Souad review – a sobering Egyptian coming-of-age tale August 25, 2021 There are a lot of dramas that make you question the number of times you look at your phone in a day. For her debut narrative feature Souad, Egyptian director Ayten Amin takes the familiar posts and emojis of social media and put them in the contexts of her homeland. Set in a strictly religious [...]
The Nest review – Jude Law is brilliant in this yuppie horror story August 25, 2021 The career of Jude Law took an interesting turn as the actor entered his forties. While he’s maintain his movie star looks, age has allowed him to move away from heartthrob roles and into the darker characters that announced his arrival in the 1990s. He was despicable in the overlooked satire Vox Lux, a super [...]
Culture club: Ally MacIndoe CA on her role as Finance Director MENA at the British Council and the UK’s continued cultural clout August 24, 2021 | City Talk This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. The UK has always had huge cultural clout. By connecting people through innovative education and the soft power of the English language, Ally MacIndoe CA, Finance Director MENA at the British Council, is keeping it that way Many readers, whether in the UK or abroad, will have heard [...]
Two winemakers changing the world, one rosé at a time August 20, 2021 English rosé is a rapidly diversifying wine category, with the smallest boutique vineyards producing standout wines. The first vines were planted at the Off The Line Vineyard in Hellingly, East Sussex in 2014. The wines are made on site in a purpose-built red wine only winery by Kristina Studzinski and her partner Ann-Marie Tynan. Studzinski, the [...]
Pig review – Another unexpected Nicolas Cage triumph August 20, 2021 Where do you even begin with Nicolas Cage? Once a respected Oscar winning star, he’s now largely known for two things: his eccentricity, and his output. He makes an awful lot of films, most of which are low budget dross, but every now and again the intense actor makes a movie that succeeds in spite [...]
GI Joe adventure Snake Eyes comes up blanks – again August 20, 2021 Of all the big budget Hollywood franchises, GI Joe is up there as having the most peculiar history. 2009’s GI Joe – The Rise of Cobra was conceived as a competitor for the growing superhero movie craze. The film scarred the memories of those who made it – star Channing Tatum said “I fucking hate [...]
Marvel What If… Episode 2 – Chadwick Boseman’s final triumph August 18, 2021 Last week gave us a rousing opening to Marvel’s What If…?, a series that imagines parts of the Marvel Universe if certain decisions had been made differently. The introduction of Captain Carter was well received, and led speculation as to whether the character could be seen in future live action stories, given that The Multiverse [...]
People Just Do Nothing: Big In Japan is a fun misadventure August 18, 2021 Being a successful British comedy does not always guarantee film success. The Inbetweeners, Ab Fab, and Mr Bean all made millions at the box office; but for every triumph there’s a cautionary tale – Alan Patridge’s Alpha Papa and The Bad Education Movie had muted responses, while David Brent’s solo project lost millions. Hoping to be [...]
Free Guy review – finally a video game movie it’s ok to like August 18, 2021 Pre-Pandemic, Ryan Reynolds was on a hot streak. The Canadian star, once considered a likeable actor who never quite broke through, made the big time with R-Rated hero Deadpool. Suddenly, everything he touched turned to gold, making unexpected hits from The Hitman’s Bodyguard and Detective Pikachu, going viral with ads for his gin company featuring [...]
The Courier review – a tense Benedict Cumberbatch spy thriller August 17, 2021 One look at The Courier’s title might suggest that Benedict Cumberbatch has gone into action territory, although it’s certainly more appealing than the original name: Ironbark. The Oscar nominee is actually returning to a familiar genre – spy thriller – playing Greville Wynne, the real-life businessman who was recruit by British and US secret services [...]