The Reason I Jump doc lets us see the world differently June 16, 2021 Winner of the Audience Award at Sundance, The Reason I Jump takes it title and direction from the book of the same name. It was written by Naoki Higashida, a 13-year-old nonspeaking autistic boy, who describes the way he perceives the world. While the book has its critics who question the validity, to others it [...]
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton follow-up In The Heights is a joy June 16, 2021 Lin-Manuel Miranda’s stage phenomenon Hamilton became a streaming hit last year, as Disney+ released a filmed version of the original cast performance in order to capitalise on a captive audience. It showed that there is still a huge enthusiasm for the writer’s work, which is why the poster for In The Heights features the show’s [...]
Last chance to back fantastic Hear Art film campaign June 14, 2021 There is just a week left to support one of City A.M.’s favourite arts initiatives, Hear Art, in its crowdfunding campaign to raise £15,000 to help fund films made by deaf filmmakers. Hear Art is a non-profit platform founded by Cindy Sasha (photographer/activist) and Rachel Shenton (actress/writer/activist) to help address the lack of opportunities for [...]
The end of lockdown could spell a dinner party renaissance June 10, 2021 The end of lockdown should be close; we wait with bated breath for a final decision on whether 21 June will in fact see the sweeping away of most of the remaining restrictions. In the meantime, however, we are allowed to gather indoors according to the rule of six (or more, if they are drawn [...]
Loki Episode 1 review: A deep dive into a Marvel anti-hero June 9, 2021 *** WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the Loki TV series, and parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe *** In eighteen months of Disney+’s existence, there hasn’t been a new show with as much potential as Loki. The Mandalorian had a lot of hype by virtue of being a Star Wars show, while both WandaVision [...]
LIFF 2021: British Asian talent celebrated at this year’s festival June 9, 2021 Cinemas may be open again, but 2021 remains a difficult time for the film industry as it reconnects with audiences. For many film festivals, this means taking a hybrid approach that welcomes back the magic of the big screen while still providing an online presence for those still out of reach. The 12th Bagri Foundation [...]
Indiana Jones boxset review – Indy celebrates 40 with a new look June 9, 2021 Next month will be the 40th anniversary of Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark. In that time, Harrison Ford’s gruff archaeologist has been the focus of a number of spin offs, tie-ins, and home video releases. It’s a testament to the enduring appeal of the character that there is still appetite for [...]
Nobody review – John Wick style comedy hits the target June 8, 2021 Movie fans love an unlikely action hero. It’s easy to forget that legends like Bruce Willis and Liam Neeson were better known for other genres before they started to take out bad guys, but even the most ardent Bob Odenkirk fan would admit seeing him in this type of movie is a surprise. In many [...]
The Father review: Anthony Hopkins’ disturbing Oscar moment June 8, 2021 After a year of being shuffled around the Covid-hit release schedule, The Father finally arrives on the big screen, hoping to show why it generated so much buzz on the awards circuit. Sir Anthony Hopkins won a second Oscar at 85 years old for playing Anthony, a retired man battling against advancing dementia. His memory [...]
The Death of a Black Man at Hampstead Theatre review June 4, 2021 It’s a sad indictment on society that a play called The Death of a Black Man could have been written in just about any era of modern history, about more black men than you could ever hope to name. Today it perhaps most strongly recalls the death of George Floyd, whose murder last year by [...]