Under Milk Wood is a raunchy, filthy, surreal take on Dylan Thomas’ epic radio play October 30, 2015 Cert: 15 | ★★★★☆ Under Milk Wood, Dylan Thomas’ masterful radio play, doesn’t easily lend itself to film. The twisting, languid structure of the poetry means the visuals inevitably feel tacked on, like a montage in a music video. In director Kevin Allen’s adaptation they bray for your attention, all saturated colours and vivid, nightmarish imagery. [...]
Pig Farm is good, dirty fun but fails to live up to Urinetown October 30, 2015 St James's Theatre | ★★★☆☆ It’s an apt time to pen a comedy about pigs and Greg Kotis – writer of last year’s musical hit Urinetown – does so with some style, if little substance. The action takes place on the eve of a federal government visit to an intensive pig farm. A wayward young [...]
The Last Witch Hunter movie review: Vin Diesel plays a sword-swinging sorcery slayer in this fantasy adventure October 22, 2015 Cert 12A | ★★☆☆☆ There’s a fun bit in The Last Witch Hunter, when the last witch hunter, having just hunted another witch, is surprised to learn that there’s an entire prison full of witches out there somewhere, just waiting to be hunted, by him, the hunter of witches. But what is this place called? [...]
Mississippi Grind, Paper Planes, Listen To Me Marlon movie review round-up – Films in brief October 2015 October 22, 2015 Mississippi Grind | ★★★★☆ This road trip starring Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn follows Jerry, a gambler with serious debts who encounters Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), a drifter who seems to bring good luck to all around him. Jerry convinces his new friend to go on a tour of America’s gambling spots in the hope of winning enough [...]
Spectre film review: a hollow ghost of a Bond movie October 22, 2015 Cert 12A | ★★☆☆☆ There’s an old episode of The Simpsons where a Bond parody escapes death using an improbable device. It’s funny because we recognise its ridiculousness, having seen it played out countless times in the classic pre-scowly Daniel Craig days. It’s less funny when it happens in director Sam Mendes’ Spectre; one scene [...]
Jean-Etienne Liotard art review: Has the Royal Academy managed to revive interest in the Swiss-French painter? October 22, 2015 ★★☆☆☆ | Royal Academy Jean-Etienne Liotard was an eccentric chap, by all accounts. The great aristocratic families of Europe thought he was a right laugh, with his eye-catching oriental robes and waist-length beard. They flocked in their hundreds to ask the Swiss-French painter to paint them and Liotard, who was a dab hand at pastel [...]
Plaques and Tangles, Royal Court theatre review: Alzheimer’s play’s intimacy and exceptional acting hit the hardest October 22, 2015 ★★★★☆ | Royal Court Plaques and Tangles, a play about three generations of a family blighted by Alzheimer’s, wears its weighty subject remarkably lightly. It circles with the grace of a featherweight boxer, throwing occasional jabs, ducking and weaving, waiting until your guard is down before hitting home its crushing, terrifically sad finishing blow. It [...]
Tate Modern exhibition: Turbine Hall’s Empty Lot is too timid for this imposing space October 15, 2015 Tate Modern | ★★☆☆☆ The Turbine hall has its first new installation since Damien Hirst filled the biggest gallery space in the country with a human skull. Abraham Cruzvillegas piece, Empty Lot, is more thoughtful, less immediate and, at least for now, a whole lot uglier. It’s a giant wooden terrace raised on salvaged scaffolding, [...]
Theatre review: Measure For Measure October 15, 2015 Young Vic | ★★★★☆ The Duke wades through a pile of blow up sex dolls, kicking plastic bodies out of his way. He pauses and says, “I love the people.” These inflatable citizens are no lewder than those who inhabit the city of Vienna in Shakespeare’s barmiest play. Often referred to as a “problem play”, [...]
Pan movie review: Director Joe Wright’s origin story employs all the tired cliches October 15, 2015 Cert PG | ★☆☆☆☆ When you were a child watching the Disney version of Peter Pan and you saw him fly through the window of the Darling household, all chilly in his tights and green tunic, did you ever think, “Who ARE you, Peter? Where do you COME from?” Me neither. No one cares. But for some [...]