Luxor review – Andrea Riseborough shines in a story of love and trauma November 5, 2020 An early selling-point of cinema was its ability to allow people to see locations on the other side of the world, places they could never dream of getting to in person. A century on, current restrictions mean we are once again travelling through our screens, and new drama Luxor provides the perfect antidote for those [...]
Lloyd’s to revamp company cultural following sexual harassment incidents November 5, 2020 Lloyd’s of London recently quizzed employees on its culture in a bid to improve its work environment for women. The move follows reports of sexual harassment at the firm in recent years. Last month Lloyd’s launched its 2020 culture survey, the second culture survey carried out by the business. The market’s first 2019 survey found [...]
How to write a lockdown novel – from a man who did just that November 4, 2020 Thierry Macquet, a Mauritian ex-at living in London, found himself stranded on the paradise island of his childhood when coronavirus rampaged across the globe. To stay sane, he decided to write a lockdown novel, Messages From an Adventurous Ancestor. Here’s how he did it, and some advice on how you can do the same as [...]
How to make the most of the last pre-lockdown days, from a US election party pack to a prohibition jazz night November 2, 2020 During any other year, this would have been among the busiest weeks of the social calendar. Halloween parties would have spilled into US election parties, which would have led into Bonfire night, and before you know it, the weekend is upon you again. Instead, we have the bleak prospect of yet another lockdown. But try [...]
Fun in the age of Covid: How to enjoy Halloween weekend October 30, 2020 While coronavirus continues to scupper all but the most determined of fun-seekers, the London cultural scene is largely just getting on with things as best it can. In this new regular column, we fill you in on the the ever-changing restrictions and give you a list of ways to spend a perfect, Covid-safe Halloween Weekend. [...]
Mogul Mowgli review: Riz Ahmed shines in timely rap drama October 29, 2020 There’s something joyous about seeing a star let loose in a passion project after a long period in Hollywoodland. Mogul Mowgli’s co-writer, producer and star Riz Ahmed revels in the project, putting in a performance that stands as one of his best. He plays Zed, a British-Pakistani rapper living in New York where his music [...]
The Painter and the Thief review: A brilliant, moving documentary October 29, 2020 Premiering at Sundance in January, Norwegian documentary filmmaker Benjamin Ree (2016’s Magnus) brings us The Painter and the Thief, an unusual tale of crime and reconciliation. We meet Barbara Kysilkova, a Czech painter based in Oslo, as she learns two of her most celebrated paintings have been stolen during the night. The authorities bluntly inform [...]
Turner at the Tate Britain: An Imax-sized naval blockbuster October 28, 2020 Tate Britain’s first major exhibition since the onset of our present crisis, Turner’s Modern World, is an Imax-sized naval blockbuster screened across a hundred canvases. This collection of works from across the span of JMW Turner’s career is a wild, terrifying documentary about a world turned on its head by industrialisation and war. Turner’s 19th [...]
The City A.M. Weekend – how to have fun in the age of Covid October 24, 2020 During these testing times it’s more important than ever to take pleasure in the things London still has to offer, and more important than ever to support the people out there offering us the chance. In this new regular column, we update you on the ever-changing restrictions and give you a list of ways to [...]
Pixie review: Tarantino meets Sligo in charming Irish heist October 23, 2020 Certain images can sell a movie almost without context: Jack Nicholson grinning through a hole in a door, or John Travolta and Uma Thurman doing the twist. Pixie may not be as iconic as those movies, but its accompanying show of Alec Baldwin, dressed as a priest and brandishing a firearm is certainly enough to [...]