This week’s on-demand critics’ picks | Anton Chekhov’s The Duel, Made in Dagenham, The American

1. Anton Chekhov’s The Duel
Dir. Dover Koshashvili. 2009. N/R. 95mins. Andrew Scott, Fiona Glascott, Tobias Menzies, Niall Buggy.Those skeptical that there’s life left in the costume drama will find it and more in Anton Chekhov’s The Duel, Georgian-born Israeli director Koshashvili’s unfussy, tightly wound take on the novella of the same name. Available through VOD, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes and VUDU Tue 24.

2. Made in Dagenham
Dir. Nigel Cole. 2010. R. 113mins. Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Daniel Mays, Miranda Richardson.A sprightly comedy about labor unrest in 1968 Britain? Hawkins makes it so. Available through XFINITY from Comcast.

3. The American
Dir. Anton Corbijn. 2010. R. 103mins. George Clooney, Violante Placido, Thekla Reuten, Paolo Bonacelli.Clooney takes a slightly absurd detour into an Antonioni-style art film, but if every star would throw himself wholeheartedly into a movie like this, life at the movies would certainly be more interesting. Available widely on demand.