Master And Commander : The Far Side Of The World (2003 132min.) [Film4 6.25pm &+1]
Period adventure drama based on the novels by Patrick O'Brian, starring Russell Crowe. In 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars, British frigate HMS Surprise is out-gunned by a French warship and badly damaged. Despite severe injuries to his crew and his opponent's greater fire power, uncompromising captain Jack Aubrey patches up the Surprise and sets off to seek revenge.
Thoroughly entertaining seafaring adventure story.
Russell Crowe reins it in a bit as the driven but human ship's captain driven to pursue a French pirateer seeking revenge and glory while Paul Bettany gives a quiet, thoughtful but well rounded performance as the ships doctor and resident biologist.
There's some spectacular CGI effects and model work (the rounding of Cape Horn in a full-on storm is especially well done) and Peter Weir spends enough time with the main characters and a strong supporting cast to add some human interest to the action sequences.
Genuinely exciting in places and very well photographed and shot - although it did unconvincing box-office business it's by no means a failure.
Warmly recommended for a chilly evening.
The Next Three Days (2010 133min.) [Ch5 11.00pm &+1]
Freeview premiere
Crime drama starring Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks and Liam Neeson. The world of academic John Brennan collapses when his wife is arrested for her boss's murder and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Brennan is convinced of his partner's innocence, but with every legal channel exhausted, this mild-mannered man is forced into taking desperate measures.
Paul Haggis's film is (essentially)a remake of Fred Cavayé's French thriller Pour Elle /Anything For Her (2008) moving the action from Paris to Philadelphia.
Part of the effectiveness of the French film is down to the fact that we believe in Diane Kruger and Vincent Lindon's relationship, and that Lindon's character is capable of the acts that we see him perform in the story.
The addition of Hollywood A List stars and the much larger budget thus creates problems of it's own, problems that the film largely fails to resolve.
However it is beautifully shot by cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine who makes the absolute best of the inner-city & urban setting of much of the film.
It's a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable film in it's own right : but I would urge you to seek out Cavayé's superior original version.
If you enjoyed the BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie's locked room mystery And Then There Were None over Christmas you might be interested in the enjoyable 1974 film version, starring Olive Reed and Richard Attenborough.
It's on ITV3 at 12.05am tuesday &+1
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