Pick of the week
Skywalkers: A Love Story
Russian couple Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are “rooftoppers”– they scale the tallest buildings in the world and film their exploits for social media hits and NFT sales. Jeff Zimbalist’s terrifically edgy documentary about them warns upfront that these are “extremely dangerous and illegal activities”, and the film – while also documenting their relationship – is largely a string of petrifying examples of the lengths, and vertiginous heights, the duo will go to in pursuit of their performance art. Wrapped round this is their attempt to climb a new 2,200ft Kuala Lumpur skyscraper, which resembles a plot from Mission: Impossible – all intricate planning, sweaty action and unexpected twists.
Friday 19 July, Netflix
***
Mean Girls
The much-loved 2004 comedy begat a stage musical that has now begat Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr’s song-filled movie. Apart from the tunes, which range in style from Avril Lavigne to Billie Eilish to Beyoncé, and the presence of TikTok-ish social media, it’s pretty much a retake of the original. “Fetch” is still not happening, naive new girl at school Cady (Angourie Rice) is again seduced by the power of the Plastics clique led by Reneé Rapp’s intimidating Regina, and writer/co-star Tina Fey is back to teach the kids that calling someone ugly isn’t going to make you better-looking.
Tuesday 16 July, Paramount+
***
Typist Artist Pirate King
Carol Morley’s sensitive but very funny biographical drama about forgotten British artist Audrey Amiss has an animated performance by Monica Dolan that is one of the best in recent years. Amiss was a talented painter whose mental health problems put paid to her career. We meet her in middle age, as she inveigles her social worker, Sandra Panza (Kelly Macdonald), into a quixotic road trip to a gallery that will exhibit her work. Along the way, Amiss’s delusional outbursts reveal her past – a fraught process that Morley leavens with raucous humour.
Out now, Netflix
***
Munich
Following the terrorist killing of 11 Israelis at the 1972 Munich Olympics, spy agency Mossad set up a covert operation to assassinate the Palestinians responsible. In 2005, Steven Spielberg turned that revenge plot into a tense political thriller, with agent Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana) leading a group (played by Daniel Craig and Ciarán Hinds among others) in a deadly pursuit. But it’s not all espionage thrills – the murky morality of their actions, in an era when every country had their violent activists, becomes a nagging doubt in their minds.
Saturday 13 July, 7.15am, 2.25pm, Sky Cinema Greats
***
School of Rock
For those about to rock … Director Richard Linklater and The White Lotus creator Mike White are the cool kids behind this gold-star family comedy. It’s a powerhouse vehicle for Jack Black, never more ebullient as self-aggrandising but penniless rock guitarist Dewey Finn, who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. Realising his pupils have musical talent but lack confidence, he decides to get a group together for a battle of the bands concert, while educating them in the finer points of rock history, power stances and sticking it to the Man.
Saturday 13 July, 6.45pm, E4
***
Young Soul Rebels
A landmark work in the history of Black British cinema, Isaac Julien’s 1991 drama feels like a precursor to Steve McQueen’s Small Axe in its mixing of race, sexuality, politics and music. Set in London during the 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations, it follows friends and pirate radio soul DJs Chris (Valentine Nonyela) and Caz (Mo Sesay) as they navigate racism and homophobia, love and ambition, while the unsolved murder of a young gay Black man puts the community on edge.
Monday 15 July, 2.15am, Sky Cinema Greats
***
An Education
Featuring a breakout role for Carey Mulligan, Lone Scherfig’s 2009 drama is an accomplished adaptation of Lynn Barber’s coming-of-age memoir. Mulligan’s acting is magnetic even in her quieter moments, as her 16-year-old character, Jenny, transforms from dutiful student destined for university in Oxford to school dropout and lover of Peter Saarsgard’s charming but disreputable David. The new experiences her older boyfriend offer seem like liberation – but fast cars and trips to Paris aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
Tuesday 16 July, 11.45pm, BBC Two
