10 - 16 JUNE 2023

I have thought for some time that the memory experts are quite right – even the most vivid memory we have of an event (or moment) might not be as accurate as we think. So, first an apology from last week: the opening line to the song is “I wish I was a spaceman” (not “I’d like to be . . .”).  Here’s hoping that no-one noticed my error and on with the show . . .
LAW OF TEHRAN (2019) Saturday 10 June 9.00-11.05pm BBC 4    P         
This looks like a very promising piece of world cinema: what unfolds is a battle of wits between a police officer, based in Tehran, trying his best to take down a drugs baron who has always seemed to be one step ahead of the law, even in conservative Iran. 
FLY AWAY HOME (1996) Tuesday 13 June 6.50-9.00pm Great Movies (Ch 34)       
No question – Fly Away Home is one of the best family films of the last thirty years. The story – a child trying to rear young goslings – is charming, Anna Paquin and Jeff Daniels make a great team and the director, Carroll Ballard, respects the material and makes it a delight for viewers of all ages. 
ANAÏS IN LOVE (2021) Thursday 15 June 11.20pm-1.15am Film Four    P          
I was awfully disappointed that Anaïs didn’t have more votes on the questionnaire. It is one of the films I have enjoyed the most this year. The flakiness of the central character reminded me of Amélie; it is light and frothy, with some very funny scenes, and the ending is just about perfect. The French really do excel in this area.
THE STREET WITH NO NAME (1948) Friday 16 June 12.45-2.30pm TP (Channel 82)         
Richard Widmark often took second – or even third – billing to more prominent actors throughout his career, but his was often the most interesting performance, especially if he was the villain. He certainly is in this, his second film, as the psychopathic boss of a criminal gang. Mark Stevens plays the FBI agent and his career was to take a different trajectory.