A moving and funny acting master-class October 31, 2013 FILM PHILOMENA Cert 12a | By Daniel O’Mahony Four stars PHILOMENA is inspired by true events, though there are moments so heart-rending you wish the source material were fictional. It tells the story of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), a working-class Irish woman who became pregnant as a teenager in the 1950s. Sent away to a [...]
Where to Drink: Feeling the chill? Warm the cockles with a delicious sperm whale cocktail… October 31, 2013 IT’S THE time of the year to retreat to a cosy, warm bolthole to stave off the cold. Good thing, then, that there are plenty of places that fit the bill, such as Drakes Tabanco, new to Fitzrovia. Get a taste of Iberian sunshine from the peasant-y design, nodding to the well-worn and wooden bodegas [...]
A sci-fi treat with plenty of brains October 24, 2013 FILM ENDER’S GAME Cert 12a | By Simon Thomson Four Stars ENDER’S Game is a science fiction adventure about a special boy, sent to a special school, where he is trained to be a ruthless war commander. Basically, it’s Harry Potter. If he’d been sent to a military academy. In space. The internet has been [...]
The best performance from Tom Hanks in over a decade October 17, 2013 FILM CAPTAIN PHILLIPS Cert 12a | By Ben Butcher Four Stars FIRST time collaborators Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass combine to forge a nerve-shredding film that will surely be among the main contenders in awards season. Captain Phillips is based on the true story of the 2009 hijacking of American freight ship Maersk Alabama by [...]
Paul Rudd can’t save bore-fest in the forest October 17, 2013 FILM PRINCE AVALANCHE Cert 15 | By Simon Thomson Two Stars PRINCE Avalanche is the meandering tale of two men painting road-markings in a Texas forest. It’s exactly like watching paint dry. A loose remake of a 2011 Icelandic comedy called Á Annan Veg (Either Way), Prince Avalanche’s plot is slight. Alvin (Paul Rudd, pictured) [...]
Where to drink October 17, 2013 From the top floor of Centre Point to Japanese-Peruvian fusion mixology AS NOVEMBER approaches, exciting new bars and clubs continue to open in London alongside established venues giving themselves facelifts. Zinc, perched atop the Centre Point building on its 31st floor just below Paramount, looks poised to become the highest destination lounge bar in the [...]
Tate’s Klee exhibition is too much of a good thing October 17, 2013 ART PAUL KLEE: MAKING VISIBLE Tate Modern | By Joseph Funnell Two Stars TATE Modern’s newest exhibition opened this week with a bold claim: that the German-Swiss painter Paul Klee was one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Convincing arguments can be made in that direction, but unfortunately in this instance, Klee’s [...]
Artist sets up shop in Fitzrovia restaurant October 17, 2013 ART TIM HEAD: À LA CARTE Pied à Terre Restaurant Four Stars AFTER opening its doors in 1991, Fitzrovia Michelin-starred restaurant Pied à Terre quickly established itself as a favourite among luminaries of the British art scene. The restaurant built up an impressive collection of works by artists who frequented the restaurant. One of those [...]
There’s more than meets the eye in Joe Black’s first solo show October 17, 2013 ART JOE BLACK Opera Gallery | Daniel O’Mahony Three Stars IN HIS debut solo exhibition, British artist Joe Black employs a technique that feels a little over-familiar – making big things out of lots of little things. But it doesn’t feel derivative. A self-professed “love of materials” led the 39-year-old artist to create images using [...]
Street art alternative to Frieze takes you deep under ground October 17, 2013 ARTBRUTALLazarides at 180 The Strand | By Joseph FunnellThree Stars A STRANGE phenomenon in London’s art calendar occurs every year around mid-October when the art-loving masses descend on Regent’s Park to wander around a set of prefab “gallery” spaces in a bleak marquee. Yes, I’m talking about the Frieze Art Fair. The uniform white of [...]