 |
| Saint Omer Photo: Courtesy of London Film Festival |
Hidden Figures - 6:20pm, Film4, Monday, September 21
Amber Wilkinson writes: Some stories have taken a long time to be told - and this one, about the unsung backroom revolutionaries in NASAs space race is certainly one of them. African-American mathematicians Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and Katherine Johnson (Taraji P Henson) acted as 'human computers' for the space agency, running the numbers that would help to put astronauts in orbit - and bring them back again. Theodore Melfi accentuates the skill and passion of his three leads - with Spencer, Monáe and Henson all putting in gripping performances - that allows him to shine a light on not just overt but latent racism and white privilege, that still has plenty of resonance in the modern world.
Origin - 11pm, BBC3, Tuesday, September 22
In the US, where anti-Black racism has had a huge impact on the country’s history and continues to affect the treatment people can expect from almost every major institution, it can be hard for people to imagine a time when things worked differently, or to reflect on other forms of prejudice on similar terms. Part fiction, part documentary, Ava DuVernay’s 2023 film, explores the story of author Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), who travelled the world to learn more about the phenomenon before publishing her bestselling book, Caste. Whilst UK viewers may find parts of it a bit simplistic (one way US racism manifests is by depriving people of education), it draws important parallels between chattel slavery, the Holocaust and the caste system in India, providing groundwork for the much maligned but poorly understood Critical Race Theory, and gives viewers the tools with which to explore further on their own.
Saint Omer - BBC iPlayer, Wednesday, September 23
A gentle, quiet film, marvellously crafted and full of profound sadness, this courtroom drama is based on a real trial witnessed by writer/director Alice Diop. It follows a writer (Kayije Kagame) who is working on a project based on the myth of Medea and seeks inspiration by taking a seat in the public gallery as a young immigrant (Guslagie Malanda) is tried over the death of her own child. With the facts what happened not really in dispute, the trial focuses instead on the accused woman’s state of mind at the time, demolishing the usual sensationalist take on such incidents and building up a picture of cultural isolation and personal loneliness. Nobody, including the accused, really has a framework through which to make sense of it all, while the writer finds her expectations profoundly challenged. It’s a brave piece of work with simple but stunning cinematography.
Proxima - 1.55am, Channel 4, Thursday, September 24
Anne-Katrin Titze writes: Eva Green (César nomination Best Actress) plays Sarah, an astronaut preparing for her first spaceflight. She is very close to her little daughter Stella (Zélie Boulant) who will stay with ex-husband (Lars Eidinger) in Germany while she trains in Russia and is put in quarantine. It is extraordinary what Alice Winocour includes and what she doesn’t show, thus rewriting how astronaut movies could be and mostly aren’t. A small moment, when Stella’s cat Laika tries to get its head into a pitcher of water is spectacularly realistic and funny. It foreshadows the space helmets to come, it also points to the tremendous and legitimate fears the little girl has about her life being turned upside down. Dad has a cat allergy and Mom is taking the great leap of leaving Earth. Casual sexist comments by Sarah’s captain (Matt Dillon) besides the gruelling physical practice and the emotional toll of being so far from her child, add up and show the extraordinary feat it is for Sarah to reach her dream and the stars.
Total Recall - 9pm, Skymix, Friday, September 25
When humble construction worker Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) tries to add a little excitement to his life by getting memories of a holiday on Mars implanted. suppressed memories come flooding to the surface and he realises that he is really an ally on the Martian resistance bent on overthrowing its tyrannical corporate rulers with the aid of ancient alien technology – or is he? As usual, there is sharp political subtext and canny craft embedded in Paul Verhoeven’s easy-access blockbuster, this time based on the work of Philip K Dick, which features great supporting work from Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside. It’s a paranoid thriller with some great comic moments and high octane action.
Withnail & I - 0.20am, Channel 4, Saturday, September 26
Amber Wilkinson writes: As plans for summer breaks remain in limbo, why not "go on holiday by mistake" with Richard E Grant and Paul McGann's two out-of-work actors? Laying claim to the cult status most films can only dream about, Bruce Robinson's comedy still delivers more than 30 years after it was made, thanks to a snappy script and Grant's magnetic performance, not to mention admirable support from Richard Griffiths as Uncle Monty. While those attempting the film's infamous drinking game (more on that here) are likely to find themselves "drifting into the arena of the unwell," everyone else can just die laughing.
Shrek - 2.50 pm, BBC1, Sunday, September 27
Amber Wilkinson writes: Given the huge variety in the modern animation landscape its worth remembering what a game-changer this DreamWorks film was on its release. Featuring a grumpy ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) as its focal point, it took a sideswipe at fairy tales in ways which, at the time, would have had Disney clutching at its pearls but which subsequently changed the game. Although the tale of the need to rescue a princess (Cameron Diaz) is a familiar one, the fact that our hero Shrek is less than heroic as he sets of on a quest with a donkey (Eddie Murphy, on top form) is all part of the fun as writer Ted Elliott skewers Disney and serves it up with a side salad of fun. John Lithgow is also hugely entertaining as bad guy Lord Farquaad.
