Watches to wear in Monaco this weekend May 13, 2010 THE worlds of motor racing and stylish watches have always been a natural fit. Glamour and prestige, advanced engineering and pinpoint timing are their shared values, not to mention the fact that speed dials offer cool style inspiration to watch designers. In advance of this weekend’s Monte Carlo Grand Prix, we offer the pick of [...]
No men in tights: Russell Crowe shows the gritty side of a legend May 13, 2010 Film ROBIN HOOD Cert: 12A *** ROBIN HOOD is the fourth collaboration between Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott, and comes a decade after their first outing, the majestic Ancient Rome saga Gladiator. It shares that film’s muscular swordplay, gritty historical vision and interest in ancient politics, but lacks its pile-driving sense of excitement. Whether [...]
OUT THIS WEEKEND May 13, 2010 FILM AMERICAN: THE BILL HICKS STORY Documentary about the controversial late stand-up comic. EYES WIDE OPEN Powerful Israeli drama about an Orthodox Jewish father who falls for a male student. VINCERE Italian film telling the story of Benito Mussolini’s controversial first marriage. DVD IT’S COMPLICATED Inspired romantic comedy starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. WHERE [...]
NOW SHOWING | SIX OF THE BEST May 13, 2010 THEATRE Peter Pan At the Barbican Theatre, this fantastical new version of JM Barrie’s classic tale is a thrilling experience for all ages, produced by the National Theatre of Scotland to mark the 150th anniversary of Barrie’s birth. FILM Four Lions Arch provocateur Chris Morris’s subversive comedy about incompetent British suicide bombers is very clever, very [...]
A fraught journey through exile, family and religion May 12, 2010 NOMAD BY AYAAN HIRSI ALI Simon & Schuster, £12.99 **** AYAAN Hirsi Ali is one of the political world’s most direct speakers – if not its most direct. Even the most controversial commentators balk at using her kind of polarising terminology and crystalline rhetoric. In part this is because 40-year old Ali, who works at [...]
VEXED IN THE CITY May 12, 2010 Can I ask my colleague about his home life? DEAR VEXED: There’s a colleague I work really closely with on a number of projects. We get along well, but our relationship is strictly professional. Recently I’ve noticed him being really distracted, and I overheard him having a bitter argument with his wife on the phone. [...]
A blooming good way to eat for springtime May 12, 2010 LOTS of us have aspirations of turning our gardens into allotments and impressing dinner party guests with all manner of home-grown delicacies. Since that requires time, effort, good soil, advantageous sunlight and – at the very least – a garden, not many of us actually manage it. But a form of garden produce requiring a [...]
OUT OF OFFICE May 12, 2010 MONTE CARLO OR BUST If you’re a deep pocketed Formula 1 fan but thought you’d missed the chance to get to Monaco for the Grand Prix this weekend, think again. Monte Carlo’s Metropole Hotel, including the Joel Robuchon restaurant with its perfectly-placed terrace for watching the race, still has availability. A three night package, leaving [...]
No ordinary Chelsea tractor May 11, 2010 I HAVE a confession. I might be a less than ideal person to test the new Mitsubishi Shogun. This is because I live in N4. Off-roading opportunities are few and far between in Islington unless you include stolen Citroen Saxos driven on pavements. This means I am not going to tell you how the car [...]
OUT OF OFFICE May 11, 2010 GO FACE TO FACE WITH THE SURREY LIONS The Surrey Lions will be set loose in London as they launch their campaign for the 2010 Friends Provident Twenty20 Championship at Potters Field near Tower Bridge tomorrow. Meet the stars of the team and the Lions cheerleaders, and compare your bowling pace against the likes of [...]