The Invisible Man review: A brilliant self-contained horror story February 27, 2020 It is absurd to think The Invisible Man was conceived as a foundational part of a ‘Classic Monsters’ shared universe, the beginning of a franchise that might sit alongside Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. The project was unveiled with a now-infamous, heavily photoshopped picture of celebrities including Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise, who were to [...]
A Number at the Bridge Theatre review: Caryl Churchill’s sci-fi drama asks what it means to be human February 27, 2020 A second Caryl Churchill play opens in as many weeks, with the Donmar’s production of political dystopia Far Away followed by this sci-fi drama, which somehow condenses more than 2,000 years of ontological philosophy into a razor-sharp 60 minutes. The two-man production opens with a father and son (Roger Allam and Colin Morgan, respectively) embroiled [...]
Dark Waters review: Mark Ruffalo’s Virginia lawyer takes on Teflon in this gripping thriller February 27, 2020 Dark Waters is a frustrating watch. Todd Haynes’ gripping thriller tells the true story of a Virginia lawyer taking on the powerful manufacturers of Teflon, who over the course of several decades dumped vast quantities of a dangerous chemical into rivers and landfill, poisoning an entire town with the toxic byproduct of producing non-stick frying [...]
Lair of the Clockwork God review: Point-and-click meets platforming in this genre-melding comedy adventure February 27, 2020 You might think that Lair of the Clockwork God, a game that’s one half classic point-and-click adventure, and the other half a modern indie darling platformer, would tend to pull the player in two painfully opposing directions. These are seemingly irreconcilable genres of the past and present, a square peg and a round peg, violently [...]
DEBATE: Is there a case for Britain keeping the Elgin Marbles? February 24, 2020 Is there a case for Britain keeping the Elgin Marbles? Tiffany Jenkins, author of Keeping Their Marbles: How Treasures of the Past Ended Up in Museums and Why They Should Stay There, says YES. Throughout history, art objects have passed across borders. No one is suggesting that every Italian Master belongs to the Italian government. [...]
Culture complements commerce, so let’s celebrate the City’s thriving artistic scene February 24, 2020 As lord mayor of the City of London, my role is primarily business-focused. But I am also passionate about arts and culture, and with so much of it on our doorstep, Londoners are truly fortunate. In fact, championing culture is a key part of my mayoral theme. And to underline its importance, I am looking [...]
The Visit at the National Theatre review: Lesley Manville shines in this overly-long drama February 21, 2020 Dürrenmatt’s revenge tragicomedy arrives at the National’s Olivier Theatre in an adaptation by Tony Kushner, transporting the drama to post-war America. In the state of New York, in a poverty-ridden town appropriately named Slurry, the town’s residents are desperate for a break. They pin all their hopes on the return (or rather, the visit) of [...]
Greed film review: Steve Coogan sets out to prove greed is not good February 21, 2020 I’m a member of an very in-exclusive club: people whom Sir Philip Green has called a c**t. There was no real malice behind it – I was writing a story about his fashion brand and that was simply the way he spoke to the media. Still, there was something cathartic about watching Michael Winterbottom and [...]
Push film review: A challenging look at gentrification around the world February 21, 2020 Property developers, look away now. If you’ve never felt the slightest bit icky when buying a £4 cup of coffee in a formerly working-class neighbourhood, you’re probably not going to like Swedish filmmaker Frederik Gertten’s new documentary, Push. It’s all about gentrification, and whether we have the right to live affordably in a major city [...]
Call of the Wild review: A heartwarming trek through the uncanny valley February 20, 2020 Throughout his acting career, Harrison Ford has built a reputation for acting alongside large hairy things, whether they be a Wookiee copilot or Sean Connery at peak beard. Now the man stars alongside Buck, a sled dog made not of flesh and bone but a veil of polygons, generated by powerful graphics processors and wrapped [...]