TiVoPlex
By John Seal
April 15, 2013
Wednesday 4/17/13
12:05 AM Starz
Delicacy (2011 FRA): If you’re still in the mood for some Francophone whimsy, consider Delicacy, a romantic comedy starring Audrey Tautou as a young widow trying to recover from her loss. Tautou is Nathalie, whose husband has been gone now for three years, but who still feels a sense of obligation and loyalty to his memory. Barely on the rebound, she finds herself engaged in an awkward courtship with co-worker Markus (Francois Damiens) – but can she finally lay hubby to rest, and can Markus overcome his inferiority complex? As long as you don’t consider Tautou excessively pixie-ish (and aren’t completely disgusted by rom-coms), you’ll find Delicacy reasonably tasty. Also airs at 3:05 AM.
10:20 PM HBO Signature
The Pelayos(2012 ESP): I haven’t seen this Spanish drama yet, but it sounds interesting. Apparently, it’s the true (or at least based on fact) story of a family that develops a surefire (and legal) way of consistently winning at the roulette wheel. Shot in and around the casinos of the Balaeric Islands, The Pelayos stars Daniel Bruhl (The Educators, Joyeux Noel).
Thursday 4/18/13
8:45 AM Turner Classic Movies
Great Day (1945 GB): Life in a small English village will never be the same after an American bigwig drops by for a visit in this decent if not particularly memorable British drama. Directed by Lance Comfort, Great Day stars Flora Robson as Elizabeth Ellis, the woman tasked with preparing little Denley for a visit by none other than Eleanor Roosevelt. It all needs to come together overnight, and naturally there are complications – not least the sudden announcement by Elizabeth’s daughter Margaret (Sheila Sim) that she intends to wed the 20-years-her-senior farmer Bob Tyndale (Walter Fitzgerald). This is cinematic comfort food that promised war weary Britons easier days ahead; look for familiar faces John Laurie, Irene Handl, and Kathleen Harrison amongst the supporting cast.
12:15 PM Turner Classic Movies
High Tide at Noon (1957 GB): Looks like it’s Flora Robson day on TCM, as two more of the actress’s obscure features are popping up this afternoon. First up is High Tide at Noon, a middling effort in which Robson portrays the matriarch of a Canadian family of fisherfolk. Yep, this is another of those ‘50s British films set (and this time shot!) in Canada, headlined by American "stars" Betta St. John and William Sylvester. It’s followed at 2:00 PM by Innocent Sinners (1958), a superior effort helmed by Philip Leacock and featuring Flora as a woman who helps a teenage girl with a rather unique garden project. Doesn’t sound like much, I admit, but this is a really good film, bolstered considerably by Larry Adler’s trademark harmonica playing, which goes shamefully unmentioned in his IMDb entry.
5:00 PM HBO
Which Way Is the Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington (2013 USA): Photojournalist Tim Hetherington gets his due in this excellent new HBO documentary directed by his friend (and Restrepo director) Sebastian Junger. The film examines the life of the reckless and courageous Hetherington, who put himself in danger every time he went to work recording the horrors of war in such places as Liberia, Afghanistan, and Libya. Hetherington was killed by mortar fire during the 2011 Libyan Revolution, and Junger’s admiration for his close friend is evident throughout. Keep your hanky handy. Also airs at 8:00 PM.
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