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10:30pm Sundance
Ca$h (2008 FRA): For those of you who enjoy caper flicks, here's one you probably haven't seen yet. Directed by Eric Besnard, it features reliable Jean Reno as Maxime, an international criminal mastermind who gets double-crossed by crafty conman Cash (Jean Dujardin). Counterfeiting and stolen diamonds are involved, and there are triple- and even quadruple-crosses aplenty, so be prepared to pay attention to the overly-convoluted plot. Look for Ciarán Hinds in a small but important role as an international cop.

Saturday 10/10/09

6am Turner Classic Movies
Dick Tracy, Chapters 11 & 12 (1937 USA): More thrills, spills, and cliff-hanging chills are on offer in this week's episodes, Harbor Pursuit and The Trail of the Spider.

Sunday 10/11/09

12:10am Starz! Comedy
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008 GB): How could I overlook the television premiere last week of Mike Leigh's most recent feature? Sorry, Mike; I still love ya, babe! Happy Go Lucky features Sally Hawkins as perennially-upbeat primary-school teacher Poppy, a hippie-ish sort who faces life with naught but smiles and laughter. Her demeanor doesn't always do her any favors, however, especially when she begins to take driving lessons with perennial grouch Scott (Eddie Marsan), who also seems to be a bit of a fascist and a stalker to boot. As in most Leigh films, there's both humor and drama, though the emphasis this time tends to be on the former. Marsan is superb, Alexis Zegerman scores points as Poppy's long-suffering roommate Zoe, and there are some absolutely hilarious bits involving flamenco lessons. En-Ra-Ha!

9pm Sundance
Divergence (2005 HK): Aaron Kwok stars as a copper trying to keep his mind on his job in this workmanlike-but-watchable police procedural from director Benny Chan. Kwok plays Suen Siu Yan, an officer once famous for appearing on television but now back in the daily grind of unglamorous police work. Charged with escorting a crooked businessman from Canada to Hong Kong, Suen finds life exciting once again when his prisoner (Patrick Chow) is murdered at the airport, leading to all sorts of twists, turns, and run-ins with gangsters and pop singers. There's solid acting, good action sequences, and a propulsive score to distract you from Divergence's somewhat ludicrous plot.

Monday 10/12/09

10:30am Turner Classic Movies
8 1/2 (1963 ITA): It's been quite a while since I last saw this autobiographical Federico Fellini classic, so I'm most pleased to report its reappearance on TCM this morning. Marcello Mastroianni stars as Guido Anselmi, a renowned director on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Guido is currently recovering from the success of his last film - and the expectations inspired by that success - but can't seem to escape from his colleagues, his wife (Anouk Aimée), or his bit on the side (Sandra Milo). It's an enigmatic fantasia filled with flashbacks and sequences of profound beauty; in other words, exactly what you'd expect from a Fellini film. You may not understand it all at first, but stick with it and rewards will follow, and for best results, watch it a second time!

6pm Sundance
Audience of One (2007 USA): Richard Gazowsky is a Pentecostal minister living in that least Pentecostal of cities, San Francisco. He's also a fledgling film producer working on a science-fiction epic he describes as a cross between Star Wars and The Ten Commandments. This riveting documentary takes a look at Gazowsky's efforts to get his project off the ground for a five-day shoot in Italy. The man is utterly dedicated and completely ingenuous, which renders the proceedings painful at times: no matter your religious inclinations, you'll experience a twinge of regret whilst watching his dreams slowly go down the pan.

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