Classic screen chemistry from Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland

Fast pace and the chemistry between Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland make Captain Blood one of Hollywood’s best.

Guy Pearce in Memento (Tuesday, 6.35pm, Thriller).

It is Olivia de Havilland month on one of the classic movie channels, which explains all of the films starring Tasmanian native Errol Flynn.

Flynn and de Havilland made eight movies together for Warner Bros in the late 1930s and early 40s, and the first was the 1935 swashbuckler Captain Blood (Saturday, 8.30pm, TCM).

It tells the story of an enslaved doctor who frees himself and leads a band of pirates in the West Indies (actually the studio backlot).

Veteran director Michael Curtiz, who went on to direct Casablanca, keeps the pace brusque, and the chemistry between Flynn and de Havilland, unknown actors at the time, is palpable. This is Hollywood filmmaking at its best.

Though he was born in Britain, Guy Pearce moved with his mother to Victoria at the age of three and has distinguished himself in a wide variety of roles. Among the most distinctive is Christopher Nolan’s second film, the distinctively structured 2000 psychological thriller Memento (Tuesday, 6.35pm, Thriller).

He plays Leonard Shelby, an amnesiac who gradually discovers secrets about himself. Nolan’s decision to edit the film in reverse chronological order results in a film that yields new information on each viewing — one fan even reordered the film to play in chronological order, though it’s not nearly as interesting that way.

Robert Altman was an innovative filmmaker whose work with improvisation and sound mixing, particularly in the 70s, is a distinct feature of his many films. His arguable peak is the sprawling, multi-character 1975 musical drama Nashville (Wednesday, 12.50am, Fox Classics). The 24 main characters live and interact across five days in the Tennessee city against the backdrop of the country and gospel music industries and the impending presidential campaign of a mysterious, opinionated candidate.

The cast includes Ned Beatty, Shelley Duvall, Henry Gibson and a young Jeff Goldblum in a wordless but very funny performance as a bikie who shows up every once in a while to do magic tricks. This is one of the most important and influential films of its decade.

In contemporary Mumbai, the dabbawala is a messenger who ferries prepared meals from private homes to office workers. When one such meal is misdirected, it prompts a hesitant, written relationship between a lonely housewife and a morose widower. This is the essence of first-time director Ritesh Batra’s charming The Lunchbox (Thursday, 6.40pm, Masterpiece). Veteran actor Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi) gives a wryly knowing performance as the civil servant whose heart is stirred by the gesture, and Batra’s methodical approach to the long-distance affair aids enormously in the emotional pay-off of this quiet yet resonant drama.

Captain Blood (PG) 4 stars

Saturday, 8.30pm, TCM (428)

Nashville (M) 4.5 stars

Wednesday, 12.50am, Fox Classics (113)

The Lunchbox (PG) 4 stars

Thursday, 6.40pm, Masterpiece (402)