De Volkskrant TV selection for Monday, March 25

House of Gucci

RTL 7, 8.25 pm

(Crime, Ridley Scott, 2021) The curly epic House of Gucci heads towards a well-known fashion drama: the moment in 1995 when Gucci prince Maurizio was shot, on the orders of his ex-wife Reggiani. Shameless feasting, a story about passion and greed that spans the visually grotesque 1980s. The first half of the film in particular, in which the lanky Gucci heir (Adam Driver) and the energetic, worldly-wise Reggiani (Lady Gaga) charmingly fall for each other and then fight for their position within the fashion house as a power couple, is intensely seductive.

The Hateful Eight

SBS 9, 8:30 PM

(Western, Quentin Tarantino, 2015) Claustrophobic cowboy Chamber play about eight shady figures who have a lot to do with each other in a snowbound inn, including bounty hunter Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), fellow bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his loot Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh). It’s admirable how Tarantino keeps the attention for three hours with tasty dialogues, gallows humor and fabulously orchestrated violence. Although the many main characters cannot disguise the fact that the plot is a bit thin. With music by Ennio Morricone; his participation was a long-cherished wish of Tarantino.

We Bought a Zoo

Just 5, 8:30 PM

(Comedy, Cameron Crowe, 2011) Since his great successes Jerry Maguire (1996) and Almost Famous (2000), Cameron Crowe has no longer managed to find the right tone. Also in We Bought a Zoo, about a new widower (Matt Damon) who decides on a whim to buy a dilapidated zoo, the drama is uneven and sappy. Still, there is plenty to enjoy. Good acting (especially from Damon), a nice soundtrack (with a leading role for Sigur Rós singer Jónsi) and witty dialogues make this sweet film easier to digest.

Ukraine, the Cost of Arms

Canvas, 9:20 p.m

More than two years ago, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Since then, the Western countries that support Ukraine have announced almost every week a new arms shipment to help the besieged country. In the documentary Ukraine, the Cost of Arms Hugo Van Offel and Martin Boudot investigate the consequences of the revival of arms production and trade. The US and Europe have jointly spent more than sixty billion euros on military aid. What route does weapon systems and ammunition take from the factory to the front, and who benefits along the way?

Inspection service of value

NPO 1, 9.35 pm

Food with a smoky taste: many gourmets love it. So is the Inspection service of value, who has noticed something strange about the smoked sausage, fish, cheese, tofu and even nuts and chips from the supermarket. Sometimes the packaging says ‘smoked’, and sometimes ‘with smoke flavour’. What exactly is the difference? The editors also discovered that ‘smoke aroma’ has been added to the ingredients list of some products. Why is smoked food so popular when we know smoke is bad for you? And is there fire involved in making smoke flavoring?

Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods

BBC 2, 10pm

Images emerge every day of the battle on the eastern front in Ukraine, but they are usually amateur recordings or drone images. The documentary Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods was recorded entirely by members of a Ukrainian combat unit and provides a unique picture of the situation on the ground. In a snowy forest near Kupyansk, the soldiers are responsible for defending a vital railway line that would provide the enemy with a direct attack route to Kharkiv. Images of the bitter battle are alternated with interviews.

Putin and the West: At War

NPO 2, 10:17 p.m

Since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Norma is Percy’s award-winning documentary series Putin vs the West due for an update. Two new episodes show how President Vladimir Putin has shaken Europe’s sense of security. The battle in Ukraine is testing the unity of the West and exposing fault lines in the EU and NATO. The makers spoke with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.