I am faced with a predicament that I can’t say I have confronted too many times after a few decades of reviewing. I have just seen a compelling piece of theatre, which I am about to highly recommend, but I will resist going into detail about the plot. I choose not to do so because of political…
Set in the English coastal town of Margate during the turbulent early 1980s, Empire of Light is a sensitive romantic drama. Hilary (Olivia Colman) is manager of the local cinema, the Empire, situated across from the beach. She gets along well with her fellow workers, who include projectionist Norman (Toby Jones) and the diplomatic Neil…
Relationship often start with sizzle and succumb to pressure and misalignment between parties. Lion Heart Dance Company has cleverly captured that with movement and song. Don’t Go is characterised by star turns from principals Jemma Craig and Andrew J Liu. They are dynamic leads. As the saying goes, the “lovers” are “all over each other” at…
After retiring from the ring three years ago, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) lives to fight another day in Creed III. The film starts back in the day when 15-year-old Creed (Thaddeus James Mixson Jr) was running around with his best friend, 18-year-old Damian Anderson (Spence Moore II), a boxing prodigy. Then a violent incident…
Aftersun is a sensitive, heartfelt and naturalistic film by debut writer-director Charlotte Wells. This beautifully reflective piece concerns an 11-year-old girl, Sophie (Frankie Corio) and the last holiday she took with her father Calum (Paul Mescal) two decades earlier. They travel from Scotland to a fading resort in Turkey. They swim, sunbathe, play pool, go…
The internet features prominently in the compelling new psychological thriller Missing from writer-directors Will Merrick and Nicholas Johnson. The film starts in San Antonio on April 13th, 2008. As caught on video camera, a father, James (Tim Griffin), is playing with his young daughter June (Ava Lee) when a trickle of blood is seen coming…
The Cornish contingent from Fisherman’s Friends (2019) are back to appreciate sea shanties anew in Fisherman’s Friends: One and All. The earlier film was about many local mates who were unexpectedly signed to an international record label and recorded a top 10 hit with their debut album. In the sequel Jim (James Purefoy) once again…
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap opened in London’s West End on 25th November 1952 and has been running continuously (save for the COVID lockdown) ever since. It is fast approaching 30,000 performances, making it by far the longest running show (of any type) in the modern era. The play is also known for its twist ending – the audience asked…
Belgium’s entry for Best International Feature at the Oscars, Lukas Dhont’s film Close won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes last year. It’s a sensitive and distressing coming-of-age drama, characterised by beauty and darkness. Co-written by Dhont and Angelo Tijssens, the film allows the audience to interpret events, rather than prescribing an interpretation. Leo (Eden…
Oracle is an electrifying and sensual mix of circus, burlesque and dance, which showcases the emergence of the 12 zodiac signs, namely how they came to be. It is the brainchild of Bass G. Fam, who has built a reputation for staging visually and physically spectacular shows, including Matador and Mansion. The concept behind Oracle dates back…
