IRMA LA DOUCE
(Masters Of Cinema, Blu-ray)
Billy Wilder’s 1963 romantic comedy gets the deluxe Blu-ray treatment from Masters Of Cinema this month. Irma La Douce plays like a mish-mash of the screwball antics of Some Like It Hot and the gender politics of The Apartment, repeating the latter’s star pairing of Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. At two hours and 20 minutes, Irma is unfortunately too slow-going to be the knockabout rom-com that it wants to be, but it still looks beautiful, and a film starring Lemmon and MacLaine will never be altogether bad. *** words Fedor Tot
OBSCURE OBJECTS OF DESIRE: THE FILMS OF LUIS BUÑUEL
(Mubi)
Another superb season of films from Mubi, now focusing on the great surrealist Luis Buñuel – specifically his late-era works from the mid-60s onwards, Diary Of A Chambermaid, up to the Catherine Deneuve classic Belle De Jour and finishing with That Obscure Object Of Desire, his final role as director. Few understood the key to great satire as well as Buñuel – it works not just on its targets (in his case, religious dogma, bourgeois society, middle-class anxieties) but also on its audience, flipping the mirror back to our own prejudices and presumptions. ***** words Fedor Tot
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MADELEINE MCCANN
(Netflix)
Essentially, a decent summary of every possible angle of the case of Madeleine McCann, who went missing from her hotel room in Portgual’s Praia Da Luz 12 years ago, aged three. Maybe its success illustrates society’s demand for closure on an undeniably tragic abduction case that swept the nation, and maybe it is feeding a borderline-delusional hopefulness in this case being ‘solved’ like some real-life, grand-scale CSI episode. Either way, whether we needed it or not, The Disappearance Of Madeleine McCann is well-made and gives a comprehensive explanation and timeline of everything we need to know, offering no new insights but presenting the facts clearly. *** words Megan Thomas
FLEABAG S2
(BBC1, now on iPlayer)
The second series of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s dark comedy is as hilarious and heartbreaking as the first. We follow the troubled title character as she struggles with unspeakable demons whilst trying to navigate a family of utterly dysfunctional characters and a crush on a foul-mouthed Irish priest (played by the razor-sharp Andrew Scott). It’s the trademark asides to the camera that are once again the shining point of the series, drawing you intimately into Fleabag’s world so you can’t help but root for her despite the carnage and bloody noses she leaves in her wake. ***** words Amy Tiffin
AFTER LIFE
(Netflix)
Tony, played by Ricky Gervais, was always a bit of a dick, but his lovely wife made it seem more endearing than offensive. Then she dies, and Tony takes it upon himself to inflict his despair on the people around him. Don’t let that deter you, though – the endearing good guy still seems to be in there somewhere, he’s just been clouded in grief and needs a bit of a kick in the right direction. It’s an unusually pleasant experience hosing yourself one minute, only to be confusedly wiping away a tear the next. Navigating the necessary balance of a tragic comedy, After Life seems to be walking that tightrope slow and steady. **** words Megan Thomas