Phantom Peak review: £34 without any drinks? Call the sheriff – let’s shut this place down August 5, 2022 Workers are spending more than seven pounds on a pint these days in London. I have been one of those people. Getting ripped off is tiring, but so many places rip you off in London that it feels impossible to keep track of what’s actually a good price, and what feels acceptable but actually isn’t. [...]
Andalucía, a Golfer’s Paradise August 1, 2022 | Sponsored With a guaranteed climate, more than 320 days of sunshine per year and world-class golf courses set in privileged locations, Andalucía is one of Europe’s foremost golfing destinations, attracting lovers of the sport from all over the world. With more than 100 prestigious courses, designed by world-class architects, and players in each of the eight [...]
Joyride review: Olivia Colman shines again July 29, 2022 Road trips are a regular go-to for independent films – a relatively cheap setting that allows for natural plot development, as the characters are literally going on a journey. But these films rely on strong performances, and luckily, Joyride ticks that box. This Irish production stars Charlie Reid as Mully, a young man mourning his [...]
Fire Of Love review: A captivating story of devotion July 29, 2022 In Fire Of Love, Filmmaker Sara Dosa uses archive footage to celebrate the work of Katia and Maurice Krafft, the French married couple who pioneered the study of volcanoes by documenting them through film and photography. Their partnership would lead them to the most dangerous environments on Earth in search of new information that went [...]
Hit The Road review: A triumph and ode to the refugee crisis July 29, 2022 This film is surely one of the funniest of the year so far, but it also comes with a very sad backdrop. Hit The Road is directed by Panah Panahi, son of the Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who was sentenced to six months in prison recently for criticising his nation’s government. The fact of his [...]
Bad Jews review: An unnervingly realistic portrait of bad family communication July 28, 2022 I’d estimate that at least half the audience at Bad Jews are having an uncomfortable flashback while they watch. Joshua Harman’s play, which first premiered Off-Broadway ten years ago, is unnervingly successful at capturing the impossibility of family communication, especially in light of grief. We’re stuck in Jonah’s confined New York City apartment, where, as [...]
Andalucía – Playa y Sol July 28, 2022 | Sponsored Famed for its spectacular weather, golden sands and turquoise waters; Andalucía’s 800km coastline stretches from Almeria to the Costa del Sol,and on to the Costa de la Luz. This popular coastal region attracts waves of tourists from all over the world because it offers a succession of unspoilt beaches with sweeping ocean views, secluded coves [...]
101 Dalmatians musical at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre review July 24, 2022 One of the last-remaining Covid-hit productions, new musical 101 Dalmatians has finally opened, two years late, at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. So was it worth the wait? Well… Let’s start with the good bits. The dalmatians themselves – or at least the two main ones, the rest are bodiless heads – are brought to [...]
Patriots at the Almeida is a gripping drama about the rise of Putin July 22, 2022 The story of the rise of Putin and the oligarchs has been told through various lenses in recent years. Author Peter Pomerantsev places shadowy “Kremlin demiurge” Vladislav Surkov at the heart of his gripping memoir-cum-investigation Nothing is True and Everything is Possible. Lucy Prebble’s all-singing, all-dancing play A Very Expensive Poison put Alexander Litvenenko front [...]
Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher review: far from a knockout July 22, 2022 Just when you thought every boxing story imaginable had been committed to film, Prizefighter unearths the intriguing real-life tale of Jem Belcher. Embodied by Welsh actor Matt Hookings, who also wrote and produced the film, Belcher became the youngest ever World Champion towards the turn of the 19th Century, a record that stands to this [...]