Theatre review: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown January 16, 2015 Playhouse Theatre | ★★★★☆ Oh, to be one of Pedro Almodovar’s women, constantly in and out of love, popping pills and jumping off balconies. The Spanish director is well-known for his love of erratic women and it doesn’t get more exhausting than Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. This is the second time [...]
Art review: Adventures of the Black at Whitechapel Gallery January 16, 2015 Whitechapel Gallery | ★★★★☆ In the final, shattering line of Anthem for Doomed Youth, Wilfred Owen writes of “a drawing down of blinds.” This returned to me when standing before Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square, painted exactly a century ago when hundreds of thousands of young soldiers were coming up against industrial killing machines for the [...]
Film review: Testament of Youth is visually arresting but emotionally flat January 16, 2015 Cert 12a | ★★★☆☆ Based on Vera Brittain’s best-selling memoir of events surrounding the First World War, Testament of Youth is well-acted and pretty, but lacks emotional impact. Testament of Youth has already been adapted for television and radio. But if you haven’t encountered the story before, it will still seem terribly familiar. Hovering [...]
Film review: American Sniper wide of mark January 15, 2015 Cert 15 | ★★★☆☆ Clint Eastwood’s directorial career rivals even that of Woody Allen in terms of sheer volume of output, encompassing 30-odd movies over 40-odd years. But the theme of violence – usually carried out by men – and its place in the American psyche is an itch he just can’t seem to scratch. [...]
Something for the weekend January 15, 2015 Eat Amaru Restaurant London’s latest Japanese-South American cross-over restaurant is something special, with delicate sashimi, Peruvian ceviche and the odd truffle shaving. A welcome addition to St Katharine Dock. Visit amaru.london or call 0207 704765. THINK TEDXCLAPHAM Head down south for the inaugral TEDxClapham conference this Saturday. Speakers include brains behind Movember Justin Coghlan and [...]
Luxury extras for new London homes: From rooftop yoga in Hammersmith to virtual golf on the Thames January 15, 2015 New homes now come with luxury extras as standard to lure in Londoners with busy schedules. Developers are continually trying to outdo their competitors by incorporating extra leisure facilities into the service charge. And, in time-honoured property fashion, the need to keep up with the Jones’ has led to ever more outlandish services, from virtual [...]
Arsenal turn to Krystian Bielik transfer after twin injury blow January 15, 2015 Arsenal are poised to complete the signing of 17-year-old Polish midfielder Krystian Bielik after captain Mikel Arteta and defender Mathieu Debuchy were both ruled out for three months. Bielik is expected to fly to London today for a medical, after his club Legia Warsaw confirmed the Gunners had seen off rival interest from Hamburg with [...]
Bucks dispatch Knicks as London hosts NBA glitz January 15, 2015 THE MILWAUKEE Bucks soundly beat the more celebrated New York Knicks last night in the NBA’s latest glitzy visit to the O2 -– another step towards a permanent franchise affiliated to the American basketball league in the capital. Shooting guard OJ Mayo’s 22 points helped the Bucks beat the out-of-form Knicks, who boast the NBA’s [...]
Federer lurking for Murray after Scot draws qualifier in first round January 15, 2015 Britain’s Andy Murray will face a qualifier in the first round of the Australian Open, which gets underway in Melbourne on Monday. Murray is seeded sixth for the competition and faces a potential repeat of last season’s quarter-final against Roger Federer after featuring in the same quarter of the draw as the Swiss, while Rafael Nadal [...]
Steeplechase star Sprinter Sacre cleared to end year-long hiatus January 15, 2015 TRAINER Nicky Henderson believes Sprinter Sacre can reprise the form that saw him become steeplechasing box office when he returns from a 13-month absence tomorrow. Sprinter Sacre won 10 times from his first 10 starts before a heart murmur saw him pulled up at Kempton in December 2013, and Henderson has not been happy to [...]