SEVEN FILMS TO SEE THIS WEEK
David Lynch: The Art of Life Today, OSN Movies Festival, 9.05pm
Jon Nguyen’s 2016 documentary film follows director David Lynch’s upbringing in Montana and Idaho, his initial move to Philadelphia to pursue a career as a painter and the beginning of the production of Lynch’s seminal debut feature, 1977’s freakish Eraserhead. The Art
of Life was made over a four-year period, filming and recording more than 20 conversations with Lynch at his home. The team behind the film had previously collaborated on making the film Lynch One, which documented the making of 2006’s Inland Empire.
Che: Part One Tomorrow, Star Movies, 9.35am
Benicio del Toro spent seven years meticulously researching for his portrayal of legendary Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara in this pet project, with a Best Actor award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival to show for his efforts. Steven Soderbergh directs, having stepped into Terence Malik’s shoes when Malik was forced to leave the muchtroubled production following a funding collapse. The film tells the story of the Cuban Revolution era of Guevara’s life, from his first meeting with Fidel Castro to him becoming a senior figure on the world stage as the fledgling communist utopia’s minister for finance. The film was originally released as a 257-minute epic, though even as a confirmed fan of Guevara, Sodergbergh and Del Toro, it’s far more watchable in its two-part version.
The Dressmaker Tuesday, OSN Movies Festival, 5.15pm
This quirky Australian revenge comedy sees Kate Winslet’s Tilly, the dressmaker of the title, returning to her small-town home following a successful spell at Europe’s finest fashion houses. Once back, she is faced with the challenges of caring for her ailing and mentally unstable mother, setting the record straight about the mysterious death of her childhood school bully and bringing high fashion to the bizarre townsfolk of outback backwater Dungatar.
No God, No Master Wednesday, OSN Movies Thriller, 6.45am
Terry Green’s slightly polemic drama tells the story of a fascinating, but largely unknown period of American history – the 1919 “Palmer Red Raids” which decades before the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1960s, saw attorney general A Mitchell Palmer oversee a series of raids on suspected communists, anarchists and left-leaning types in general. Many of the raids’ victims were imprisoned or deported on the flimsiest of evidence as, two years after the Russian Revolution, the US set out to position itself as the scourge of the red menace.
Bounce Thursday, Sundance Channel, 11pm
A piece of cinematic history was created with Don Roos’ romantic drama starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow, albeit one that doesn’t get much coverage. The film was the first to be delivered to cinemas by satellite on its 2000 release, with AMC Cinemas screening the film entirely in its digital format, and in doing so put the first nail in the coffin of reels of film being laboriously delivered to projectionists by hand. The movie sees Affleck’s ad executive Buddy strike up a relationship with the wife of a man whose death he feels partly responsible for following a chance airport meeting and a plane crash.
Dalida Friday, OSN Movies Festival, 5.40pm
Dalida is a biopic of the FrenchItalian-Egyptian singer and former Miss Egypt Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, better known simply as Dalida. Lisa Azuelos directs, and Sveva Alviti stars as the film’s heroine who, despite a career that saw her adored all around the world, in part thanks to her ability to sing in no less than 11 languages, fought a constant battle with bulimia and depression. Dalida committed suicide in Paris in 1987, leaving a note that said “Life is unbearable for me… Forgive me.”
Lawrence of Arabia Saturday, OSN Movies Festival, 7.20pm
David Lean’s regionally based 1962 biographical epic of the British First World war hero T E Lawrence and his adventures fighting the Ottoman Empire on the Arabian Peninsula gets a welcome run-out. Peter O’Toole as Lawrence and Alec Guinness as Syria’s Prince Feisal head a cast that also brought Omar Sharif a rare Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali (quite why an Arab actor couldn’t be found for Guinness’s role is probably best left to the history books after so long). The film’s historical accuracy is questionable in places, and there are hints of Orientalism, but stunning cinematography, quality performances and a moving exposé of the personal horrors of war were enough to warrant seven Oscars. The film also sits fifth on the AFI’s 1998 100 Years, 100 Movies list, and third on the BFI’s Greatest British Movies list from the following year.