 Life (out 30 November) 10 episodes, 2009 Monkey score: 90%  What It's About Coming hot on the heels of the Blue Planet and Planet Earth, Life is this year's BBC natural history star series. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough the 10 episodes in the series cover Plants, Primates, Creatures Of The Deep, Hunters And Hunted, Challenges Of Life, Fish, Mammals, Reptiles And Amphibians, Insects and Birds. More than four years in the making it follows the same format as its illustrious predecessors, with a 50 minutes documentary followed by a 10 minutes behind the scenes look tagged at the end.  What Movie Monkeys Thought If you've missed Life on the BBC this autumn this set from 2entertain is well worth getting your hands on to. It won't help you join in the previous weeks conversations at the office water cooler but at least you'll be able to catch up over the holidays. Life is beautifully made, with no expense spared to get the money shots, of which there are many. We have been spoiled in recent years by groundbreaking programming from the BBC Natural History unit, and it's tempting to be become a bit blasé by it all. The thing is that while we are getting accustomed to seeing such extraordinary sights, it doesn't make them any less extraordinary. Life brings you closer to the secrets of life on our planet - the closest most of us mere mortals will ever get to! Don't miss it.  |
 Gambit (Cert. U, out 30 November) Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine, Herbert Lom, John Abbot, dir. Ronald Neame, 1966, cert. U Gambit was Michael Caine's very first American film. Coming to DVD in the UK for the first time on Monday 30 November, Gambit is a bit of a forgotten gem. The theatrical posters at the time claimed "Go ahead tell the end (it's too hilarious to keep secret!) but please don't tell the beginning!". Indeed the beginning of the film is a bit special - suffice to say that you will wait close to half an hour before Shirley MacLaine utters her first lines. That's all we're prepared to reveal at this stage: we can tell you its good and really should be seen. We won't tell you anything about the end either, but there are more than a few twists in store as the heist story unfolds. The film came out the same year as Alfie, and indeed Michael Caine was nominated for both performances at the 1966 Golden Globes. A very well crafted heist movie - a classic Michael Caine that begs to be rediscovered.
 Boom! (Cert. U, out 30 November) Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Noel Coward, dir. Joseph Losey, 1968, cert. U
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