STA R
RATINGS
HHHHHFantastic
HHHH Very good
HHH Good
HH Average
This week’s films rated and reviewed H Poor
With Film Editor Nigel Pizey
CHIEF FILM REVIEWER: JASON BEST
SATURDAY13 July
Mr Deeds
Channel 5 10.25am - 12.10pm HH
COMEDY⊲ Here’s a silly remake
of the old Gary Cooper classic about a
hick from the sticks who inherits a
mega company and $40billion.
Naturally, the organisation’s
money-grasping directors can’t wait
to get rid of him... Adam Sandler adds
punch to his usual goofiness in the
lead and Winona Ryder’s deadpan
portrayal of a journalist is surprisingly
effective. Dir: Steven Brill 2002, 12, 105min
SEX ) VIOLENCE ) LANGUAGE!
McFarland, USA
BBC2 3.30pm - 5.35pm HHH
● See Our Picks of the Week, left
Now You See Me 2
C4 9.00pm - 11.35pm HHH
COMEDY THRILLER⊲
Swaggering bank-robbing magicians
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson
and Dave Franco are back and, with
new recruit Lizzy Caplan, are coerced
by Daniel Radcliffe’s tech tycoon
into a daring theft. Mark Ruffalo,
Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman
also return in a razzle-dazzle,
globetrotting thriller that may have
little substance, but is fun while it
lasts. Dir: Jon M Chu 2016, 12, 155min
SEX ) VIOLENCE! LANGUAGE )
Tomorrow Never Dies
ITV 9.50pm - 12.10am HHH
ACTION THRILLER⊲ In his
second outing as 007, Pierce Brosnan
comes up against a megalomaniacal
media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) who’s
out to manipulate a war between
Britain and China all for the sake of a
sensational headline. Michelle Yeoh
co-stars as a Chinese agent helping
Bond out of many a deadly situation.
Dir: Roger Spottiswoode 1997, 12, 140min
SEX ) VIOLENCE @ LANGUAGE )
Man Up
BBC1 10.20pm - 11.45pm
(Wales 11.10pm - 12.30am) HHHH
ROMANTIC COMEDY⊲
Spinning out its screwball premise
with dexterity and wit, this hugely
engaging British romcom is a winner
all the way. From the moment Simon
Pegg’s emotionally bruised divorcée
mistakes snarky cynic Lake Bell for
his blind date, the film barrels along
with a giddy momentum that is
exhilarating. But no matter how zany
the action gets, Bell and Pegg ensure
their characters remain both credible
and likeable. Dir: Ben Palmer 2015, 15, 85min
SEX! VIOLENCE ) LANGUAGE (
True Story
BBC2 10.55pm - 12.30am HH
PREMIERE MYSTERY⊲
Making his film directing debut,
acclaimed English theatre
director Rupert Goold fails
to bring much cinematic flair
to this fact-based drama
about disgraced New York
Times reporter Michael
Finkel (Jonah Hill) and
killer Christian Longo
(James Franco) who took
his name and identity
while on the run.
Dir: Rupert Goold 2015, 15, 95min
SEX ) VIOLENCE @ LANG (
R.I.P.D.
C4
11.35pm - 1.20am HHH
ACTION COMEDY⊲
Recently deceased
Boston cop Ryan
Reynolds joins the
ghostly Rest in Peace
Department and finds
himself partnered with
Jeff Bridges’ ornery Old West
sheriff in this enjoyably silly
buddy-comedy fantasy. Although
based on a comic book, it comes over
as a variation of the Men in Black
films, as becomes apparent as the duo
set about nabbing dead souls
(‘deados’) who refuse to leave the
Earth. Dir: Robert Schwentke 2013, 12, 105min
SEX ) VIOLENCE! LANGUAGE!
The Bleeder
BBC1 11.45pm - 1.15am
(Wales 12.30am - 2.00am) HHH
PREMIERE SPORTS DRAMA⊲
This movie tells the fascinating story
of Chuck Wepner, a small-time New
Jersey boxer who, in 1975, was chosen
for a prizefight against Muhammed
Ali. Yes, this is the inspiration for
Rocky Balboa. As Wepner, Liev
Schreiber is all blue-collar affable
charm, while Elizabeth Moss does
what she can with the thinly
drawn character of his
wife. The story, the
setting and the
dialogue all seem
familiar, but are done
with enough skill
to make this an
entertaining watch.
Dir: Philippe Falardeau
2016, 15, 90min
SEX! VIOLENCE @
LANGUAGE @
Iris
BBC2
1.30am - 2.55am HH
BIOPIC⊲ Well
acted by Judi
Dench and Jim
Broadbent, this
is a painful
account of the
last days of
author Iris
Murdoch when
she was overtaken by
Alzheimer’s – together
with a skimpy glimpse of her younger
days. The film spares us little but at the
same time tells us equally little about
Murdoch herself. Kate Winslet is
wholly competent as youthful Iris in
the few opportunities the script gives
her, as is Hugh Bonneville, playing a
younger Broadbent, as Iris’s husband.
Dir: Richard Eyre 2001, 15, 85min
SEX @ VIOLENCE ) LANGUAGE @
BEST OF THE REST
Racetime
Sky Cinema Premiere
6.15pm - 8.00pm HHH
SatellitePREMIERE
ANIMATION⊲The mountain
village kids from animated children’s
film Cleo (aka Snowtime!) are back for
another round of fun in this breezy
sequel. This time brainy Frankie-Four-
Eyes and his boisterous chums are
taking on brash newcomer Zac and his
peppy cousin Charly in a spectacular
sled race. Although the action is
fantastically over the top, the movie
remains grounded in real childhood
emotions. Dirs: various 2018, U, 105min
SEX ) VIOLENCE ) LANGUAGE )
Nosferatu the Vampyre
Talking Pictures
10.40pm - 12.55am HHHH
CHILLER⊲Not so much a remake
as a superb homage to FW Murnau’s
original silent German classic, the
first version of Bram Stoker’s
Dracula. This film by Werner
Herzog follows that movie very
closely, even to the nightmarish
appearance of Dracula himself as a
kind of demon goblin, bald-pated,
long-clawed and bat-eared. Klaus
Kinski is eerily effective in this role,
and Isabelle Adjani is his ethereal
muse. Dir: Werner Herzog 1979, 15, 135min
SEX ) VIOLENCE! LANGUAGE )
Simon Pegg
in Man Up
Ryan Reynolds
in R.I.P.D.
Judi Dench and Jim
Broadbent in Iris
● See listings pages for full details of regional films
Wrap up
warm for
Racetime
TV TIMES 29