Cowboys & Aliens (Cert 12)
JAKE LONERGAN (Daniel Craig) wakes disorientated in the desert with a gunshot wound and a large metal bracelet. He struts into town and is unmasked as a killer. Arrested by the sheriff and bound for prison alongside Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), Jake makes his escape during a devastating attack by extra-terrestrial craft. Percy is abducted and the boy’s father, Woodrow (Harrison Ford), vows to rescue his son and press- gangs Jake into the perilous mission.
Ignore the preposterous plot twists. Cowboys & Aliens gallops along at a fair lick and director Favreau (Iron Man) orchestrates the set pieces with aplomb.
lll
Christmas At Downton Abbey (Cert 12)
BROADCAST on Christmas Day on ITV1, this special feature-length instalment of the award-winning, lavish costume drama, created by Julian Fellowes, ties up a number of loose plot threads and nicely lays the groundwork for a gripping third series. Trusty valet John Bates (Brendan Coyle) stands trial for the murder of his ex-wife. Meanwhile, Cora, the Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), makes a shocking discovery and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) reconsiders her future with Sir Richard Carlisle. The imperious Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) delivers a barrage of withering put-downs as the episode culminates in a nail-biting conclusion.
llll
The Devil’s Double (Cert 18)
SHY and reserved Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper) is the spitting image of Saddam Hussein’s son, Uday, who believes that he can do and say what he wants by virtue of being the eldest child of the dictator. Uday makes Latif an offer he cannot refuse: pose as a doppelganger at public appearances to boost the morale of his countrymen or sign the death warrants of his entire family. Forced to imitate Uday’s oafish behaviour and mannerisms in the media spotlight and potentially take a sniper’s bullet between the eyes, Latif is drawn into the inner circle of the Iraqi president and his advisers, where he falls under the spell of Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier), Uday’s favourite mistress.
Based on Yahia’s fascinating memoir of the same name, The Devil’s Double is a chilling portrait of a psychopath. Cooper is mesmerising, particularly as the flamboyant Uday, staunchly refusing to allow Latif to leave his side because, in his words: “I love you too much”. Director Lee Tamahori doesn’t shy away from the horror, nor do we.
lll
