Boris Johnson Unleashed: Puns, prose but too little punch October 17, 2024 Let’s face it: if you aren’t a Boris fan or someone inclined to read every political biography, it’s unlikely you will pick up this book. When I told my brother I was reading it, his response was: “Why would you want to relive that mess?!?”. My mother was more pointed: “I’m not reading anything by [...]
Hard Truths by Mike Leigh, London Film Festival review: I couldn’t bare the misery anymore October 17, 2024 Hard Truths by Mike Leigh, review and star rating: ★★★☆☆ As one of Britain’s greatest living film-makers, Mike Leigh launched the careers of British acting royalty, including Gary Oldman, Alison Steadman and Tim Roth. But goodness gracious me, he’s a right old misery guts. To mark the release of his new film Hard Truths, Vulture [...]
iPhone 16 Pro review: Amazing camera keeps Apple on top October 17, 2024 The iPhone 16 Pro is not a reinvention of the wheel, rather a polishing of that wheel to an absurd degree, tweaking this, fiddling with that, and in doing so ensuring Apple’s flagship handset remains the phone to buy as we rattle towards the end of 2024. There are two items of headline news for [...]
This trip to Languedoc turned me into a wine snob October 17, 2024 I’m not a wine guy. The oenophile subjects alcohol to a level of scrutiny that, to me, feels antithetical to the loosening joys of boozing. I enjoy wine. I prefer wine that tastes nice. But to theorise about it, to intellectualise it, to hold it to the light and inspect its colour, to soliliquise about [...]
The Duchess of Malfi review: Jodie Whittaker can’t save this October 17, 2024 Duchess of Malfi review and star rating: ★★ This overstimulating, overstated adaptation of Jacobean tragedy The Duchess of Malfi struggles to find true dramatic depth. Written by English dramatist John Webster around 1612, the revenge tragedy follows the titular Duchess who is widowed but remarries in secret, then has a baby with husband Antonio, who [...]
Self-care upgrade: The future of travel is about feeling good October 16, 2024 Instead of the usual indulgences of food and drink, travellers are gravitating towards experiences that nourish their well-being.
Twiggy at London Film Festival review: Sadie Frost captures why she was so groundbreaking October 16, 2024 Twiggy by Sadie Frost, London Film Festival review and star rating: ★★★★☆ Posh ’90s party girl Sadie Frost has reimagined herself as a documentary maker. In 2022 she directed Quant, about iconic ’60s designer Mary Quant, and her 2024 gambit is about model turned singer, actor and M&S saviour Twiggy. Frost seems to have a [...]
The Naked Truth October 16, 2024 Kieron Atkinson – aka ‘Tom Booze’ – is founder of the English Wine Project and winemaker at Renishaw Hall. We quiz him on the future of winemaking. Why did you get Naked? Being part of Naked Wines is being part of the best wine club in the world. As a producer I get to meet [...]
Peckham Conker Championships: Inside the event that made conkers ‘cool’ October 16, 2024 Chaos and skullduggery at South East London's most charged conker club
Joy at London Film Festival review: this Netflix sob-fest with Bill Nighy is unmissable October 15, 2024 Joy film review and star rating from the London Film Festival: ★★★★☆ Thomasin McKenzie does a spiffing impression of Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones in Netflix’s Joy. Whenever there’s bad news, she scrunches up her face like an enraged toddler, like Zellweger does when either Colin Firth or Hugh Grant do the dirty on her. [...]