Pick of the week
The killer
A cool killer film, David Fincher’s new film basks in the clinical joys of its genre. From the paraphernalia of the job – sniper rifles, fake passports, prisons in every city – and the voiceover of Michael Fassbender’s (otherwise monosyllabic) protagonist, to the skills that come in handy when his latest hit goes wrong, it’s a thriller full of disorder Things in life always threaten to break his strict routine. Emotional outbursts occur when the killer’s Dominican housekeeper is attacked, while his work soundtrack of Smiths songs (This Charming Man, I Know It’s Over) adds an amusing, ironic touch to the proceedings. A gripping story, well done. S
Available now, Netflix
planet of monkeys
Featuring one of the greatest endings in all of science fiction cinema, Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1968 film is as much a parable about human (and animal) rights as it is a rollicking, kid-friendly action-adventure. Charlton Heston is astronaut Taylor, who crash-lands on a world where our ape cousins have evolved beyond humans and now rule brutally. He quickly finds himself at the center of the resistance, supported by chimpanzees Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall). The excellent make-up quickly makes us forget the oddity of the talking monkeys, while Heston makes a beefy leading man.
Saturday November 11th, 2.50pm, BBC Two
Drive my car
This is a real treat – two recent works from Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi. “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” takes place on Thursday, preceded by this meditative, moving adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story. After a personal tragedy, Hidetoshi Nishijima’s Tokyo actor and director Yūsuke travels to Hiroshima to direct a multilingual version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. The power of telling and listening to stories is expressed when he is driven to and from rehearsals by a young woman, Misaki (Tōko Miura), who shares his sense of loss and unresolved guilt. SW
Wednesday, November 15th, 10:50 p.m., Film4
Rustin
He’s somewhat forgotten in the history of the fight for black civil rights in the United States, but Bayard Rustin finally gets his place in George C. Wolfe’s magnificent biopic. Rustin, played by Coleman Domingo, is a boisterous party guy who is good at organizing and rousing his volunteers after he came up with the idea of a march on Washington in 1963 – the march culminated in his friend Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech. He is also gay and a former communist, which causes tensions within and outside the movement. A stirring story full of courage and passion. SW
Friday November 17th, Netflix
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Mafia mom
Toni Collette is eminently visible in pretty much everything she does. This broad comedy about misunderstood American wife Kristin, who discovers she is the heir to an Italian mafia operation, relies on her ability to be either pathetic or forceful, depending on the plot. Despite their murderous intentions, these are not the bright minds of The Godfather (although the characters often reference the film) – and the dangers posed by the newly empowered Kristin turn out to be partly romantic in nature. SW
Friday November 17th, Prime Video
Renfield
AKA Dracula meets the self-help movement. In fact, it is his long-time confidant Robert Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) who is in the therapy group, one for “codependents”; According to the Count (an absolutely over-the-top Nicolas Cage), it’s just dinner. Chris McKay’s lively comedy goes for the blood – dismemberment is a favorite – as Robert ultimately attempts, with the help of Awkwafina’s incorruptible cop, to escape the vampire’s bloody clutches and prevent his master from associating himself with Shohreh Aghdashloo’s mafia clan. SW
Friday, November 17th, 12:10 p.m., 8:00 p.m., Sky Cinema Premiere
Dead man’s shoes
Shane Meadows’ 2004 Western-style revenge drama was recently re-released in theaters and remains relevant. Paddy Considine (the co-writer) is frighteningly relentless as squaddie Richard, who returns to his Derbyshire hometown to seek revenge on a local group of criminals for what they did to his learning-disabled brother (Toby Kebbell). Led by Gary Stretch’s Sonny, they’re an occasionally comical bunch – 2CV drivers, pot noodle eaters – but Meadows never loses sight of Richard’s trauma as the film grows increasingly dark. SW
Friday, November 17th, 10:50 p.m., Film4