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 [...]
Army Of The Dead review – brainless heist is pure Zack Snyder May 21, 2021 This is the year Zack Snyder took care of unfinished business. After reviving interest in the DC Universe with The Snyder Cut on HBO Max, he has jumped over to another streaming service for a project that has been in the works since 2007. Army Of The Dead is one of those projects that always [...]
Hating Peter Tatchell review – a profile of an anarchic hero May 20, 2021 The advent of social media has made activism a daily practice for many, and something that’s witnessed by many more. From symbolic gestures to mass demonstrations, it feels as though mobilising a group to get their voices heard is easier than ever. Hating Peter Tatchell looks at a man who was putting a spotlight on [...]
Rare Beasts review – a biting debut from Billie Piper May 20, 2021 The laws of cinema dictate that the directorial debut of a famous star should be an exercise in self-service. Somewhat shallow stories are lifted into the spotlight because of the involvement of the celebrity, who has spotted a chance to get some behind-the-camera cred while also giving themselves the meatiest part. Rare Beasts lives up to [...]
Peter Rabbit 2 review – better than the first, but only just May 19, 2021 The sequel to 2018’s Peter Rabbit is finally upon us, which is a full circle moment for cinemas as they open up, hopefully for good this time. Along with A Quiet Place Part II, this was one of the films that was just about to release when the world went into lockdown, to the extent [...]
Hockney at Royal Academy: I hate these paintings in my bones May 19, 2021 I have a theory. I think someone has done a Kathy Bates on David Hockney. They have kidnapped him, stuck him in a chair, handed him an iPad and told him – on pain of a sledgehammer to the knees – to paint. And paint he has, again and again and again. Tree after tree, [...]
Tate Britain Commission: Heather Phillipson’s brilliant apocalypse May 19, 2021 Filling a huge gallery space with a single, cohesive piece of installation art is no mean feat – just ask the Tate Modern, which has for years struggled to recreate the early magic of its Turbine Hall commissions. The Tate Britain’s equivalent, in its cavernous neo-classical Duveen Galleries, seems to be on the opposite trajectory, [...]
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street at the Design Museum May 18, 2021 I don’t usually give much thought to my footwear when visiting an exhibition. But before setting off to the Design Museum this week I spent a couple of minutes mulling over the dozens of pairs of trainers I’ve accumulated over the years. I glossed over the three pairs of Nike Internationalist – mustard, burgundy and [...]
Banksy exhibition to open this week in Covent Garden May 18, 2021 A new Banksy exhibition is to open in Covent Garden this Thursday, showcasing famous works including Girl With Balloon (Red) and Kate Moss. More than £30m worth of the graffiti artist’s works will be displayed in a rare collection of Banksy’s work in the UK. The unofficial exhibition is made up of pieces owned by [...]