Thought provoking, mature relationship dramas hit Rialto Channel this week with veterans Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay teaming up in British drama 45 Years, and Al Pacino and Holly Hunter co-starring in American drama Manglehorn. All four deliver excellent performances, and it’s a delight watching these veteran actors strut their stuff. Another not quite so mature middle age gentleman also hits the screen this week, as Rake (Tuesday 8.30pm) wraps up its fourth season. Criminal lawyer Cleaver Greene (Richard Roxburgh) might struggle to hold down a relationship of any sort, but there’s plenty of drama in Cleaver’s life – and plenty of laughs to be had too.

Manglehorn premieres Saturday 24^th September, 8.30pm

Director David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn is set in Texas, and tells the story of lonely souls. The best thing about this drama, a character piece about a man struggling to deal with his life’s regrets, is that it stars Al Pacino and Holly Hunter. A man left with nothing but frustration and disappointment, Pacino’s Manglehorn is a hard guy to fall for, especially when he takes local bank teller Dawn (Hunter) on their first date, or deals with his estranged son. However, as the film goes on, there’s something about his honesty that keeps you enthralled. And, Hunter, by the way, is superb. 

David Gordon Green began his career as an indie darling making intimate, offbeat dramas such as All the Real Girls or brooding thrillers such as Undertow. In 2008 his career took a turn when he directed stoner flick Pineapple Express, and since then has dabbled in mainstream films such as Your Highness and The Sitter as well as more tortured dramas such as Manglehorn. Green is one of Hollywood’s most unpredictable directors; he’s taken on thrillers, bromances, poetic and intimate meditations on small town life, and more recently political satire with Our Brand in Crisis. Manglehorn might be one of his more challenging pieces, but you’ve got to hand it to the guy, he’s never boring.

45 Years  premieres Sunday 25^th September, 8.30pm

I love an ambiguous ending; a film not afraid to leave the audience contemplating what might become of its protagonists. Writer-director Andrew Haigh’s relationship drama 45 Years is one of those films, it really gets under your skin.

The film stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay as a couple who face an unexpected hurdle in their relationship on the eve of their 45^th wedding anniversary. Geoff (Courtney) is informed of the discovery of his first love’s body that has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps where she fell to her death many years ago. This discovery unhinges Kate (Rampling) and Geoff’s relationship as they assess their marriage with unsentimental honesty.

45 Years is a quiet film that takes one event and turns a couple’s life on its head in a completely understandable way. It’s unnerving, genuine, and excellently acted by Rampling and Courtney who provide a masterclass in nuanced acting.

Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans premieres Thursday 22^nd September, 8.30pm

This documentary by filmmakers Gabriel Clarke and Jon McKenna goes behind the scenes of Steve McQueen’s infamous 1971 film Le Mans, a passion project he championed through his production company Solar Productions. The film briefly touches on his upbringing, and then fast forwards to the making of Le Mans, a troubled production shot in France during an actually Le Mans race. Car accidents off set, affairs, a change of directors, dangerous racing conditions are just a few of the dramas to beset McQueen, but what makes this documentary so compelling, is the access to the never-seen-before large amount of footage shot during the making of the film.