Isle of Dogs review: More bark than bite, but Wes Anderson’s stop-motion adventure is adorable fun September 28, 2018 Wes Anderson’s latest film takes place in a hyper-stereotyped, near-future Japan, in which dogs have been cruelly banished to a trash island under the invented pretence that they’ve succumbed to a mix of highly infectious dog flu and “snout rot”. The director’s second stop-motion project (the Roald Dahl adaptation Fantastic Mr. Fox being the [...]
The Wife film review: Glenn Close serves up a career-best performance as Nobel laureate’s beleaguered spouse September 28, 2018 What happens when you win the Nobel Prize? Does a peace dove deliver the news by flying telegram? Is there a banquet of all your favourite foods? Can you invite your mum? This simple dispersal of news becomes one of many fascinating aspects of The Wife. Based on a bestselling novel by Meg Wolitzer, it’s [...]
Exit the King: The National Theatre’s production of Ionesco’s absurdist drama wanders but the journey is worth it September 27, 2018 First performed in 1962, Exit The King is a tragic comedy about a clownish, centuries old despot who once held dominion over nature itself, but is forced to rapidly come to terms with his imminent death, his waning powers and his shrivelling kingdom. A great crack runs down the castle wall. Ministers are falling [...]
Kanye West, rap’s most enigmatic star, has dreams of making affordable, brutalist homes September 24, 2018 The students were a combination of shocked and awed when their lecturer jumped on top of a desk and cried, “The world can be saved through design!” It could have been a scene from 1989’s Dead Poets Society, but in fact it was an overexcited Kanye West taking a class at Harvard Graduate School of [...]
The art of inclusivity: Any path to a fairer economy should have culture at its heart September 24, 2018 Culture and commerce have thrived alongside one another in the Square Mile for centuries, arguably since it was a bustling Roman port and commercial centre. Today, the City of London is home to a number of world-leading cultural institutions, with an enviable reputation for artistic excellence and innovation. You may be surprised to learn [...]
Misty review: Arinzé Kene is a firebrand in this abstract show about what constitutes a ‘black play’ September 20, 2018 “Not all writers get to write what they want,” says Arinzé Kene, the writer, director and star of this mainly one man show. Only two musicians accompany him, sitting either end of the stage, and occasionally a younger actor makes an appearance as his little sister. But this is Kene’s show, a gifted performer who [...]
Misty review: Arinzé Kene is a firebrand in this abstract show about what constitutes a ‘black play’ September 20, 2018 “Not all writers get to write what they want,” says Arinzé Kene, the writer, director and star of this mainly one man show. Only two musicians accompany him, sitting either end of the stage, and occasionally a younger actor makes an appearance as his little sister. But this is Kene’s show, a gifted performer who [...]
Shadow of the Tomb Raider review: A thrilling adventure, but one whose morally ambiguous message sticks in the craw September 20, 2018 The recent Tomb Raider games are prime examples of something called ludonarrative dissonance, where the story and gameplay elements are in uneasy conflict. It asks morally introspective questions about its protagonist and her goals, while simultaneously forcing you to commit morally questionable – even indefensible – acts. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the final instalment [...]
Shadow of the Tomb Raider review: A thrilling adventure, but one whose morally ambiguous message sticks in the craw September 20, 2018 The recent Tomb Raider games are prime examples of something called ludonarrative dissonance, where the story and gameplay elements are in uneasy conflict. It asks morally introspective questions about its protagonist and her goals, while simultaneously forcing you to commit morally questionable – even indefensible – acts. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the final instalment [...]
We Happy Few game review: A stylish alt-history romp ruined by dated mechanics and bugs galore September 20, 2018 Two years in early access saw We Happy Few transform from a procedurally generated survival sim to a Bioshock-esque narrative drama, with appropriately schizophrenic results. It presents an interesting spin on the ‘What if the Nazis won the war?’ trope, with the beleaguered residents of fictional British archipelago Wellington Wells placated with a drug called [...]