The humourless Hoover January 19, 2012 Film J EDGAR Cert: 15 *** J Edgar must have been a tough one for its producers to sell; Americans may place a premium on patriotism but this bitter biopic of the former head of the FBI offers few reasons for fist pumping. It’s a humourless, two and a quarter hour-long love-triangle between the Oedipal [...]
Madonna’s take on Wallis Simpson is a mixed bag January 19, 2012 Film W.E. Cert: 15 *** Madonna’s second bash at directing has taken a lot of flak. Surprisingly, though, it isn’t as bad as you might think. W.E. follows the love affair between King Edward VIII (James D’Arcy) and American divorcee Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough). Seen through the eyes of Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) as she [...]
When Hofesh Shechter met Antony Gormley January 19, 2012 Performance SURVIVOR The Barbican **** It’s rather tricky to describe the latest smash success and brainchild of Hofesh Shechter, the astonishingly talented Israeli choreographer. It had a bit of dance in it, a lot of collective shuffling, and the involvement of artist Antony Gormley. More importantly, it was loud (ear plugs were doled out to [...]
Somersby the pick over the Rainbow January 19, 2012 SOMERSBY was beaten only a short head by Master Minded in last year’s Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot and looks the value alternative to Finian’s Rainbow in tomorrow’s 25th running of the race (3.45pm). Henrietta Knight’s eight-year-old hasn’t found winning that easy and has only one success to his name in 11 runs since December [...]
Arsenal set to make amends for mauling in Manchester January 19, 2012 ARSENAL vs MANCHESTER UNITED SUNDAY – 4.00PM SKY SPORTS 1 ARSENAL’S title challenge was over before it started this season and if they aren’t careful the gap to the top four could soon be too big to bridge. Back-to-back defeats have left them trailing neighbours Chelsea by four points and, more worryingly for Emirates-goers, Tottenham [...]
Bank of America returns to profit January 19, 2012 Bank of America Corp reported a fourth-quarter profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, boosted by one-time items and lower expenses for bad loans. Under pressure to shore up its balance sheet, Bank of America sold assets and completed a stock swap during the quarter that boosted its capital levels. And in 2012, the bank said it [...]
Cameron caps Lloyds and RBS cash bonuses at £2,000 January 19, 2012 Bonus payments in the financial services sector have “got out of control” in recent years, Prime Minister David Cameron said, raising pressure on banks to rein in annual rewards for top executives in the coming weeks. Cameron also confirmed that the government would set out detailed proposals next week on curbing executive pay, with staff [...]
Sony Ericsson plunges into loss January 19, 2012 Sony Ericsson posted a quarterly loss that missed all forecasts after losing in the battle for smartphone sales in the key year-end period, showing the challenge for Sony as it prepares to take full control of the joint venture. The world’s ninth-biggest handset maker, which got left behind in the boom that powered smartphone growth [...]
Bank stocks up as Eurozone fears ease January 19, 2012 The FTSE 100 today opened with a strong performance in the banking sector with investor confidence being buoyed by efforts to bring the Eurozone back in line after months of damaging instability. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is seeking to raise up to $600bn (£388.8bn) which would help ease worries about funding in the Eurozone. [...]
AB Foods sales surge fuelled by Primark January 19, 2012 Associated British Foods has reported a 12 per cent lift rise in total sales in the 16 weeks to 7 January, thanks to “exceptional” performances at its sugar division and at discount fashion chain Primark. The group said higher prices and higher production levels meant that total revenues from sugar rose 21 per cent, while [...]
