The Witterlist - 23rd February 2018

“Guess who just got back today,

Them wild-eyed boys that had been away.

Haven't changed that much to say

But man, I still think them cats are crazy..."

Yes, in the words of feline-wary rockers Thin Lizzy, the boys are indeed back in town. Mark and Simon return from the half term break bursting with energy, which for men of their age means getting most of the way to the studio unaided.

This week we had Oscar-nominee Margot Robbie on the show talking about her new film, I, Tonya. She talked to Simon about her increased level of involvement in the film - being both a producer and the star – the lengths she went to in accurately portraying Tonya Harding and the difficulty in balancing the film’s tricky tone.

(…and of course we didn’t forget to mention Abdominal Gleeson)

All the work that Margot put in clearly paid off, because Mark absolutely loved the film. And apparently she might get a prize or trophy for it or something? So that’s nice too.

Also out this week is Finding Your Feet, a British comedy starring Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Joanna Lumley and Timothy Spall. It’s patchy at points, but if you can give in to its charms as Mark did, he thinks you’ll have a good time.

Less charming (read: very boring) is Birth Of The Dragon, a semi-true, mostly-nonsense telling of the fight between Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man in 1960’s San Franscisco.

Native is a lo-fi British sci-fi (lo-Bri-fi?) starring Rupert Graves and Ellie Kendrick (of Wittertainment favourite, The Levelling). While Mark doesn’t feel that it quite works in the end, he found a lot to admire in the ambition of the film.

Finally, Clio Barnard - director of The Arbor and The Selfish Giant - brings us her latest drama, a family drama starring Ruth Wilson as Alice, a woman who returns to the family farm following the death of her father. A film built on atmosphere that carries its messages in the silences between lines, Mark insists that you see it projected on a big screen to fully appreciate it.

We’re back next week with David Oyelowo talking about his new film, Gringo. For now, we’ll leave you on a Cliff-hanger…