Film and TV

Jack Black and friends recreate classic Hollywood films in Be Kind, Rewind
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TV Choice: How to Beat Tough Times, Jack Black & Silence

By Hugh Fort
July 08, 2010

Every week our square-eyed reporters take a look at what’s on TV – the highlights and the lowlights – and pick what they think you should watch or avoid.

Smokin' Aces , ITV1, Friday, 10.35pm

This film was panned when it came out, but I quite liked it.

I thought it was quite cool, but even I had to admit it was fairly plotless and confusing.

It tells the story of showman Buddy “Aces” Israel, a card trick genius who likes putting most of his profits up his nose.

He ends up becoming an FBI grass, and leads to lots of nasty people wanting to do nasty things to him.

Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds play the hard-nosed agents trying to protect him while several over-the-top criminal types are out to get him.

These include the psychotic Tremor Brothers, who like nothing better than being creative with chainsaws, and

R‘n’B star Alicia Keyes as one half of a lesbian sniper duo.

I told you it was silly.

It’s really a poor man’s Tarantino movie. Despite that, it’s quite good fun though – just don’t nod off in the middle or you won’t have the foggiest what’s happening.

Be Kind Rewind, Five,Saturday, 5.20pm

Jack Black, one of the most annoying actors around, stars as one of two goofy video store clerks who somehow manage to wipe all the film tapes in the entire shop.

Fearing for their professional lives, they decide the only thing to do is to remake all the films they’ve wiped starring themselves, including Ghostbusters and Driving Miss Daisy.

However, their plans are scuppered by industry heavyweight lawyers who threaten to sue for copyright violation.

Instead, they end up making an original film of their own.

It’s quite a good idea this, but I expect Black will ruin it with his usual over-the-top wackiness.

The Silence, BBC One, Monday, 9pm

A new BBC drama (has anyone else noticed the Beeb has about 100 new dramas a year, nearly all of which are cop shows?), about a deaf 18-year-old who witnesses the murder of a policewoman.

Without giving too much away, the plot takes a twist when the witness turns out to be a relative of the investigating detective.

The BBC now seems to pretty much only show programmes about the economy, cooking or cop shows with a twist.

How to Beat Tough Times: Money Watch, BBC Two, Wednesday, 8pm

And to prove my previous point, along comes a BBC programme about the economy.

This looks at the effect of George Osborne’s budget last week and what it means for our own personal budgets.

Presenters Sophie Raworth and Justin Rowlatt look at what people can spend and how much they can borrow in these tough times.

Things like mortgages, food prices and the evil small print contained in credit card contracts are all discussed.

It also contains an interesting section on how long you can get by with literally no money. No doubt, the advice includes picking blackberries by the roadside.

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