Our movie guy, James Finnegan, has some movie suggestions to keep you distracted on All-Ireland Final Eve…
Today’s film selection starts with a multi Oscar winner in Out of Africa (Saturday 1.40pm RTE1).
Sydney Pollack directs the story of Karen von Bixen (Meryl Streep) a Danish baroness writer who lives on a Nairobi farm, stuck in a marriage of convenience to Baron Bror Blixen (Klaus Maria Brandauer)
She falls for a local big-game hunter and adventurer Denys Hatton (Robert Redford), who prefers a simpler lifestyle, especially when compared to the High Society life. Eventually Karen must choose between love and money.
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Winning Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography and Best Original Score for John Barry, among others, this is a quality epic romance story.
Set in Victorian Britain, Dolittle (Saturday 6.35pm RTE1) has Welsh vet Dr John Dolittle with the ability to communicate with animals.
Following the death of his wife, Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr) retreats from society to concentrate only on treating animals.
However, he finds himself drawn into a mission to find a cure for Queen Victoria who is suffering from a life threatening disease.
Also starring Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and, voicing the animals, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek and Tom Holland, this is a cheerful film that unfortunately is better known for its staggering financial flop on release.
Ransom (Saturday 9pm RTE2) is about, well, a ransom. Thanks to a life of hard work, airline owner Tom Mullen (Mel Gibson) is very well-off.
A group of criminals kidnap his son for a two million dollar ransom. He is persuaded by his wife, Kate (Rene Russo) and the police, to pay the money.
However, when the trade-off goes badly wrong, Mullen decides to take matters into his own hands by placing a two million dollar bounty on the heads of the kidnappers, which does not go down well with either the cops or the anxious Kate.
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Directed by Ron Howard, it also stars Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo and Liev Schreiber.
Being John Malkovich (Saturday 9.45pm TG4) is a film that almost defies description, but here goes anyway.
John Cusack stars as Craig, a puppeteer who is forced to get an office job to support his pet-obsessed wife. He then discovers a magical portal that gives him access to the mind of John Malkovich for fifteen minutes at a time.
This also stars Cameron Diaz and, oh yes, John Malkovich.
Malcolm X (Saturday 11.15 RTE2) is a political biopic of the controversial militant activist who fought for civil rights in 1960’s America.
It stars Denzel Washington in the title role with Angela Bassett and directed by Spike Lee.
This weekend’s Coen Brothers gem is Fargo (Saturday 11.20 RTE1) where a pregnant cop, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand, winning her first Oscar), stumbles across a strange kidnapping plot while investigating a series of roadside murders.
These are linked to Jerry (William H Macy), a car salesman attempting to stage a kidnap of his wife to get a ransom (again!) out of her wealthy father. Enjoy!
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