Film of the week
**** A Matter of Life and Death (1946) 1.50pm, Sunday, BBC Two
"Ah, these English. What is the good of kissing a girl if she can't feel it?"
Powell and Pressburger's cult WWII drama tells the story of a downed English pilot (David Niven) who is inadvertently granted some extra time on earth, during which he falls in love with an American girl (Kim Hunter).
Cue an appeal to the heavens. This delightful fantasy is a moving love story that also examines various British and American stereotypes along the way. That's hardly surprising given the fact that it was commissioned by the UK Ministry of Propaganda to encourage Anglo-American relations. (Interestingly, the film was subsequently attacked in some British quarters as being too pro-American).
On the acting front, David Niven is perfectly cast in a role that was originally offered to Stewart Granger, and the chemistry between him and co-star Kim Hunter is striking. The supporting cast, with the possible exception of the hammy Raymond Massey, is also good, particularly P&P regular, Roger Livesey.
Probably the most striking aspect of the film, however, is Alfred Junge's production design, notably the staircase which leads from Technicolor Earth to near-monochrome Heaven. The beauty of the photography stands out in this restored version of the film, which was orchestrated by long-time Michael Powell fan, Martin Scorsese.
Incidentally, in America, the name of the film was changed to Stairway To Heaven, causing Powell to complain that they had completely missed the point. So much for encouraging Anglo-US relations.
Saturday February 2nd
*** Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014) 4.35pm RTÉ 2
This adaptation of Judith Viorst's hugely popular children's book from the 1970s is zippily paced and smartly written. It features a strong cast, notably Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner, who really enjoy letting their hair down, even as their respective lives crumble about them. Good fun. 
**** Fury (2014) 9.00pm RTÉ 2
In this cracking WWII yarn, Brad Pitt is the grizzled US tank commander leading a bedraggled troupe of soldiers towards Berlin as the conflict reaches its endgame. The strong ensemble includes Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña and Jon Bernthal. 
**** Revolutionary Road (2008) 9.15pm TG4
Kate Winslet is terrific as the American housewife leading a life of quiet desperation in the suburbs with hubby Leonardo DiCaprio (equally good). Both Titanic stars are perfectly at home in the world of 1950s Americana and there's a painful truth to their crumbling marriage.
Sunday February 3rd
**** Little Man Tate (1991) 9.15am More 4
Jodie Foster's entertaining directorial debut chronicles the relationship between a single parent (played by Foster herself) and her gifted son (Adam Hann-Byrd). Dianne Wiest scores well as a behavioural scientist who recognises the genius of the young boy. 
*** Goldfinger (1964) 2.15pm UTV
Arguably the best Bond film of them all with Sean Connery in flying form, Gert Frobe suitable nasty in the title role; Odd Job with his deadly bowler and Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore. This one also features the finest 007 theme song (take a bow, Shirley Bassey). 
**** Ruby Sparks (2012) 1.00am Film 4
Paul Dano plays a young writer whose debut novel made him a literary sensation but now finds himself a victim of writers' block. When he begins dreaming about a girl called Ruby Sparks, the words suddenly begin to flow again, particularly as the writer falls in love with his Muse/creation. 
Monday February 4th
*** The Mouse That Roared (1959) 2.55pm Film 4
In this delightful, Ealing-esque fable, the tiny principality of Grand Fenwick decides to declare war on the United States when Uncle Sam produces a cheap version of their national export. It's all hokum, but the performances of Peter Sellers, David Kossoff, Jean Seberg and Leo McKern are a treat. 
**** Minority Report (2002) 9.00pm Sky One
Even if you're not a fan of sci-fi movies, you'll find yourself glued to Spielberg's cracking futuristic yarn in which supercop Tom Cruise is in a race against time to clear his name of a murder he has yet to commit (don't ask). It's all beautifully shot by Janusz Kaminski. 
*** The Kite Runner (2007) 11.05pm TG4
Khaled Hosseini's novel about two boys from different sides of the tracks growing up in 1970s Afghanistan was a runaway bestseller and destined for the big screen from day one. Marc Foster went behind the camera for this impressive adaptation which features impressive performances from its two young leads. 
Tuesday February 5th
**** The Dirty Dozen (1967) 5.55pm TCM
Robert Aldrich's hugely popular men-on-a-mission movie stars Lee Marvin as the hard-boiled army brass charged with turning twelve misfits into a crack fighting unit. Among the ne'er-do-wells are Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland and former NFL great, Jim Brown.
**** Born on the Fourth of July (1989) 11.25pm Sky Cinema Drama
Oliver Stone's Vietnam drama proved that Tom Cruise was more than just a pretty face. It's a powerful account of the experiences of Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, who went to South East Asia with all the idealism of the age and returned an embittered paraplegic. 
*** Kick-Ass 2 (2013) 1.15am Film 4
In this entertaining sequel, Aaron Taylor-Johnson teams up with a group of like-minded vigilantes, including boss man Jim Carrey, to beat up even more bad guys. These include a more bonkers than ever Christopher Mintz-Plasse and his nefarious associates. 
Wednesday February 6th
*** Hobson's Choice (1954) 4.35pm TCM
This tale of a 19th-Century bootmaker doesn't often get mentioned among David Lean's best, but it's a terrific yarn that offered the great Charles Laughton one of most rewarding roles of his career. Watch out for a young Prunella Scales. 
*** You've Got Mail (1998) 5.55pm Sky Cinema Comedy
Back when Meg Ryan was queen of the rom-com, she and Tom Hanks delivered the goods with this remake of the 1940 Lubitsch classic, The Shop Around The Corner. They play business rivals who happen to have forged an anonymous online romance. 
**** Zero Dark Thirty (2012) 11.25pm Film 4
Jessica Chastain and Joel Edgerton topline Kathryn Bigelow's edgy drama about the CIA's relentless mission to track down Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11, a mission that would take almost exactly ten years to accomplish. 
Thursday February 7th
*** Stalag 17 (1953) 4.10pm Film 4
William Holden scooped his only Oscar for Billy Wilder's WWII comedy drama. Holden plays an opportunistic American POW suspected of being a spy for the Germans. Otto Preminger, Peter Graves and Neville Brand co-star.
**** 12 Years a Slave (2013) 9.00pm More 4
Chiwetel Ejifor is superb in the lead role of a man valiantly attempting to maintain his hope and his dignity in the wake of the most egregious treatment. Equally impressive are Michael Fassbender as a brutal slave owner, and Oscar-winner Lupita Nyongo'o as an enslaved young woman. 
*** Flight (2012) 12.05am Sky Cinema Drama
Denzel Washington gives one of the finest performances of his career (and that's saying something) as the top pilot whose heroic feats during a crash are in danger of being undermined by his penchant for alcohol. Don Cheadle and Kelly Reilly co-star.
Friday February 8th
**** Last Train From Gun Hill (1959) 9.05pm TG4
This John Sturges drama has everything you would want from a gritty western: a crusading marshal (Kirk Douglas), a conflicted baddie (Anthony Quinn) and a clock ticking down to a showdown between the two. Listen out for Dimitri Tiomkin's cracking score. 
**** The Last of the Mohicans (1992) 11.00pm
Dave Michael Mann's earthy adaptation of the Fenimore Cooper classic finds Daniel Day Lewis donning tomahawk and buckskins to chase Madeleine Stowe through rivers and forests while the US colonial war rages in the background. Both leads acquit themselves admirably and there is strong support from Wes Studi and Russell Means. 
**** Blue Velvet (1986) 11.20pm Film 4
David Lynch's cult drama opens with one of the most arresting sequences in modern American cinema – an idyllic, Norman Rockwell scene incorporating white picket fences, waving firefighters and freshly mowed lawns interrupted by the sight of a severed ear.
