It’s the weekend and Ronan O’Meara scoured the TV shows for movies to watch over the next seven days… starting tonight.

Here are 13 to choose from ….

Spring: Sunday, The Horror Channel @ 9 p.m.

A disastrous personal life makes Evan dizzy, so he makes a trip from the United States to Italy and it is here that he meets an unusual woman called Louise and a flirtation with her makes his life in America rather normal. . A film that we want to watch knowing as little as possible. It’s fun, atmospheric, and it will stay in your head for a while. The fact that it’s on the horror channel will give you an idea. Lou Taylor Pucci and Nadia Hilker work well together.

Last orders: Sunday, Film4 @ 9 p.m.

Jack is deceased and his friends are in mourning. He walked out with a smile and one last wish – that his friends would come together once more to remember and scatter his ashes on the beach he loved so much. An elegant, touching and human take on the pleasures and struggles of long-standing friendships told wonderfully by director Fred Schepisi and an astonishing cast from a cast that includes Michael Caine, Helen Mirren, Ray Winston, Bob Hoskins and Tom Courtenay.

Brighton Rock: Monday, Talking Pictures TV at 3 p.m.

Pinky is the leader of a gang in pre-war Brighton. It’s a dirty job and an altercation with a journalist causes him big problems as well as a young naive waitress named Rose who witnesses what he did. This 1948 adaptation of Graham Green’s famous novel is still a tense, scary and touching watch 73 years later. A baby opposite Richard Attenborough does a memorable job in the lead role.

Topsy Turvy: Monday, Film4 @ 11:25 PM

Gilbert and Sullivan. A partnership for the ages. The men behind so many famous 19th century operas. Their job hasn’t always been easy for them, however, and Topsy Turvy gives us a peek behind their stage curtains. Mike Leigh’s 1999 musical drama may last almost 3 hours, but it is very entertaining and satisfying and in the company of actors like Timothy Spall, Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville and Shirley Henderson the time flies.

Agriculture: Tuesday, channel 4 at 1:55 a.m.

A young Nigerian boy is sent by his family to England in the 1960s to be raised in a white family. It was a practice known as agriculture, an attempt to give poor African children a better chance at life. This left some of them with a very confused look at their own racial identity. Based on director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s own life, it’s a raw and disturbing coming-of-age story and a damning indictment of the UK government’s distorted policies. Damson Idris is a great lead.

Tully: Tuesday, Film4 at 11:20 p.m.

Marlo is struggling. Three children wreak havoc on her and her marriage. A nanny is hired. An unusual nanny named Tully. A strange bond is formed between the two women. Tully comes from the pen of Diablo Cody, so it’s no surprise that he delves into a myriad of aspects of femininity rarely seen on screen and which, paired with the handsome turns of Charlize Theron and Mackenzie Davis, really worth it.

Capture and release: Wednesday, great! Films at 3:30

On the day she was due to get married, Gray finds herself at the funeral of the man she loved. She has no money and nowhere to live and has to move in with her roommates and soon finds out that she didn’t know him as well as she thought. This 2006 romcom is nice if you can rule Kevin Smith out as one of the roommates. Jennifer Garner and Timothy Olyphant work well enough together to help you ignore the eejit around the corner.

Jones Free State: Wednesday, BBC two at 11:15 p.m.

Alienated by Confederation, a soldier deserted his post during the American Civil War and created a new state with freed farmers and slaves. Things are not going well. Gary Ross’s 2016 film is a living re-creation of an era in American history that is rarely mentioned. It’s as brutal and ugly as you might expect, but the superb playing by Matthew McConnaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mahershala Ali relieves the pain.

Another year: Thursday, channel 4 at 1:00 a.m.

Gerri and Tom lead quiet, content lives and eagerly await the freedom that comes with retirement, but their divorced and unhappy friend Mary is becoming more and more present in their lives. Mike Leigh’s second movie of the week isn’t much of a surprise either, another cracker, a deep dive into the smallest details of everyday life and romance that doesn’t need false drama to make its merit. point of view. Ruth Sheen, Jim Broadbent and Lesley Manville are all impeccable.

The Manchurian Candidate: Thursday, BBC4 @ 9 p.m.

Prisoners of war return from capture in the Korean War in America. But all is not well. Saying more could spoil a magnificent piece of neo-noir. A truly suspenseful, intelligent, inventive, paranoid, complex and deeply layered film. Fabulous acting abounds. Frank Sinatra gives one of his best performances but the star of the show is Angela Lansbury. Her character is quite a creation, you won’t be able to look away from her.

Lawman: Friday, TG4 @ 9:05 pm

A Marshal arrives in a town to arrest the troublemakers who have caused the death of an old man in his town. The townspeople, however, will not make things easier for him. An old, run-down revenge story is the basis of this shattering western, and it’s one that effortlessly bridges the gap between old-school westerns of the 60s and dark, violent westerns of the 70s. Burt Lancaster, Lee J Cobb, Robert Ryan and Robert Duvall, all regulars of this genre, are all in great shape here.

Wild Nights with Emily: Friday, Film4 at 11:10 p.m.

Not much is known about the personal life of 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson. She has long been considered an eccentric loner by her neighbors in Massachusetts, but Madeleine Olnek’s 2018 romcom tells us a different version of her story. A surprisingly touching and warm look at how secrets are kept and how legends are created thanks to the powerful turns of Molly Shannon, Amy Seimetz and Susan Zeigler.

The Leisure Seeker: Friday RTÉ One @ 11:45 p.m.

The Leisure Seeker is Ella and John’s RV name and it becomes their home when they decide to drive from Boston to Key West in an attempt to revisit older and better times. A poignant watch that does not skimp on the realities of aging while showing us a type of love and understanding that only exists after decades of living together. Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland work very well together as protagonists.

As always, visit hamsandwichcinema.blogspot.com/ for more film and TV talk.