The Great Wall film review: It’s a shame, but this Chinese film plays like a bog standard Hollywood movie February 17, 2017 Dir. Zhang Yimou Hero director Zhang Yimou’s expensive opus sees Matt Damon play a mercenary taken prisoner on the Great Wall of China, during the Song Dynasty. He discovers the wall was built to protect the country from invading alien monsters, and joins the fight to keep them at bay. The film represents a landmark [...]
Hidden Figures film review: This timely story is important, if a tad sentimental February 17, 2017 Dir. Theodore Melfi One of the films vying for Best Picture at next weekend’s Oscars, Hidden Figures tells the fascinating story of three African-American women (Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae) who overcome prejudice to be vital in NASA’s first missions to space. The issue of racism within the space programme is handled [...]
The Founder film review: the story of Ray Kroc, the man behind McDonalds’ fast food empire, is a fascinating watch February 17, 2017 Dir. John Lee Hancock The story of Ray Kroc and the birth of one of the great corporate empires is a fascinating watch. Set in the 50s, a struggling milkshake machine salesman (Michael Keaton) stumbles across a small burger shop named McDonald’s, with two brothers setting out a system to deliver the perfect burger quickly. [...]
Moonlight film review: If La La Land wasn’t released this year, this is the film everyone would have been talking about February 17, 2017 Dir. Barry Jenkins Had La La Land waited until next year to charm the world, there’s every chance Moonlight would be the film everyone is talking about at next Sunday’s Oscars. Spanning several years, we look at three phases in the life of quiet Miami kid Chiron as his home life, sexuality and surroundings threaten [...]
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he is open to joining new club next season February 17, 2017 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he is open to leaving the Emirates and managing a new club next season. The Frenchman's future at Arsenal is the subject of speculation after a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich left the Gunners on the verge of exiting the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the seventh consecutive season. [...]
John Wick Chapter 2: a thrilling sequel that doesn’t screw up the original’s legacy February 17, 2017 John Wick was a rain-drenched, neon-soaked tonic for the Hollywood action movie. It borrowed elements of French neo-noir, Hong Kong revenge drama and grind-house cinema, packaging it all into a taut, minimalist blockbuster that instantly became every cinephile’s popcorn movie du jour (at least until Fury Road came along a year later). The premise was [...]
Eduardo Paolozzi Whitechapel Gallery: artist’s technophobia is a mirror for millennial fear February 17, 2017 Even if you don’t know the name Eduardo Paolozzi, you’ll be aware of his work: he’s the man behind the brightly-coloured mosaics at Tottenham Court Road underground station. These vibrant, energetic works – saxophones and commuters and abstract spheres – belie a man whose artistic life is perhaps best summed up as a prolonged existential [...]
Wolfgang Tillmans 2017 at Tate Modern review: a celebration of banality with little to give February 17, 2017 This collection of 14 years’ worth of work by Turner Prize-winning photographer Wolfgang Tillmans is a globetrotting celebration of banality, the output of an artist who long ago started believing his own hype. Pictures are scattered throughout the space, some metres high and framed, others postcard-sized and sellotaped to the wall, each one designed to [...]
Damon Hill: Liberty Media knows as much about Formula One as Donald Trump does about the White House February 16, 2017 Former world champion Damon Hill has compared Formula One's new American owners to the administration of US President Donald Trump. Liberty Media completed its takeover of Formula One in January, ousting stalwart Bernie Ecclestone and bringing a raft of heavy hitters to govern the sport, including media mogul Chase Carey and former Mercedes boss Ross [...]
Manchester United 3, Saint-Etienne 0: Ibrahimovic treble fails to save United from Mourinho blast February 16, 2017 Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho hit out at his players for having the wrong pre-match attitude despite them chalking up a commanding Europa League last-16 victory over Saint-Etienne. Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the 17th hat-trick of his career and his 17th goal against Saint-Etienne as United paved the way for a potentially comfortable second leg in [...]