entertainment
Films
Movie of the Month
© pa ra mount pi ctures / © uni versal p ictures / © studio c an al
by tom b r ow n e
■■animated: Anomalisa The career of US screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is a real source of fascination, veering from the brilliantly surreal (Being John Malkovich) to the frankly baffling (Synecdoche, New York). But this stop-motion animation, co-directed by Kaufman and Duke Johnson, is a triumphant return to form. It follows Michael pours out his author Michael Stone (voiced by David feelings in Anomalisa Thewlis), a customer-services guru whose chance encounter with sales rep Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) seems to offer an escape from his mid-life crisis. Kaufman’s ability to combine human emotion with offthe-wall comedy is given full reign here, but it’s the subtle performances that really tug the heartstrings and help bring the eye-catching animation to life. A genuine one-off. ■■comedy: Hail, caesar! The Oscar-
winning Coen brothers return to their comedy roots with this tale of kidnap and intrigue on a 1950s Hollywood film set. Sadly, the results are mixed, with the humour never reaching the heights of the Coens’ magisterial 1998 classic The Big Lebowski. Nonetheless, there are several set pieces to savour, and the allstar ensemble cast (including Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton and George Clooney) give it their all.
■■drama: highrise The Seventies
seem to be back in vogue with today’s filmmakers, and this adaptation of J G Ballard’s 1975 novel—about the residents of a tower block who descend into tribal violence— is a case in point. There’s no effort to update the socio-political content, and the hard-edged tone is rather alienating, but those with a soft spot for art-house cinema (think David Cronenberg or Terry Gilliam) will be won over. Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddleston and Sienna Miller star. 03•2016
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e n t e r ta i n m e n t
Music
■■family: kung fu panda 3
■■drama: truth In the months before the 2004 election, US network CBS aired a story that questioned President George W Bush’s military record. The evidence for these allegations sparked a scandal that ended the careers of producer Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) and news anchor Dan Rather (Robert Redford). Whatever your political sympathies—and there’s a hint of special pleading and talkiness here—Truth tells the story with aplomb.
This third instalment in the profitable Kung Fu Panda franchise (with another three potentially in the pipeline) sees our eponymous hero Po (voiced by Jack Black) battling against supernatural threats and private revelations. Kids will enjoy the goofy jokes and the 3D animation, although the freshness of the first two films is largely missing this time round.
by ma n di goodi er
The Coral are often seen as Merseybeat revivalists, and there’s definitely a sense of nostalgia that comes from listening to their eighth album. Gentle, minimalist and centred around a strong rhythm section, these are songs that are rather out of step with modern music. However, despite staying true to their psychedelic origins, The Coral have weaved together influences from krautrock, blues and folk. There’s also an emphasis on storytelling throughout—the band was apparently influenced by the non-musical likes of Alan Moore and Robert Yates during the writing process. The result is a beautiful collection of songs.
DVD of the month ■■bridge of spies*
Key tracks: “White Bird”, “Beyond the Sun”, “She Runs the River” Like this? You may also like: Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, The Stone Roses
Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance are fantastic in Steven Spielberg’s Cold-War drama.
Overlooked Record from the Past Erland & the Carnival
Online: Brain Pickings This website and weekly newsletter by writer Maria Popova is a treasure chest of art, science, psychology and more.
Reading: Cathedral by Raymond Carver This was a gift from a friend
Listening: Thunderstorm and rain soundscapes These help
and a wonderful discovery of this master of short stories.
me to relax and focus on writing in my spare time.
Fancy appearing in this section? Send your current cultural favourites, along with short descriptions, to readersletters@readersdigest.co.uk 20
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* TO BUY DVDS FEATURED HERE, GO TO SHOP.READERSDIGEST.CO.UK
© Lisa Tomasetti / © 20th cen tury fox
BBC production so much I’m watching it again.
Album of the Month
Distance Inbetween by The Coral
On Your Radar Kristin Cooper, advertising executive Watching: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (box set) I enjoyed the
Reader’s Digest
Made up of three musicians who, between them, have played in The Verve, The Orb and Paul McCartney’s band, Erland & the Carnival are a supergroup of sorts, and this—their eponymous debut album from 2010—is a gorgeous experiment in folk music. The songs use stories, poetry and lyrics from the English and Scottish canon as a point of departure, from William Blake’s “The Echoing Green”, to a modern-day retelling of “The Derby Ram”. The final product is damn catchy album of trad-music tropes with a contemporary “progressive” twist, featuring exquisite production to boot. listen to these albums at READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/LISTEN
On Our Radar Glasgow Comedy Festival, Mar 10–27,
The biggest comedy festival in Europe, with over 370 shows. St Patrick’s Day, Mar 17, Celebrate
all things Irish with a pint of Guinness. Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne, Mar 18–20, Opening
race of the F1 season.
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