New A24 release Janet Planet needs an emotional high – review July 26, 2024 The latest from hip film studio A24, Janet Planet is a coming-of-age story that pleasantly hits all the notes of an independent drama without quite taking your breath away. Set in the early 60s, Julianne Nicholson plays Janet, a wayward and depressed mother who struggles to satisfy the clinginess of Lacy (Zoe Ziegler), her 11-year-old [...]
Smart #3 review: Necessity is the mother of convention July 26, 2024 Smart has pivoted from being a manufacturer of quirky, ultra-compact cars to becoming part of an all-electric joint venture with Mercedes-Benz and Chinese carmaker Geely. Geely also owns European car brands such as Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, meaning this SUV coupe EV has some prestigious half-cousins. To address the elephant in the room, yes, the [...]
I Saw The TV Glow is the beginning of noughties nostalgia – review July 25, 2024 The humble TV is a staple of the horror genre, from 80s classic Poltergeist to modern franchise The Ring. However, director Jane Schoenbrun’s stylish horror-drama I Saw The TV Glow brings a bit of humanity to the chills. Justice Smith (Dungeons and Dragons) stars as Owen, an isolated teenager who, in the late 90s, is [...]
Guy Richie’s The ministry for Ungentlemanly warfare is a riot July 25, 2024 Henry Cavill has been a contender for the role of James Bond for some time, offering some fine auditions in the form of 2015’s The Man from UNCLE and Mission: Impossible Fallout. His latest does nothing to weaken that link, with an action film that is said to have inspired Ian Fleming’s 007. Directed by [...]
Mercedes-Benz CLE review: Two become one in luxurious coupe July 25, 2024 Cast your mind back to the early 2000s, a time when Mercedes-Benz seemingly embarked upon a plan to cover every possible niche in the automotive market. The results included oddities such as the R-Class, along with a proliferation of coupes and ‘shooting brake’ estates. Time has moved on, however, and Mercedes is now attempting to [...]
Mnemonic review: Complicité smash is back after 25 years July 25, 2024 Mnemonic | National Theatre Mnemonic, a play about the strange, imaginative act of remembering, is given an extra extra-textual layer in this 25 year revival, as much a rumination on the original as it is a restaging. A production by legendary theatre company Complicité, it’s a thick tangle of overlapping stories, as densely packed as [...]
This new Richmond restaurant is perfect for lunch on the Thames July 24, 2024 A superb new Richmond restaurant makes the Bingham Riverhouse an essential waterside spot for summer, by Adam Bloodworth This grand old house spilling onto the banks of the Thames has always been a fabulous place to eat, but there are two fresh reasons to go. Firstly there’s a new restaurant by South African chef Vanessa [...]
Hello, Dolly! review: Palladium whoops for Imelda Staunton in role of a lifetime July 24, 2024 Imelda Staunton shines in Hello Dolly at the London Palladium
The Hot Wing King at the National Theatre is a spicy play July 23, 2024 Memphis-born Katori Hall is a cultural juggernaut. Audiences may be familiar with her previous work, such as the magnificent, Olivier-winning play The Mountaintop, which imagines the final night of Martin Luther King, her collaboration on the book for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, or her foray into television with the enjoyably sleazy premium soap opera [...]
Paris hotels: Where to stay during the Olympic Games July 23, 2024 Paris’ Avenue des Champs-Élysées will shelve its reputation for designer shopping to prioritise sport these coming weeks, as the Paris Olympics sprint into action. The Victorian Grand Palais venue will house the taekwondo and fencing Olympic and Paralympics and swimmers will brave the Seine river – which runs close to the Champs-Élysées – for the [...]