Meet the man who quit the City to reinvent the film industry, one documentary at a time May 9, 2023 City banker Julian Bird set up Lorton Entertainment to show that investing in films could be profitable, and documentaries on Diego Maradona, Oasis and Wayne Rooney have proven him spectacularly right. “I’m not really a massive film fan,” says City banker-turned-unlikely movie mogul Julian Bird. It’s perhaps a surprising statement from someone who has been [...]
Ip Man: The Awakening: Kung Fu film about Bruce Lee’s mentor misfires May 6, 2023 This historical origin story is the latest to dramatize the life of Wing Chun master Ip Man. Over the years, the man who mentored Bruce Lee has been portrayed many times, most notably in Donnie Yen’s hit Ip Man franchise (2008-2019) and Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster. This seems unlikely to be as well regarded, as [...]
Fans shocked as Bridgerton spin-off Queen Charlotte tackles royal racism row in key scene May 5, 2023 Queen Charlotte, the new Bridgerton spin-off, landed on Netflix last night and it makes a clear reference to the royal baby racism allegations from within the royal family. In 2021, Meghan claimed that there was concern among some members of the royal family about the skin colour of her baby with Harry. And now, Shonda [...]
The Laureate film review: If you miss Downton Abbey, try this May 5, 2023 The Laureate film review and star rating: ★★★ The lives of writers don’t always make interesting viewing, but the private side of our favourite authors always seem to find their way to the screen. The Laureate centres on poet Robert Graves (Tom Hughes), famous for his writing about his experiences during World War I. The [...]
The Motive and The Cue, National Theatre, review: Mark Gatiss is the best bit May 3, 2023 The Motive and The Cue review and star rating: ★★★ If the London theatre scene has an A-List, a good chunk of that list compromises the cast and crew of The Motive and The Cue. Written by Harry Potter & The Cursed Child’s Jack Thorne, directed by the titan that is Sam Mendes, and starring [...]
Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3 review: Effective but over-stuffed finale May 3, 2023 Guardians of The Galaxy Volume 3 review and star rating: ★★★★ 2014’s Guardians of The Galaxy was seen as a massive gamble for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It made some risky decisions, namely focussing more on lesser known characters, and bringing in a more unknown director, but the decisions paid off, as three movies and [...]
Printworks: London has the power to bring us back, says founder May 2, 2023 Printworks, one of London’s most important cultural venues, closed yesterday. Its foundertells Adam Bloodworth his hopes for the future It’s not an exaggeration to say there is nothing like Printworks. For music fans, the venue feels Cathedral-like, with its towering ceilings, but also because of the relationship people have with the building. In the 6,000-capacity [...]
Printworks: London nightlife venue to become offices as new plans revealed April 28, 2023 The Printworks London nightlife and culture venue in Canada Water is to become a net-zero office space, new architectural plans have revealed. British Land, the commercial property owners behind Printworks, have unveiled an ambitious repurposing project for the land, which was formerly a printing press, and is the last major unconverted industrial building in central [...]
Polite Society review: A bold and interesting film debut April 28, 2023 Bridgerton actor Priya Kansara plays Ria, a young woman from a traditional British-Asian family with the less-than-traditional dream of being a stunt woman. Older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) helps her with her passion, but that bond seems to be in jeopardy when she embarks on a whirlwind romance with the family-approved Salim (Akshay Khanna). Enlisting [...]
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: Another cosy British drama April 28, 2023 Having stolen art to highlight the plight of the elderly in The Duke, Jim Broadbent is back being a lovable eccentric in this adaptation of Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. He plays the title role of Harold, a retired man lacking purpose until he receives a letter from an old friend in [...]