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Film, TV

Updated ~ TV: Black Cinema Season on Film4: Wed 2 – Mon 14 Nov

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To tie-in with the launch of the BFI’s Black Star season, Film4 presents a celebration of black filmmaking talent both in front of and behind the camera.

Wednesday 2nd November

12 Years A Slave12-years-a-slave – 9pm

Steve McQueen’s Film4-backed historical drama, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender

Thursday 3rd November

shameShame – 11.10pm

Michael Fassbender stars as a New York sex addict, directed by Steve McQueen

hunger-steve-mcqueenHunger – 1.15am

Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen directs an account of the IRA hunger strike and its leader Bobby Sands.

Friday 4th November

noel-clarke-the-anomalyThe Anomaly – 9pm

Former soldier Ryan (Noel Clarke) experiences his life in ten minute spells, jumping further into the future after every one

ghost-dog-samuraiGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai – 12.40am

ghost-dog-samurai2Idiosyncratic director Jim Jarmusch pays homage to the samurai movie with a hybrid of the hip hop and mob genres. Forest Whitaker stars as a loner hitman in this hauntingly poetic and obliquely funny gem

Saturday 5th November

Just Wrightjust-wright – 4:50pm

Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist falling for Common’s recovering basketball pro in this romantic comedy

Man On Firema6n-on-fire – 11:05pm

Denzel Washington stars as the bodyguard of the daughter of a wealthy couple in Mexico City who wreaks bloody revenge when she is kidnapped. Action thriller from Tony Scott

Sunday 6th November

Brewster’s Millionsbrewsters-millions – 4.40pm

Richard Pryor stars as Montgomery Brewster, a low-league baseball player who discovers that a distant relative has left him $300m in their will

PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia – 9pm

Denzel Washington and Oscar-winning Tom Hanks star in Jonathan Demme’s powerful drama.

bringing-down-the-houseBringing Down the House – 11.35pm

Odd couples don’t come much odder than Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, who team up for this mildly diverting but very predictable farce from the director of The Wedding Planner

Monday 7th November

irobotI, Robot – 6.45pm

Futuristic thriller starring Will Smith as a troubled cop whose issues with the ever-increasing robot population are seemingly vindicated when one of them becomes a murder suspect. Slick sci-fi from Alex Proyas, director of Dark City

mona-lisaMona Lisa – 1.20am

From award winning Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan, this is the unsettling story of George, a small-time crook and eternal victim

Tuesday 8th November

babymother1Babymother – 2.05am

babymotherSingle mother Anita (Anjela Lauren Smith) has attitude and ambition, and determined to become a successful singer forms an all girl reggae group with her two friends.

Wednesday 9th November

negotiator-samuel-l-jacksonThe Negotiator – 11pm

Based-on-a-true-story thriller starring Samuel L Jackson and Kevin Spacey as two police negotiators going head to head.

gone-too-farGone Too Far – 1:50am

Two estranged teenage brothers, one who grew up in Nigeria and one who grew up in Peckham, meet for the first time and struggle to accept each other

Thursday 10th November

12-years-a-slave12 Years a Slave – 9pm

Steve McQueen’s Film4-backed historical drama, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender

 

whats-love-got-toWhat’s Love Got To Do With It – 11.30pm

Agreeably camped-up biopic, ringing with righteous sentimentality and brassy defiance, with a furiously good central performance from Bassett.

second-comingSecond Coming – 1.50am

Debbie Tucker Green’s drama follows a tight family unit navigating their way through family life as it breaks down in the aftermath of an unexplained pregnancy

Friday 11th November

GhostGhost – 11.05pm

Heaven can wait for Patrick Swayze in this supernatural love story starring Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg.

 

Saturday 12th November

irobotI, Robot – 6.45pm
Futuristic thriller starring Will Smith as a troubled cop whose issues with the ever-increasing robot population are seemingly vindicated when one of them becomes a murder suspect. Slick sci-fi from Alex Proyas, director of Dark City

48-hours.jpg48 HRS. – 12am

Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy star in Walter Hill’s fast and furious cop comedy. Murphy is the motor-mouthed crook who helps cynical cop Nolte avenge the death of the latter’s former associates

Sunday 13th November

Last King of Scotland.jpgThe Last King Of Scotland – 11pm

Forest Whitaker stars in this blistering thriller about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin

 

Monday 14th November

best-man-holidayThe Best Man Holiday – 9pm

Malcolm D Lee directs this heart-warming comedy-drama sequel to 1999’s The Best Man.

 

Check here for updates, additions and changes: http://www.film4.com/whats-on/black-cinema-season-on-film4

Film

Film: Focus (15)

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Focus (15)

Director: Glen Ficcara, John Requa
Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro

Nicky (Will Smith), a veteran con artist, takes a novice named Jess (Margot Robbie) under his wing. While Nicky teaches Jess the tricks of the trade, the pair become romantically involved; but, when Jess gets uncomfortably close, Nicky ends their relationship. Three years later, Nicky is in Buenos Aires working a very dangerous scheme when Jess — now an accomplished femme fatale — unexpectedly shows up. Her appearance throws Nicky for a loop at a time when he cannot afford to be off his game.

Focus-1A wicked and slightly crazy film about con artists, and the cons they pull. The setting up, the strike, and the winnings. Nicky and Jess make an awesome team, pulling off superb cons, and then the twisted love story kicks in. It’s a totally fun film.  Great to see Will Smith looking more mature.  Some parts are a bit slow, but I didn’t see the twist coming toward the end – always a good thing! A fun film to watch. OOh, I almost forgot to mention, it has the gorgeous Rodrigo Santoro in it, playing Garriga, a billionaire international race car owner in Buenos Aires.

Film

Films: Project Almanac (12A) & The Wedding Ringer (15)

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Project Almanac (12A)

Director: Dean Israelite
Starring: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Sam Lerner, Allen Evangelista, Ginny Gardner

David Raskin (Jonny Weston) is a high-school science nerd who dreams of going to MIT. When he and his friends (Sam Lerner, Allen Evangelista) find his late father’s plans for a “temporal displacement device,” David can’t wait to start tinkering. When they finally get the device to work, the teenagers jump at the opportunity to manipulate time in their favour — but their joy is short-lived when they begin to discover the consequences of their actions.

Project almanacWhat would you do if you were able to time travel, would you change anything in the past, and what kind of consequences might occur if you did? Find out in this movie! Of course, I got hung up on the bits that didn’t quite add-up enough for my logical (or maybe illogical) mind. I would also have preferred not to have to view it through that fake found footage, shaky camera view, but still an entertaining enough film. One for the teens… and some adults.  🙂

The Wedding Ringer (15)

Director: Jeremy Garelick
Starring: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Ken Howard, Cloris Leachman, Jenifer Lewis, Mimi Rogers, Olivia Thirlby

Doug Harris (Josh Gad) is a loveable but socially awkward groom-to-be with a problem: he has no best man. With less than two weeks to go until he marries the girl of his dreams (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), Doug is referred to Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart), owner and CEO of Best Man, Inc., a company that provides flattering best men for socially challenged guys in need. What ensues is a hilarious wedding charade as they try to pull off the big con, and an unexpected budding bromance between Doug and his fake best man Jimmy.

Jammie_Wedding RingerImagine getting married and having no one to call on to be your best man! Enter, Jimmy Callahan, who will not only be your best man, but convince all the guests that you are a fabulous guy.  He also recruits a rag-tag group of ‘friends’ for Doug. An absolutely belly-laughing, silly humour movie.  Go see.  🙂