Film Review: God’s Pocket August 8, 2014 ★★★★☆ God’s Pocket is what Goodfellas might have been like had it been directed by Alexander Payne. It follows the lives of a group of ageing petty criminals as they attempt to blot out the overwhelming futility of life in a down-and-out American town through the liberal use of alcohol and violence. At the funeral [...]
Film Review: Lilting August 8, 2014 ★★★★☆ Mass migration is one of the epic stories of our time, but Lilting finds a smaller tale hidden among the great shifting of cultures. It’s primarily about integration; two parents move from China to the UK with their young son so he can “have a better life”. Thirty years on, the boy, Kai, has [...]
Theatre Review: My Night with Reg, Donmar Warehouse August 8, 2014 ★★★★☆ Kevin Elyot’s 1994 play charts the romantic entanglements of a group of gay university friends, now well into their 30s, set against the backdrop of the Aids crisis. It explores issues of love, loss, infidelity and insecurity, and how they are all tainted by the shadow of the disease. The Donmar’s new production is [...]
Arsenal drawn against Besiktas in a Champions League qualifier worth £8.5m August 8, 2014 Arsenal have been handed a tricky tie against Turkish side Besiktas in a Champions League play-off worth £8.5m. The first leg of the Champions League group stage qualifier will be played in Istanbul on August 19-20, with a return leg at the Emirates taking place a week later on August 26-27. The Gunners will face a [...]
Film Review: Welcome to New York August 8, 2014 ★★★★☆ Welcome to New York is a grotesque character study of the French head of a world bank – not to mention Presidential hopeful – who stands accused of raping a maid in a New York hotel. Director Abel Ferrara’s film is certainly bold. In fact, you wonder how he got away with it: the [...]
Make a ton and series is ours to lose, insists six-wicket Broad August 8, 2014 SIX-WICKET hero Stuart Broad believes England are just a century away from establishing an unassailable series lead after dominating day one of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford yesterday. England made a mockery of losing the toss, reducing India to 8-4 under favourable overhead conditions before routing the tourists for just 152, with [...]
Oscar dropped baton of truth, says prosecutor August 8, 2014 PARALYMPIC superstar Oscar Pistorius cannot escape a conviction for the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, prosecutor Gerrie Nel told a South African court yesterday in his concluding remarks. Nel said Pistorius, the first double amputee to run at an Olympic Games, had presented two arguments on his defence that “can never be reconciled”. [...]
Westwood cards lowest Major round to head PGA leaderboard August 8, 2014 ENGLAND’S Lee Westwood matched his lowest ever round in a Major to share the lead with Americans Kevin Chappell and Ryan Palmer on six under par after round one of the US PGA at Valhalla yesterday. World No1 Rory McIlroy entered the tournament in prime form after wins at the Open and last week’s WGC-Bridgestone [...]
Andy Murray receives double boost in Rogers Cup ahead of quarters August 8, 2014 Britain’s Andy Murray was handed a double boost yesterday at the Rogers Cup in Toronto as top seed and would-be opponent Novak Djokovic was knocked out before Richard Gasquet was forced to withdraw from their third-round tie. Murray received a walkover into the quarter-finals after Gasquet pulled out shortly before the clash due to an [...]
West Ham star threatened girl with acid attack, court is told August 8, 2014 WEST Ham star Ravel Morrison threatened to throw acid in his ex-girlfriend’s face, blow up her house and have her killed during a four-year campaign of terror, a court heard yesterday. The harassment allegations emerged as England Under-21 midfielder Morrison appeared before Manchester magistrates charged with assaulting his former partner and her mother last month. [...]