11.20 / Movistar classic
‘Ben Hur’
USA, 1959 (217 minutes). Director: William Wyler. Cast: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd.
Along with Spartacus, Ben-Hur remains a benchmark in “Roman” films. Both show that many edges can live in such a codified genre. William Wyler achieves this from the height of a passionate and dynamic director, capable of filming works like The Wolf and The Best of Our Lives. His visceral staging work makes Ben-Hur an example of a cinema that has already disappeared.
12.20 / The 2
Christmas concert
The Christmas concert of the RTVE Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Case Scaglione, taking place on the 15th of this month at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, arrives at La 2. The program includes popular works by great masters of classical music such as the Polonaise in B flat major for violin and orchestra by Franz Schubert with Mariana Todorova as soloist, the Bolero by Maurice Ravel and the overture Die Fledermaus, the polkas pizzicato and Donner und Blitz and the Waltz The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss Jr.
13.05 / MCT
“JFK”
USA, 1991 (178 minutes). Directed by Oliver Stein. Cast: Kevin Costner, Sissy Spaceck, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland.
Oliver Stone’s JFK was the perfect fusion of his visual style and the dramatic depth he’s been seeking in his scripts since his success with Platoon. A flawless film that combines aesthetic textures with a desire to disrupt, while remaining committed to the narrative spirit of the great classics. In the hands of Stone, the investigation into the mystery of Kennedy’s assassination, conducted by a sober and intense Kevin Costner, supports an essential film in nineties cinema.
15.30 / The sixth
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’
United States, 2009 (153 minutes). Director: David Yates. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Emma Watson.
Taken together, the Harry Potter film series shines as a stupendous example of commercial cinema well understood: works that know how to navigate plots that, with a commendable pulse, could swell into excess. This sixth part is shown as a bridge to achieve the superlative result that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows assumes. However, he accumulates dark sequences, does not give up his sense of detail and delves into the inner life of his characters (the tender handling of the protagonists’ first feelings of love is exemplary).
17.40 / parts list
“The Great McLintock”
United States, 1963 (127 minutes). Directed by Andrew V McLaglen. Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Yvonne de Carlo.
A successful Western with many humorous elements, in which John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara wage their special gender war. On the other hand, the presence of Yvonne de Carlo in the cast becomes quite an enticement. And while McLaglen is obviously not John Ford, he handles the story with ease.
19.15 / Movistar comedy
‘Everybody says I love you’
everyone says i love you United States, 1996 (101 million). Director: Woody Allen. Cast: Woody Allen, Goldie Hawn, Edward Norton, Alan Alda, Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman.
And Woody Allen made a musical! In his eagerness to offer films year after year, he has never given up his obsessive concerns and has explored all sorts of genres. This film, as humble as it is efficient, contains catchy gags and the numerous musical numbers are shot as if Allen had dedicated his entire career to it.
19.25 / Movistar promotion
‘prisoner’
United States, 2013 (153 minutes). Director: Denis Villeneuve. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Melissa Leo.
The disappearance of the young daughters of two married couples gathered at a dinner marks the first minutes of Prisioneros. Thus begins a devastating portrait of the darkest part of man, in which Denis Villeneuve, author of the monumental Incendies, transports the viewer into a circular nightmare that captivates both him and the characters in the film. A miracle as powerful as it is terrible.
19.30 / WE ARE
‘The Box 507’
Spain, 2002 (104 minutes). Directed by Enrique Urbizu. Cast: Antonio Resines, Jose Coronado, Goya Toledo, Dafne Fernández.
For many years, fans have been waiting for the breakout of Enrique Urbizu’s cinema. After such a surprising film as Todo por la pasta, too much time passed when it seemed the director wasn’t delivering films on the level of his talent, until finally La caja 507 came out. Urbizu displays all its narrative power in an equally exciting thriller how devastating, fueled by characters on the fringes. La caja 507 follows the parallel stories of a banker seeking justice and a relentless killer. And it offers a spirited staging, supported by the interpretations of a nuanced Antonio Resines and a powerful and sober José Coronado.
21.30 / Movistar cinema Ñ
‘The Big Family’
Spain, 1962 (99 minutes). Director: Fernando Palacios. Performers: Alberto Closas, Amparo Soler Leal, José Luis López Vázquez, José Isbert.
Although La gran familia is signed by Fernando Palacios, his alma mater is the screenwriter and producer Pedro Masó, creator of this apology for the big family and, moreover, an example of the social and political ideology of the moment. Despite the abundance of syrup in the story, The Big Family works thanks to its applied traditional brushstrokes and an assumed detailed tone in the characters’ drawing. Of course, it’s also worn thanks to an admirable cast of actors in which he stands out
22.00 / TCM
“Singing in the Rain”
USA, 1952 (100 minutes). Directed by Stanley Donen. Cast: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse.
Some people say that by today’s standards, Singing in the Rain isn’t that bad, but apart from its quality, the truth is that it’s a work that helps to be a little bit happier. The transition from silent to sound serves as the basis for an unforgettable, jubilant musical that showcases the guts of a Hollywood that is as friendly as it is archetypal. More than half a century later, the mastery of his musical numbers and the vitality of his choreography have rarely been equaled.
22.00 / Hollywood
‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’
USA-UK, 2001 (140 minutes). Director: Chris Columbus. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson.
The adaptation of JK Rowling’s first novel features some amazing special effects and a narrative full of rhythm, power and intensity. The character’s adventures would be overshadowed in subsequent installments, but this one is recommended for all ages.
22.20 / EDF
“A Death Funeral”
United Kingdom, 2007 (90 minutes). Directed by Frank Oz. Cast: Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, Alan Tudyk, Peter Dinklage.
The spirit of veteran producer Ealing is brought back to life in this furious comedy that slams into the family business with just the right touch of hooliganism. The funeral of a model family man brings together a cast of characters, some mean, some foolish, all upset, to create a comedy that is as lighthearted as it is intelligent.
22.30 / antenna 3
Another appointment with the series ‘Family Secrets’
The characters of the Turkish series Family Secrets face new problems in an episode that tells how Ilgaz Ceylin confesses that his father put Zafer in prison even though he knew he was innocent. Also, Eren is forced to talk to his ex-partner, whom he assures that he knows they have a daughter together, but her now-husband sees them together and attacks the woman.
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