The Lion King ‘live action’ remake is a solid cover version but one that’s outshone by the classic July 19, 2019 The Lion King (PG); Dir. Jon Favreau; Three Stars All together now: “Naaaaaaaaants Ingonyamaaaa…”. There are few opening lines that inspire a sense of nostalgia quite like the opening to The Lion King, a fact Disney is betting an awful lot of money on in its latest remake of one of its old classics. With [...]
The director of Super Mario Brothers makes her first feature in 26 years and it’s not what you’re expecting July 19, 2019 Tell It To The Bees (15); Dir. Annabel Jankel; 2 Stars Based on the novel by Fiona Shaw, Tell It To The Bees is set in a small Scottish town in the 50s, where kindly doctor Jean (Anna Paquin) takes in single mother Lydia (Holliday Grainger) as her housekeeper. The two soon begin a relationship, [...]
Making Noise Quietly is a war film that forgoes guns and explosions to focus on those left behind July 19, 2019 There are many dramas about the devastation of war as viewed by those on the front line. Fewer, however, look at the effect of war on those back home. Making Noise Quietly is divided into three stories from three different eras – the first concerns a meeting between a conscientious objector (Luke Thompson) and a [...]
Venom review: A talented cast struggles its way through this jumbled anti-hero affair October 5, 2018 Spider-Man recently made a critically acclaimed Homecoming to Disney/Marvel after years tied to Sony, leaving the alien entity known as Venom in a strange hinterland. The character’s first stand alone film is produced by Sony “in association with Marvel” as part of their new sharing agreement, but the resulting conflagration of themes and tones bears [...]
Mile 22 review: Maybe Mark Wahlberg needs a little more time in his cryo-chamber September 14, 2018 What a wonderful time to write about Mark Wahlberg. He announced this week that he wakes up at 2.30am every morning to squeeze in workout after workout, allowing for recovery sessions in his own, personal cryo-chamber; he enjoys “family time” when his kids are at school; he luxuriates in the shower for 90-minutes at a [...]
Mile 22 review: Maybe Mark Wahlberg needs a little more time in his cryo-chamber September 14, 2018 What a wonderful time to write about Mark Wahlberg. He announced this week that he wakes up at 2.30am every morning to squeeze in workout after workout, allowing for recovery sessions in his own, personal cryo-chamber; he enjoys “family time” when his kids are at school; he luxuriates in the shower for 90-minutes at a [...]
Crazy Rich Asians review: Razor sharp and sassy rom-com September 14, 2018 Working class New Yorker Rachel (Constance Wu) falls for a mega-rich Singapore bachelor Nick (Henry Golding) in a ground-breaking Hollywood production with a distinctly retro feel. The glitz and spectacle of old Hollywood flows through this smart, sassy rom-com, with the action flitting between glamorous parties, nouveau rich mansions and exotic getaways. Consisting of multiple [...]
Crazy Rich Asians review: Razor sharp and sassy rom-com September 14, 2018 Working class New Yorker Rachel (Constance Wu) falls for a mega-rich Singapore bachelor Nick (Henry Golding) in a ground-breaking Hollywood production with a distinctly retro feel. The glitz and spectacle of old Hollywood flows through this smart, sassy rom-com, with the action flitting between glamorous parties, nouveau rich mansions and exotic getaways. Consisting of multiple [...]
Explore Ontario with the First Nations – Manitoulin Island offers an insight into Canada’s rich cultural heritage February 9, 2018 Flags line the terminal as I land at Toronto Airport, celebrating ‘Canada 150’, the official birthday of the nation. My trip to a remote part of Ontario, however, would reveal that there is much more to the country’s history than the past century and a half. This was my first time in Canada, and as [...]
Embracing Italy’s culinary heritage on a journey from Florence to the stunning Riviera March 17, 2017 As welcomes go, my arrival into Genoa airport will take some beating. In my experience, airport transfers usually involve a 45 minute purgatory of cabs or shuttle buses. However, there I was, driving along dream-like coastal roads with a soundtrack of classic Italian standards. An appropriately bespoke introduction, given I would spend the next week [...]
