Ben Whishaw goes off the deep end in tense debut feature Surge May 27, 2021 Debut features from new directors are exciting prospects. They can be unfiltered, rough and ready works that jump out of the screen and smack you across the face. They can also be derivative junk whose name you forget before the credits have even rolled. For Aneil Karis, an award-winning short filmmaker, Surge falls firmly into [...]
First Cow movie review – pure cinematic moo-phoria May 27, 2021 For European fans of independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, it’s been a long wait for the director’s first film since 2016’s Certain Women. Released at the beginning of March 2020 in the US, we’ve had to wait over a year longer because… well, you know why. Nevertheless, First Cow is a pleasant period piece that is [...]
Cruella is a fabulous origin story for Disney’s most enduring villain May 26, 2021 “Cruella de Vil, Cruella de Vil, if she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will…”. This ditty in Disney’s 1961 animation 101 Dalmations leaves little room for nuance as it introduced one of its most enduring villains. Whether hand drawn, or in the form of Glenn Glose’s 90s portrayals, Cruella de Vil is a narcissistic, [...]
Vanquish film review – a dreadful John Wick knock off May 26, 2021 There are certain stars that draw a reaction when they become involved in a project. Oscar winner Morgan Freeman is one of those names, with the Shawshank Redemption and Bruce Almighty star’s gravitas lending something to any film he appears in. Sadly, all the prestige in the world can’t save his latest action-thriller, Vanquish. Ruby [...]
Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In is a personal tale of greatness May 26, 2021 In the world of football, few men have dominated quite like Sir Alex Ferguson. Even if you are a supporter of one of the teams his Manchester United side made miserable, the numbers speak for themselves. Thirteen Premier League Titles, 2 Champions Leagues, 5 FA Cups, and a lifetime of memories for those whom he [...]
Flight is a touching, socially distanced diorama play May 25, 2021 As lockdown one bled into lockdown two, which quickly became lockdown three, theatre companies realised they were going to have to do something drastically different to keep audiences engaged and bring in a little income. For some that meant socially-distanced recitals that could open and close without an outlay on sets and ensemble casts. Others [...]
Culture Corner: The City’s back – here’s what’s on in June May 24, 2021 It’s happening! Culture has exploded and doors are finally open! Six million pounds has been allocated by the Mayor’s office to support ‘Let’s Do London’ and industry is contributing a further £1m. The campaign will include a major advertising push supported by London & Partners and TfL, alongside new content on the Visit London website [...]
60 Seconds with Sculpture in the City’s Stella Ioannou May 24, 2021 Stella Ioannou is Director at Lacuna – Creative Projects Consultancy, the artistic director of Sculpture in the City. This annual urban sculpture park set amidst the iconic architecture of the City’s insurance district has become one of the Square Mile’s cultural highlights. Every summer, the City of London Corporation, in partnership with local businesses, unveils [...]
In defence of the long lunch: Business needs the human touch May 24, 2021 No-one quite knows when the long lunch suffered a mortal blow. Perhaps it was the financial crisis of 2007-08, when money lost its lustre. Perhaps it was before that, in the 1980s, when US working cultures flooded the City of London after the Big Bang. The grim phrase “al desko” was first recorded in the [...]
Hating Peter Tatchell director Christopher Amos on the controversial campaigner May 21, 2021 Launching on Netflix today is the documentary Hating Peter Tatchell, a look at the life of one of the most high-profile LGBTQ+ rights activists in the world. For most of his life, Tatchell has been on the front line of the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation, often using extreme means to get a media spotlight on [...]