Your Night In: Every movie on Melbourne TV tonight rated
There’s fast cars, a harrowing story of survival in World War II, romance and plenty of explosions. We’ve rated every movie on TV for your lockdown Thursday night on the couch.
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THE LAST BOY SCOUT
***
10:00 PM CH. 7
Originally intended as the launch pad for another Die Hard-like franchise for Bruce Willis, this flashy, trashy actioner directed by Tony Scott (True Romance) goes OK on its own pulpy terms. Willis plays Joe, a private detective scrounging around for a living after a falling-out with the Secret Service. After buddying up with a disgraced ex-quarterback (comedian Damon Wayans), Joe attempts to put his flagging fortunes into turnaround by investigating the death of a local stripper. A few big laughs, a lot of big explosions and a ripping climax to boot. You could do worse if you’re stuck for something to watch tonight.
PASSENGER 57
*1/2
8:30 PM 7MATE
Speaking of actors looking for Die Hard-like franchises, this is the one that was marked down for Wesley Snipes back in the day. It was not a box-office hit, and for good reason: it sucked. Snipes plays John Cutter, an anti-terrorism expert who just happens to be on an aircraft as it is in the process of being hijacked. Cutter is supposedly retired, but we all know how long that’s gonna last. Makes Snakes on a Plane look like Inception.
DEMOLITION MAN
**1/2
10:15 PM 7MATE
This loopy thriller set in the year 2032 is the better of tonight’s two Wesley Snipes offerings. Which isn’t saying much, I know. Wes plays a dangerous nut-cake frozen in the 20th century for crimes against humanity. Five decades later, he’s been thawed and is back to being a psycho. Therefore the only solution to the problem is to thaw out the only 20th century cop who can stop him. This fella just happens to be played by Sly Stallone.
SLIDING DOORS
***1/2
9:20 PM GO!
Very engaging “what if ...?” romantic drama, starring Gwyneth Paltrow as an American PR exec working in London. Whatever you do, don’t miss the opening scenes, for the entire film hinges upon the scheduling of public transport. One half of the plot examines what happens when our heroine boards a train and catches her boyfriend (John Lynch) cheating on her. In the other half, she misses the train and meets happy-go-lucky John Hannah instead. Worth sticking with to the very end, if only to unravel some intriguing twists and turns not normally encountered in such kissy-kissy fare.
MARSHALL
***
7:30 PM WORLD MOVIES
Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) is all class in this interesting depiction of the early legal career of future US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The focus here is on one of Marshall’s first cases as a young lawyer, defending an innocent black man faced trumped-up charges of raping a white woman.
THE PIANIST
****1/2
9:40 PM WORLD MOVIES
Powerful true story of a gifted musician (an astonishing, Oscar-winning performance by Adrien Brody) and his fight to stay alive as a Jew living under a brutal Nazi regime during WWII. While the unimaginable atrocities of the Holocaust have not been cheapened for the sake of viewer comfort, the real value here can be found in director Roman Polanski’s haunting, harrowing tribute to the uniquely human instinct for survival.
THE TRACKER
****
9:30 PM NITV
A roundabout, but equally riveting, companion piece to Rabbit-Proof Fence. As an Aboriginal tracker (David Gulpilil) leads three whitefellas (led by Gary Sweet) deep into the outback in pursuit of a suspected black killer, a wavering respect for the land and each other spills over into outright contempt and confrontation. Don’t be fooled by the simple structure – this is strong and uniquely Australian storytelling at its very best. The score by local muso Archie Roach and the inclusion of paintings by artist Peter Coad make a crucial contribution here.
THREE MOVIE PICKS FOR STREAMING OR RENTAL
FORD V FERRARI (M)
****
new to streaming on Foxtel; rent via GOOGLE, APPLE TV, YOUTUBE MOVIES
Its pacing is not exactly fast. Its temperament is nowhere near furious. Nevertheless, this is as fine a movie about cars, car racing and car drivers as you could ever hope to see in the present era. In fact, Ford V Ferrari is about a whole lot more than merely a life lived on four wheels. So much so that even non-petrolheads who’s rather watch a doco about public transport will likely find themselves both engrossed and entertained. Screenplay-wise, all roads lead towards the 1966 edition of the Le Mans 24-hour motor race, where American manufacturing giant Ford is looking to end the dominance of the event by Italian rivals Ferrari. However, the movie is equally about the wars waged inside Ford to create a car capable of conquering this bitumen battleground. It is here we find a well-matched Matt Damon (as gifted designer Carroll Shelby) and Christian Bale (as maverick driving ace Ken Miles) at the very top of their game. A movie that keeps giving a rush, even when it backs off the speed. Co-stars Josh Lucas, Tracy Letts.
THE TWO POPES (M)
****
NETFLIX
This true-ish story of two old Vatican bros whistling ABBA tunes, debating theology, cheering on their respective national soccer teams and rearranging the face of modern Catholicism just happens to be a ripping motion picture experience. It is a clever film that targets both the head and the heart, and won’t be missing either if its excellent lead actors Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce have any say in the matter. Hopkins plays German-born Pope Benedict XVI, a remote and archly conservative leader who senses his time in the job might be coming to an end. Enter Pryce as Argentinian Cardinal Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis), who also wants to get off the Vatican merry-go-round. This archetypal odd couple get talking, get over their mutual suspicions and prejudices, and get about making history. Can get a bit corny, but what it does right is done very well indeed.
DUPLICITY (PG)
****
BINGE, FOXTEL, AMAZON
A blast from the past well worth tracking down now it is back in wide circulation on home streaming. From the outset, this twisty, turny and openly deceitful spy mystery is determined to confound and confuse the viewer. If you are confident enough to stump up your best guess about what is going on, you will soon be proven wrong. Over and over again. Clive Owen and Julia Roberts play undercover spies who keep crossing paths in unusual circumstances as an elaborate corporate sting plays out. An intelligent and teasingly clever work from writer-director Tony Gilroy – whose 2007 debut Michael Clayton exhibited the same traits in darker circumstances. Highly recommended.
Originally published as Your Night In: Every movie on Melbourne TV tonight rated