, December 20
This classic tale of British eccentricity fits Jim Broadbent like hand in glove. He plays ageing radical Kempton Bunton, who, unlikely though it may seem, was the mastermind behind the real-life 1961 theft of Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London's National Gallery - just the start of a plan. Alongside him, Helen Mirren also delivers as his long-suffering wife Dorothy, in a film that is as built around small moments of family drama as it is around the bigger picture. The final film from filmmaker Roger Michell is a charmer, its themes handled lightly but with humour and heart.
Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, 3pm, BBC1, Saturday, December 21
Get yourself in the mood for the release of Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl on Christmas Day (more on which next week) by catching up with the inimitable duo in their first feature outing. There's carrot-munching trouble brewing along with the tea for inventor Wallace after he comes up with an invention to stop veggie thieves with a humane spot of brainwashing. Things, of course, do not go to plan and an accident leaves him with a monstrous carrot craving - and a physique to match. Park has an eye for the absurd in the everyday and here he mixes monster movie staples with Ealing comedy flourishes to hilarious effect. With a fine voice cast, including the much-missed Peter Sallis as Wallace, alongside the likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Peter Kay, this is a fast-paced romp with cross-cutting humour that hits home across the generations.
Stardust, 3.30pm, Channel 4, Saturday, December 21
Going head-to-head with the claymation duo is this excellent family adventure. A film in the Princess Bride vein, Charlie Cox stars as a young man who pledges to go on a quest into the neighbouring magical realm for a falling star in a bid to the heart of local lass Victoria (Sienna Miller). The star, it turns out, is not a lump of rock but a young girl (Claire Danes) who is being hunted by the evil Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) for her heart. Although there's a lot going on, including a fight for succession of the kingdom, it's never hard to follow and there's any number of excellent actors popping up as the tale zips along - including Robert De Niro, Mark Strong and, possibly not quite so excellent, Ricky Gervais among others. Humour, meanwhile, is deftly employed while retaining the general epic fantasy spirit.
Vanishing Point, 3.15am, Talking Pictures TV (Channel 82), Sunday, December 22
Jennie Kermode writes: There are few films in any genre as enduringly iconic as Vanishing Point. The key is, perhaps, in the simplicity of its premise. Kowalski (Barry Newman) is a former race driver turned delivery driver who picks up a white 1970 Dodge Challenger in Denver, Colorado so he can deliver it to San Francisco, but who subsequently, when buying the drugs that will keep him awake for the ride, makes a bet that he can make the 1,250 mile journey in less than two days. Outrunning the cops he meets along the way, he finds himself making the news, a radio presenter providing the kind of running commentary that suffuses the airwaves today but was new at the time. As Kowalski is transformed from an ordinary man into the last American hero, small details take on powerful symbolic weight and John A Alonzo’s cinematography immerses the viewer in the moment. Kowalski is doomed, of course, with Sixties idealism destined to crash head first into modernity, but along the way there is something transcendent.
Carol, 1.20am, Film4, Monday, December 23
Patricia Highsmith's novel The Price Of Salt enjoys an exquisitely crafted adaptation by screenwriter Phyllis Nagy and director Todd Haynes - and it's worth remembering it's also a Christmas film of sorts. Described by Haynes as a film about "looking and being looked at", it tells the tale of aspiring photographer and store clerk Therese (Rooney Mara), who falls for the elegant Carol (Cate Blanchett), who is going through a messy divorce. This is a slow-burn watch, brimming with conflicting desires and featuring performances that could easily have walked away with Oscars - although the stars lost out to Brie Larson (Room) and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl). As with all of Haynes' films, the look - shot by regular collaborator Edward Lachman - and costuming by Sandy Powell are also impeccable. Read our interview with Christine Vachon and Elizabeth Karlsen about the film, and what the director and stars said about it in Cannes and New York
This week's short selection is Long Distance Information. This Christmas-set short from Douglas Hart, who has since forged a career directing pop videos with the likes of Hot Chip, Primal Scream and the Petshop Boys. This is a clever short, starring Peter Mullan, makes you wish he made more of them.
