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Our movie guy, James Finnegan, on some great entertainment on TV over the coming week…
The very epitome of a family film is the glorious Paddington (Saturday 6.35pm RTE1) a walking, talking bear from darkest Peru with a fondness for marmalade.
Following an earthquake, Paddington finds himself in London. However, life in modern Britain is somewhat different from the stories told to him by his aunt.
He gets as far as Paddington Station where he meets the Brown family, who take him home.
Henry Brown (Hugh Bonneville) insists he stay only one night, but his wife Mary (Sally Hawkins), their two children and the Housekeeper Mrs Bird (Julie Walters) take to the charming visitor and have other plans.
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The adventures are only beginning for the young bear. Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman) is the taxidermist for the National History Museum, who intends to add Paddington to her exhibits.
Paddington is voiced by Ben Whishaw, (Q in the current Bond films) and the combination of live action and animation is so good, you forget the effects.
Any film that can also add the quality of Peter Capaldi and Jim Broadbent to the cast makes it well worth a watch for all ages.
Ocean’s Eleven (Saturday 9.45pm RTE2) could be described as style over substance, but when the style is as good as this, who cares?
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) has just been released from a New Jersey penitentiary. He wastes no time in setting up a cunning plan to pull off the type of daring heist that, hopefully, only happens in the films.
He intends to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously. They are run by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) who, just for additional motivation, is dating Ocean’s estranged wife Tess (Julia Roberts).
Naturally a job like this requires specialist help and a team of all talents. Thankfully that also means a lot of top star actors such as Brad Pitt, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle and Matt Damon, among others get to play as well.
This remake of the 1960’s Rat Pack film with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davies Junior and all looks like it was so much fun to make, and has spawned a number of sequels.
Oh, and yes, that is Angie Dickinson, who appeared in the original, in a cameo spot. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this is a pure popcorn film. Sit back and enjoy.
Primal Fear (Friday 9.45pm RTE2) is the story of an altar boy Aaron Stamper (Edward Norton making a distinctive debut), who is accused of murdering a Bishop.
He is found, covered in blood, fleeing the scene, so it would seem to be an open and shut case.
However, that would be a very short film. Enter Martin Vail (Richard Gere) as a cynical lawyer, Martin Vail, seeking to raise his public profile. A classic Hollywood courtroom drama.
The Mission (Friday 11.45pm RTE1) tells of a Brazilian Indian tribe is caught between Portuguese slave traders and missionary Jesuits. A stunning multi-layered film with the greatest film soundtrack ever by Ennio Morricone.
