by some very wet weather in replaced by some very wet weather in places this week, with the risk of flooding. it isn't a bad start the week, certainly through the early hours of monday we will see some shari rain across scotland into northern ireland, the odd showerfor england and wales, further south and east, clearer skies with the lowest temperatures, some spots getting down to freezing, someplace is hovering just above. this band of rain across southern scotland shifts back northwards into the central belt, sunshine and show�*s for the far north of scotland, not a bad day for northern ireland, eastern counties of england holding on to brightness but for the rest, cloudy, misty and murky with bad weather coming in. the rain is set to turn heavy and persistent particularly across england and wales and in northern england a met office amber warning for the risk of flooding and destruction during tuesday and wednesday. meme hello, this is bbc news.

the headlines: a warning of mounting pressure on hospitals and staff by the head of nhs england. mass vaccinations begin at another ten centres in england from tomorrow — as the foreign secretary pledges every adult in the uk will be offered a first dose by september. the anti—kremlin activist alexei navalny is detained in moscow, embracing his wife before he was taken away. mr navalny flew back to russia for the first time since he was nearly killed by a nerve agent attack last year. the jailed american music producer, phil spector, who helped define the sound of the sixties — and the creator of the �*wall of sound' — has died in prison aged 81. and america is on high alert, in the run—up to the inauguration ofjoe biden. sportsday is coming up. now, it's time for the film review.

hello and welcome to the film review with me, mark kermode. and despite the fact that covid has closed cinemas and put us in lockdown once again, there is still plenty of new movies for you to experience and enjoy in the comfort and safety of your own home. this week's most arresting release is dear comrades, the latest from acclaimed russian film—maker andrei konchalovsky. set in 1962 in a provincial town

in the southern ussr, this increasingly harrowing drama stars acclaimed stage and screen actor yuliya vysotskaya as lyudmila, a party devotee with a nostalgia for stalinist ideas in the age of khrushchev. "what am i supposed to believe in if not communism?" asks lyuda as her beliefs are challenged in the fallout of a factory strike and protest to which the army and kgb respond with deadly force. as the authorities rush to cover up a state—sponsored atrocity, lyuda searches for her missing daughter, for whose life she fears after scenes of terrible violence. based on real events that were not officially acknowledged until 30 years later, dear comrades is a powerfulfilm that draws visual inspiration from soviet classics like the cranes are flying and ballad of a soldier. presenting its bleakly crisp black

and white images in a retro four by three frame, four by three frame. the result is an affecting recreation of a terrifying historical event that at times recalls the impact of the infamous odessa steps scene from battleship potemkin. conjuring an utterly convincing world in which the stillness of the cameras merely amplifies the sense of growing chaos. yet despite the true grit of its historical setting, it's the personal story of lyuda's journey that gives dear comrades such an emotional punch, with vysotskaya perfectly embodying a character who slips from stoic political stalwart to frantically anguished mother before our very eyes. it's available now on curzon home cinema with plans for a big—screen theatrical release whenever that becomes possible. david. i'm sorry, can you repeat the question? who, or what is david bowie?

from the sublime to the ridiculous with stardust, a trite, unauthorized reimagining of david bowie's 1971 american tour which opens with the disclaimer: what follows is mostly fiction. it's also mostly rubbish, hobbled by the legally required absence of any original songs by bowie, who died five years ago, and whose estate wanted nothing to do with this movie. i need to be known, i need them to know me! instead, accomplished actor/musician johnny flynn is left to bash out a couple of bowie related cover versions like jacques brel�*s my death while musicjournalists merrily misquote lyrics to the man who sold the world. presumably because the film—makers don't have the rights to use the real ones. now, this in itself would not necessarily be terrible. todd haynes�* brilliantly inventive velvet goldmine was similarly denied access to bowie's back catalogue, but sparkled anyway. there is no authentic to me. it'sjust fear.

yet with stardust, a clunky script co—written by director gabriel range makes heavy weather of alleged psychological scars, painting bowie's supposed fear of family schizophrenia in unsubtle strokes that lack invention, insight or wit. the key elements of bowie's ever—changing career. perhaps a different way to talk about me when on the phone. comedian podcaster marc maron does his best to hold it all together as stateside publicist ron oberman, and jena malone cuts a vaguely sympathetic figure as bowie's wife angie. butjust when you think that maybe they can save this debacle, along comes james cade, whose impression of marc bolan is so toe—curling that i had to take my shoes off and then throw them at the screen. it all recalls the opportunist silliness of 2003's grand theft parsons, another film which turned a modern rock legend into a bad joke. you can find stardust on a range

of home viewing platforms, but bowie fans would be better served just dusting off their old lps and basking in the majesty of a talent to which this shoddy affair cannot hold a candle. oh, and if you want some of the real bowie on screen, then check out next week's secrets of cinema on pop movies. bbc four, tuesday night. i mention it only in passing. now we are getting somewhere. now, 1945 saw the release of david lean�*s acclaimed adaptation of noel coward's blithe spirit. a hit stage play which had taken london and broadway by storm. margaret rutherford and kay hammond, both of whom started in the original stage production, reprised their roles as a medium and a ghost. the letter conjured up by a seance which reintroduces her to former husband rex harrison, now remarried to constance cummings.

now these roles have been refilled by, respectively, damejudi dench, leslie mann, dan stevens and isla fisher in a new version of blithe spirit which adds some perfunctory nods to modernity while still retaining a basic skeleton of the original. elvira? hello? i haven't the foggiest idea of how to send her back. directed by downton abbey alumnus edward hall from a script by nick moorcroft, meg leonard and piers ashworth, this latest incarnation was due to open in uk theaters last year emma incarnation was due to open in uk theaters last year, but after covid delays it was acquired for sky cinema. you're in trouble now. but to be honest, i can't imagine this somewhat lackluster production ever setting movie theaters alight, even with a starry cast whose performances range from the kooky to the caricatured, with a rather irritating lack of panache. i can feel it in my base chakra. probably trapped wind. and while lean�*s original won oscars for its spectacular poltergeist effects, this looks more like a drab tv movie

thatjust happens to be set in some eye—catching art deco surroundings. how dare you! "just photograph it, dear boy," coward apparently told lean. believing his play to be near perfect. i shudder to think what coward would have made of this adaptation, which is, at best, innocuously forgettable. altogether more ambitious, although also derivative, is archive, an eerie science—fiction drama from writer—director gavin rothery which lifts riffs from everything from moon and ex machina to blade runner, marjorie prime, ghost in the shell and even robot and frank. how are you feeling? theo james is george almore, an isolated scientist attempting to imbue the spirit of his dead wife

into a secretively developed artificial intelligence. having previously built two prototypes, george seems to have struck gold with his third attempt, a biomechanical creation that can carry the recorded thoughts and consciousness of his lost love. i know what you're doing in there. but what will happen to the cast—offs that still need to be cared for, and can george really conduct such wild experiments under the radar? we received the notifications of your wife's transition. - she's not ready to go yet. of course. it may not be the most original idea, and the final reel twists won't surprise any genre enthusiasts, but an atmospheric score by steven price, who won an oscar for his work on gravity, and typically eye—catching cinematography from the great laurie rose lift this above the realms of mere repetition into something strangely haunting and effecting. it's nice to finally talk to you.

supporting players stacy martin and the recently ennobled tobyjones obe add lively heft, but it's james who carries the drama following in the footsteps of lonely screen astronauts like bruce dern and sam rockwell. do you need my help? leave me alone. current lockdown restrictions may have nixed the planned cinema release, but viewers can find archive on digital download from monday. free at last, free at last! thank god almighty, we are free at last! i'll leave you with news of mlk/fbi, an engrossing documentary about the us government's surveillance and harassment of martin luther king that seems all the more relevant in these troubled times. after the march on washington, it's clear that martin luther king jr is the most dangerous negro in america.

and we have to use every resource at our disposal to destroy him. considering dr king to be a communist threat, j edgar hoover went to great length to dig into his private life, hoping to discredit him with evidence of extramarital infidelities. this represents the darkest part of the bureau's history. tracing the racist tropes of hoover's campaign back to birth of a nation and beyond, sam pollard's film argues that the fbi's activities were not some kind of renegade aberration, but a key part of an existing political order. they were running a surveillance state. along the way we hear from former fbi directorjames comey, who says that the records of the bureau's action made him feel physically sick when learned of a cache of unreleased surveillance tapes that some believe should never be heard. it's compelling and alarming fare, a warning from history that there are those who will stop at nothing to retain white power. the greatness of america

is the right to protest for rights. mlk/fbi is available on vod and through virtual cinema screenings now. that's it for this week. thanks for watching the film review, stay safe and i will see you next week. this evening: everyone is talking about it because it was really rather dull. all of the good bits coming up. rangers' lead comes to an end, held by motherwell in the scottish premiership. 36 90, go, motherwell

and 72 players now in quarantine. they prepare for the australian open? good evening. thanks forjoining us. manchester city could leapfrog liverpool into second in the premier league this evening. they are currently playing crystal palace to see if they can move of the champions, and it is 1—0 at the moment. john stones' header put them ahead a minute ago. manchester united still top of the premier league after what was billed as the biggest game of the season so far ended up in a rather disappointing goalless draw. the fans may not be there, the

atmosphere is not the same, but liverpool against manchester united is just as big liverpool against manchester united isjust as big of liverpool against manchester united is just as big of an occasion, liverpool against manchester united isjust as big of an occasion, and this season, it means that little bit more. almost a year ago to the day, liverpool were 30 points ahead of their red rivals, but right now, united are the team to catch. bruno fernandes has been one of their standout players all season, and he was inches away from giving his side the lead at anfield. that free kick slid just outside of the post. but against this liverpool team, you can't sit back and relax. the break from mo until late in the second half, fernandes had the best chance so far. united just kept out. a few minutes later, they were in again. the moment they had waited for. the rejuvenated paul pogba over it. alison keeping the scores level.

perhaps an opportunity missed for both sides. the