Stillwater – Amanda Knox-inspired drama is slow but solid August 5, 2021 Whoever said “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” clearly didn’t work on publicity for Stillwater, as this week’s drama comes to the screen with a lot of baggage. The film is very loosely inspired by the trial of Amanda Knox, who posted tweets denouncing the film. As if that wasn’t enough, star Matt Damon [...]
Changing Destiny at The Young Vic is a disappointing return August 4, 2021 The Young Vic is rolling out the big guns for its first post-lockdown production. Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah helms a new play by Booker Prize-winner Ben Okri, with sets and costumes from architect David Adjaye, whose design for a Holocaust memorial was approved last week for installation next to the Houses of Parliament. Expectations were [...]
School’s out: Time to be a tourist in your City of Culture August 3, 2021 Summer in the City is the best time to dive into the rich and diverse cultural scene. Here’s our monthly round-up of all the best goings on. The LSO have a series of Summer Shorts on Friday mornings including 6 August Ayanna Witter-Johnson and the LSO Percussion Ensemble in the Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke’s [...]
Bringing these wines will make you the perfect dinner party guest August 3, 2021 “Freedom Day” has come and gone and invitations to dinner parties, garden gatherings and long luncheons have come flooding in. It is the “done thing” to bring a bottle for your dinner party host but this can be tricky when you have no idea what is on the menu. If you cannot pair the wine [...]
Sundance Film Festival: London 2021 – Our Best of The Fest July 30, 2021 Thursday sees the return of Sundance London to Picturehouse Central. Like many events, the 2020 edition was held online, but the independent film extravaganza will once again be taking place in-person this week with a stellar line up picked from the best of its parent event in Utah. Fifteen features have been chosen, along with [...]
The Suicide Squad review: DC antiheroes get film they deserve July 30, 2021 If there’s one group that deserves a second chance, it’s Suicide Squad. David Ayer’s 2016 original had a lot of promise but became a lesson in studio interference, held back by a nervous Warner Bros who made their own edit that was poorly received. This week’s The Suicide Squad also had a turbulent path to [...]
Green and pleasant land? The future of cannabis use in the UK July 29, 2021 Smoking as a social activity suffered a heavy blow around 15 years ago. Between 2006 and 2007, the four parts of the United Kingdom brought in new laws prohibiting smoking in public places, with Scotland being the first to take the leap. I bear a sliver of responsibility: I worked for the House of Commons [...]
Sundance London review: The Sparks Brothers is Edgar Wright’s love letter to music July 29, 2021 In another universe, Edgar Wright should be working on his third Ant-Man movie. It’s seven years since his departure from the Marvel film due to ‘creative differences’, in which time he has made three movies – car chase hit Baby Driver, the upcoming Last Night In Soho, and this week’s critically adored music doc The [...]
Jungle Cruise is a silly but entertaining Disney adventure July 28, 2021 Musclebound A-lister Dwayne Johnson has made his name in the movie business by making hits from unlikely source material. Reviving the Fast and Furious, GI Joe, and Jumanji franchises, his face alone is enough to make hits out of dodgy propositions. Skyscraper, San Andreas, arcade game adaptation Rampage: the list goes on. Can he work [...]
The Two Character Play at Hampstead Theatre reinvigorates Tennessee Williams’ late work July 28, 2021 There’s something comforting about the way Hampstead Theatre, always a bastion for experimental works that tease at the boundaries of mainstream theatre, has emerged from the pandemic. At a time when the pressure to stick on something that’s guaranteed to fill seats must be overwhelming, it instead decided to revive a tricky series of plays [...]