Films on TV round-up: learn a trade, son, you'll go far

Good old Film4. You can always rely on them to show ponderous films about lonely, maladjusted men in which not much actually happens at some unsociable hour of the morning.

Commencing: Monday 7th November 2011

The Woodsman (2004) Wednesday, Film4, 2.10am



Ooh, wait a second. It's not often there's something good on that I suspect not everyone's seen before, making the point of this feature slightly less obscure than usual. Everyone stop what they're doing at 2.10am on Wednesday and watch The Woodsman. Sleeping, you say? Yes, stop that.

Why must you watch The Woodsman? Oh, only because it's ...


Right. Setup. Bacon: paedo. Been in prison for paedoing. Gets out, tries to rebuild life, but faces obstacles of sister who won't talk to him, suspicious colleagues, cop played by Mos Def who doesn't trust him, and his own struggle to stop being such a massive paedo.

This is one of those performances where everyone lauds the actor's bravery, but at its centre it's just a simple, highly effective character portrait of a man who wants to stop doing bad things, and the welcome sight of an actor who spent a career shining in side roles taking centre stage for once. You really, really should watch it.
The Machinist (2004) Saturday, Film4, 12.10am



OH SNAP. This is really good too, and again, probably not everyone's seen it before. Hey everybody, stop what you're doing at 12.10am on Saturday - a time when you might feasibly be up, in fact - and watch The Machinist.

"But it's on late! I'll be out! And most likely drunk!" Yes, yes, but forget all that, for this is ...


Mmm-hmm. That's right, he's done better things than putting on a rubber bat mask and growling. Here he plays Trevor Reznick, an alarmingly emaciated insomniac who starts to lose sight of what's real and what's not, leaving the viewer none too sure either.

You could argue that massive weight gain/loss for a role is just code for "I want an Oscar" these days, and you'd be more or less right, but try telling me Bale's appearance in this doesn't shock you to shittery and back. He got down to about 8.5 stone for this and turned in a haunting performance, much of it delivered alone in rooms without a lot of dialogue, then buffed himself up again for Batman Begins.
A woodsman and a machinist: the key personnel for a thriving business cutting and preparing timber for builders' merchants and furniture-makers, I'd have said. In this case, of course, you'd probably give the work Christmas party a miss.
Also on this week

Beetlejuice Monday, 5*, 9pm
Jaws Tuesday, ITV4, 12am
Every Which Way But Loose Tuesday, ITV4, 7.45pm
Nighthawks Tuesday, ITV4, 10.45pm
Batman Forever Tuesday, ITV2, 11.45pm
Iron Man Wednesday, E4, 8pm
Dirty Harry Wednesday, ITV4, 9pm
Garden State Wednesday, Film4, 11.20pm
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Thursday, BBC1, 12am
Magnum Force Thursday, ITV4, 9pm
Saving Private Ryan Thursday, Film4, 9pm
Batman and Robin Thursday, ITV2, 10.45pm
Boogie Nights Thursday, ITV4, 11.30pm
Heat Friday, More4, 9pm (also Saturday, 10.25pm)
Octopussy Friday, ITV4, 10pm
Falling Down Friday, ITV1, 10.35pm
Psycho (1960) Saturday, ITV3, 12.35am
Let the Right One In Saturday, C4, 11.30pm