The best indie films and documentaries on TV this week.
This week on Rialto Channel, catch John Cusack in the period drama Shanghai, and reminisce about the rise and fall of British punk rockers The Clash.
If you’re a fan of The Wire, then you must check out Braquo. It’s a spellbinding, gritty and violent thriller about a bunch of rogue cops willing to use whatever means necessary to get justice. It’s set in Paris, not the picturesque, tourist Paris, rather the violent, crime gang underworld of Paris. Episode 2 screens on Friday evening at 8.30pm, and is my first pick for the week.
Braquo
Starring: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Joseph Malerba, Karole Rocher & Nicolas Duvauchelle
Directed by: Philippe Haïm
Screening: Friday 4th July, 8.30pm
If you’ve missed Series 1, or the first episode last week, you can still catch up. All you need to know is that there are four main players that make up a squad of seriously dodgy cops who are now facing the consequences of being a law unto themselves. Their leader Caplan (Anglade) has taken the fall for his team and is currently in jail, two of his officers Walter (Malerba) and Roxane (Rocher) have been demoted to low level jobs within the force, and cocaine addict Theo (Duvauchelle) has been kicked off the force altogether. However after Paris is shot up by a group of Angola mercenaries, Caplan and his team are given the chance to redeem themselves, but only if they can infiltrate this dangerous group.
This second series takes things a step further than the original and it gets a little over the top at times, however the characters and script remain strong and the narrative unpredictable. Once again this slickly produced, stripped-back drama is brutal, intense and highly addictive.
The Rise and Fall of The Clash (2012)
Starring: Mick Jones, Pete Howard & Nick Shepherd
Directed by: Danny Garcia
Screening: Rialto Documentary, Thursday 3rd July, 8.30pm
British punk rockers The Clash were the real deal. They had the looks, the talent, the passion, and they sang about real issues, and even though their rise and demise has been well documented over the years, it’s interesting watching ex members Mick Jones, Pete Howard, Nick Shepherd and Vince White reminisce about the tumultuous dynamics within the band. Spanish director and Clash fan Danny Garcia was inspired by Vince White’s book Out of Control: The Last Days of the Clash. The film explores The Clash’s humble beginnings playing small clubs in London in the 70s to their stadium concerts of the early 80s, but the doco focuses more on this iconic band’s demise than it’s rise to fame. It’s a good yarn, but it’s a shame original member Paul Simonon and the band’s controversial manager Bernie Rhodes refused to take part, now that would have made for a great yarn.
Shanghai (2010)
Starring: John Cusack, Li Gong & Chow Yun Fat
Directed by: Mikael Håfstrom
Screening: Rialto Selection, Saturday 5th July, 8.30pm
This is a sultry, film noir-inspired period piece set in Shanghai 1941, and stars John Cusack as a Naval Intelligence Office trying to solve the mystery of his colleague and best friend’s murder. He’s drawn into a dangerous world that revolves around a Chinese triad, Japanese and German Officials, the Chinese resistance and a collection of alluring women. This mystery thriller was to be shot in Shanghai, however one week before filming, their permits were revoked due to the controversial period the film is set in, and the crew relocated to Bangkok. Chinese officials obviously got over that problem as the film was released in China, but not in the United States.