My Favourite Cake review: Heartening and heartbreaking September 12, 2024 There are lots of movies about people finding love later in life. Iranian comedy-drama My Favourite Cake asks what happens when that love itself is an act of rebellion? Lily Farhadpour is magnificent as Mahin, a 70-year-old widow living a lonely life in modern Iran. Spurred by a recent meeting with friends, she takes the [...]
The Critic review: Ian McKellen shows his dark side in twisty thriller September 11, 2024 After 25 years as a major Hollywood star, and many decades of stage success before that, Sir Ian McKellen shows no sign of stopping. Fresh from reports that he may play Gandalf one last time in the forthcoming Lord of The Rings spin-off The Hunt for Gollum, the 85-year-old stars this week in British thriller [...]
Firebrand review: Alicia Vikander and Jude Law in royal flop September 7, 2024 At the beginning of historical drama Firebrand, a title explains how history often tells only of “men and war”, leaving the rest to our imagination. Adapted from Elizabeth Freemantle’s novel The Queen’s Gambit, Firebrand offers an alternative history of Catherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), the last wife of Henry VIII (Jude Law). Taking a hands-on role [...]
Watch: Guy Ritchie’s short film for Joshua-Dubois fight night September 5, 2024 Guy Ritchie has made a short film to promote this month’s bumper boxing card at Wembley headlined by Anthony Joshua’s fight with Daniel Dubois. Joshua, Dubois, Hamzah Sheeraz, Josh Kelly, Liam Smith and other British boxers set to feature on the 21 September card appear in the film, titled Touching Hands. The short draws on [...]
Hollywood’s slow transition: Transgender representation is slowly, slowly improving September 3, 2024 The work of Elliot Page shows that transgender inclusion is about adding more voices rather than anything being taken away, says Victoria Luxford. This week sees the release of Close To You, Elliot Page’s first film role since coming out as a transgender man in 2020. The story of Sam, a trans man who returns [...]
Big Talk Studios: Bumper year for ITV-owned The Outlaws maker September 2, 2024 Revenue and profit both surged at Big Talk Studios, which helped make the likes of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, during 2023. The business, which was founded by Nira Park in 1994, led by CEO Kenton Allen since 2008 and acquired by ITV Studios in 2013, has reported a revenue of £35.7m for the 12 [...]
Mandoob (Night Courier) film: Drama shows another side to Saudi August 29, 2024 The changing face of Saudi Arabia provides the setting for Ali Kalthami’s debut feature. Mandoob (Night Courier in English) is a thriller about Fahad (Mohammad Aldokhei), a man working in Riyadh who is struggling to make ends meet with an ailing father to support. Things get worse when he dramatically loses his job at a [...]
Sing Sing film review: Colman Domingo shines in imaginative prison drama August 29, 2024 Colman Domingo, a talented character actor only just beginning to get his due as a star, leads a thrilling ensemble in this uplifting true-life drama. He plays John “Divine G” Whitfield, an inmate at the infamous Sing Sing correctional facility just outside of New York. Wrongly convicted and awaiting a parole verdict, he puts everything [...]
Elliot Page proves he is a force in first film since transitioning August 29, 2024 Oscar nominee Elliot Page stars in his first film role since announcing his transition in 2020. In Close To You, he plays Sam, a transgender man living in Toronto making the journey to the small town where he grew up for his father’s birthday. It’s the first time in four years he has visited, and [...]
Venice Film Festival: An insider’s guide to all the gossip, parties and deals August 27, 2024 The 81st Venice Film Festival kicks off tomorrow and it’s set to continue its legacy as a hotbed of dealmakers, party goers and luxury brand sponsorship. Our man on the inside gives the lowdown on what to expect this time around. “The Ghost with the Most is Back” proclaim the Venetian billboards for Tim Burton’s [...]