Cry Macho film review: A passable Clint Eastwood cowboy yarn November 10, 2021 If you think Dune took a while to get a remake, spare a thought for Cry Macho. N. Richard Nash’s novel was published in the 1970s, having been rejected as a screenplay, only to be optioned again as a movie due to the book’s success. Multiple attempts have been made to make an adaptation over [...]
The magic of Cinema: Why there’s no better place to be this winter November 10, 2021 One of my great joys is the cinema. I don’t mean that I rush to see every new release; what I mean is that I love the experience of watching a film as it was intended to be seen. A hushed, darkened room, a ripple of anticipation, the trailers for features to come, the escape [...]
COP26: The wine industry joins the Race To Zero November 10, 2021 COP26 is well underway in Glasgow, bringing 197 countries together to present their updated plans to act against carbon emissions, and the wine industry has its own, albeit relatively small, part to play. Wine itself creates relatively low carbon emissions but even so the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) exists. It was founded three [...]
Give it up for the world’s most extreme winemakers November 10, 2021 Every wine merchant has their hero or heroine – not necessarily their best sellers but the wines and winemakers they most admire. These are often viticulture’s unsung heroes – small producers who work with new techniques or revive old ones, sometimes toiling in the harshest terrain, where machines aren’t viable and human power is the [...]
A mouthful of cashmere: The joy of Lalande-de-Pomerol wines November 10, 2021 Traditionally wines from Bordeaux have garnered a certain high level of respect, esteem, fame and the price tag that goes along with that. In broad strokes, the Bordeaux Blend, historically referred to as Claret in the UK, is made up of a combination of the star players Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot alongside, at the winemaker’s [...]
Baker & Spice in Belgravia, has a tried and tested day service – but what about its new dinner menu? November 9, 2021 Nestled in a quiet backstreet in Belgravia, Baker & Spice is a gourmet Mediterranean café and bakery that branched out to dinner service this September. It has a generous outdoor dining space equipped with heaters and blankets to ward off the autumnal chill and a small indoor dining room with cosy booths and tables for [...]
The Card Counter review: Oscar Isaac at his inscrutable best November 8, 2021 While he may not be as well known as his collaborators, the name Paul Schrader still commands respect among movie fans. He enjoyed his greatest success as a writer, working on four films with Martin Scorsese including Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, while also directing hits like 80s smash American Gigolo and Oscar winner Affliction. [...]
Lansdowne House is an £8m Holland Park gem November 8, 2021 Fifteen million doesn’t go far in parts of Kensington, where average house prices on Britain’s most expensive street hit £30m. But you only need to head slightly west to Holland Park to get more for your millions. Lansdowne House is a vast, light-filled four-bedroom apartment is over the ground and lower ground floors but has [...]
Why prime property buyers need an agent November 8, 2021 A search for a prime property can involve speaking to 20 or 30 different selling agents. The market is being disrupted all the time, with new agents and brokers splintering off from other firms and setting up on their own. Brokerage numbers are increasing all the time and it is harder than ever to stay [...]
Finch movie: Tom Hanks pulls heartstrings in robo-buddy movie November 7, 2021 The timing of Tom Hanks’ new film Finch is either perfect or terrible depending on your outlook. The sci-fi drama with an environmental backdrop comes to Apple TV+ just as major leaders are deciding how to tackle the climate crisis at the COP26 conference in Glasgow. If anyone can inspire people to make a change, surely it’s [...]