TV film fare -- week of March 29, 2020

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of March 29. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, March 29, 8-10:15 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Citizen Kane" (1941). When a Hearst-like newspaper tycoon (Orson Welles) dies, a reporter (William Alland) interviews the man's former associates (Joseph Cotten and Everett Sloane among them) and wives (Ruth Warrick and Dorothy Comingore) in an effort to pin down the essence of the contradictory, larger-than-life millionaire by discovering the meaning of his dying word, "Rosebud." Also co-written (with Herman J. Mankiewicz), produced and directed by Welles, the movie is a landmark in American cinema, both for its superb use of film technique and its intriguing story of a man who came from nothing, acquired fame and fortune but died without the love he sought. Marital infidelity. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

Wednesday, April 1, 5:50-8 p.m. EDT (Showtime) "Donnie Brasco" (1997). Fact-based story of an undercover FBI agent (Johnny Depp) who infiltrates a New York mob family in the late 1970s by befriending an aging, low-level hood (Al Pacino), despite the agent's moral dilemmas over neglecting his own family while betraying a man who has treated him like a son. Director Mike Newell delivers an absorbing character study of a good guy nearly destroyed by his dedication to the job while never glamorizing the vicious brutality of the gangsters. Brief graphic violence, flash of nudity, intermittent profanity and much rough language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Wednesday, April 1, 8-11:45 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Seven Samurai" (1954). Medieval Japanese adventure saga in which a veteran samurai (Takashi Shimura) agrees to protect a small farming village from a band of bandits, then selects five other samurai and a determined peasant youth (Toshiro Mifune) to join him in fortifying the village and training its inhabitants to defend it against the much larger bandit force. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, the result is partly a character study of idealistic samurai, partly a lyric tribute to the enduring virtues of farm life but mostly a well-plotted, fast-paced action epic based on the element of surprise, individual heroism and the unified spirit of a group fighting for its very survival. Subtitles. Stylized battlefield violence, much menace and several sexual situations. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association. (First in a series of four films featuring Mifune on the centennial of his birth: "Rashmon" (1950), 11:45 p.m.-1:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 2; "Yojimbo" (1961), 1:30-3:30 a.m. EDT; and "Throne of Blood" (1957), 3:30-6 a.m. EDT.)

Wednesday, April 1, 9:30 p.m.-midnight EDT (AMC) "Jumanji" (1995). Eye-popping fantasy adventure about a jungle wildlife board game that springs to life, threatening to destroy a whole town unless its players (notably Robin Williams) successfully complete the game. Director Joe Johnston provides some frightening thrills as spectacular special effects put humans at the mercy of rampaging animals and a deadly hunter. Frequent life-threatening menace and intermittent gunfire. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Friday, April 3, 10 p.m.-midnight EDT (Showtime) "Mary Magdalene" (2019). Respectful but off-key profile of the biblical saint (Rooney Mara) portrays her decision to join the Apostles in following Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix) as a feminist gesture of rebellion against her family and their effort to force her into an arranged marriage. St. Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) comes off as an egotistical villain in director Garth Davis' drama while Judas (Tahar Rahim) is depicted as well-intentioned but misguided. Phoenix's Savior, moreover, has the cadences of a beat poet and the demeanor of a Dennis Hopper character from the 1960s trying to explain the meaning of life to squares. Mature religious themes requiring discernment, some gruesome and gory images. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.