XIII Oceans

Tonight at 11pm on Channel 5 is a film that I’ve not seen but have heard is an interesting watch.  Crusing is directed by The French Connection and The Exorcist helmer, William Friedkin and stars Al Pacino in a story of serial killer in New York that’s targetting gay men.  The film came under a lot of attack by gay rights campaigners for being homophobic.  The film bombed at the box office because of the publicity and poor reviews but it’s also a bit of a curiousity for Al Pacino’s role as a cop who has to go undercover to try and solve the case.

Wednesday 9pm on Film 4 is Jonathan Glazer’s Birth with Nicole Kidman in the lead.  Although the film received positive reviews I think it got overlooked by the public, which is a shame because I think it’s a great film.  Don’t let the presence of Kidman deter you from watching this.  Kidman gives the best performance I’ve seen from her and changed my own perception of her ability as an actress.  The film itself is a real style and mood piece, perfectly capturing the thoughts and emotions of the main characters.  It’s a psychological horror that is also a great study of grief and it’s handled well by Glazer who taps into a Stanley Kubrick vibe to great effect.  Glazer you may know as the man who directed the award winning sea horses Guiness commercial and Sexy Beast.  Definitely worth a watch if you haven’t seen it.

2pm BBC2 on Saturday gives us Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train, which is everything you would expect from a Hitchcock film.  Based on a Patricia Highsmith novel at times the acting might grate but Hitchcock’s ability to create and maintain tension is in evidence throughout.  Currently No.100 in the imdb’s top 250 films.