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Our movie guy, James Finnegan, says there are lots of literary adaptations on the box today…
At the end of a week where we had one of the most enjoyable Oscar ceremonies of recent times — particularly notable for the multiple Irish successes and achievements — it was also the culmination for all the Oppenheimer’s hopes and aspirations.
Robert Downey Jr got some rather tasteless jibes at his well recorded missteps in a long career from the host, and frankly Dolittle (Saturday 6.35pm RTE1) does get caught between a number of styles that don’t quite gel, but still has the charm of a story about a man who can talk to the animals.
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Dr John Dolittle (Downey Jr) is a Welsh vet with the aforementioned talent. When his wife dies tragically at sea, he retreats from society to tend to the animals rather than deal with humans. However, he gets drawn into a mission to save the life of Queen Victoria.
Also starring Michael Sheen and Antonio Banderras in live action roles, and Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spenser, Ralph Fiennes among the vocal talent giving voice to a wide variety of animals, it is a decent alternative to the rugby.
Hugh Grant stars in About A Boy (Saturday 9.30pm TG4). He plays a wealthy, self centred womaniser who pretends to be a single dad to meet women.
However, his life is changed when he is forcibly befriended by a lonely youngster played by Nicholas Hoult (bearing in mind that this is a 2002 film).
This adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel also stars Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz and Victoria Smurfit.
Gerard Butler returns for the action thriller Angel Has Fallen (Saturday 10.30pm RTE2) as US Secret Service Agent Mike Banning.
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This time Banning is on the run himself, trying to clear his name after he is framed for an assignation attempt on the President.
He is being hunted down by his own agency and the FBI, while trying to uncover the real threat that has set their sights on attacking Air Force One.
This also stars Morgan Freeman as President Trumbull, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, Tim Blake Nelson, Nick Nolte, Danny Huston and Piper Perabo, all of whom are suitably earnest.
Based on the short stories of Kevin Barry, Dark Lies the Island (Sunday 12.10am RTE1) is a wonderfully dark comedy set in a familiar small North West Irish town setting over the course of an eventful week.
Daddy Mannion (Pat Shortt) is boss of Dromord town, owner of everything from the corner shop to the undertakers. He is married to Sarah (Charlie Murphy), the former girlfriend of his son, Doggy (Peter Coonan) who is also sought after by his other son, Martin (Moe Dunford)
Throw in a cursed lake, and a very strange outsider who buys the chip shop, played with remarkable stillness by Tommy Tiernan, and you have a weird cocktail of dark atmosphere and characters that is almost Shakespearian in tone. Enjoy!
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