At the Movies for 19 March 2025

Simon Morris accepts that, for all the hard work of everyone on a movie, most people are just looking at the actors. Three character studies this week, including Mike Leigh's Hard Truths, based on weeks of actors' improvisation. Black Bag, in which a spy investigates six possible traitors, including his own wife, and the last - and some say the best - of the Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, Catherine Parr in Firebrand. Hard Truths is Mike Leigh's Bafta nominated study of a woman consumed by anger at the world, despite the best efforts of her family. Featuring a multi-award-winning performance by the brilliant Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies). Black Bag sees American director Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike) get into John Le Carre territory - a spy drama where two married agents suspect each other of leaking valuable information. What's more important, their marriage or their country? Stars Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), Cate Blanchett (Borderlands) and Pierce Brosnan (Mamma Mia). Firebrand tells the story of Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of the brutal Henry the Eighth. Can she keep her head while staying true to her faith? Stars Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) as Catherine, Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley) as Henry, with Erin Doherty (TV's Adolescence) as the "firebrand heretic", Anne Askew.