entertainment
Films
Movie of the Month
Under fire: Helen Mirren and Bryan Cranston in Trumbo
by tom b r ow n e
© entertai nment one / © li onsgate / © Gregory Sm i th
■■biopic: trumbo The title of this absorbing film refers to Dalton Trumbo, one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed screenwriters who nevertheless found himself blacklisted in the 1940s and 1950s for his past ties to the Communist Party. Although the movie is rather conventional in narrative terms, Bryan Cranston (of Breaking Bad fame) is consistently excellent in the lead, and there are fine cameos from Helen Mirren as the Commie-baiting gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and the always-reliable John Goodman as Frank King, the down-atheel studio head who gives Trumbo and his colleagues anonymous work when no one else will touch them. Special mention should also be given to John McNamara’s hilarious and street-smart screenplay, of which Trumbo himself would be proud. ■■comedy: pride and prejudice and zombies This very loose take
on the Jane Austen classic once again focuses on the burgeoning love between the redoubtable Elizabeth Bennett (Lily James) and the class-conscious Mr Darcy (Sam Riley)—but this time set against the backdrop of a 19th-century England overrun by the undead. Austen purists will be choking on their toasted teacakes, but there’s much grisly fun for the rest of us.
■■drama: chronic
Tim Roth has often stolen the show with well-judged supporting roles, but here he takes centre stage as a troubled and reserved home-care nurse who has to juggle his own problems with those of his terminally ill patients. The film is unsparing in its details and shorn of any sentimentality; as such, it may be too emotionally raw for some, but it’s worth checking out for Roth’s performance and a screenplay that scooped an award at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. 02•2016
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e n t e r ta i n m e n t
■■thriller: a bigger splash
A partial remake of the French classic La Piscine, this focuses on ailing rock star Marianne (Tilda Swinton) and lover Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts), whose holiday in Italy is interrupted by a visit from Marianne’s old flame Harry (Ralph Fiennes) and his vampish daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson). This oddly uneven psychodrama functions best as a showcase for its stars, with Fiennes and Swinton impressing in particular.
Music
■■comedy: dad’s army The boys from the Home Guard first hit the big screen in 1971, but this version boasts a whole new cast, including Bill Nighy, Tom Courtenay, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Gambon and Toby Jones (see interview on p20). Expect slapstick laughs and incompetence aplenty. All together now: “So who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler…?”
by ma n di goodi er
You’re a Man Now, Boy by Raleigh Ritchie
DVD of the month ■■the martian*
Key tracks: “Bloodsport ‘15”, “The Greatest”, “You’re a Man Now, Boy” Like this? You may also like: Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Frank Ocean
Matt Damon plays an astronaut stranded on Mars in this gripping and humorous sci-fi.
Overlooked Record from the Past Volumes 9 & 10 by Desert Sessions
Reading: The Road to Nab End by William Woodruff
Listening: La Traviata by Verdi This is my favourite opera
A reminder that our current prosperity was not gifted to us but earned by previous generations.
and I’ve just purchased a new recording. A great love story set in the most beautiful city in the world.
Fancy appearing in this section? Send your current cultural favourites, along with short descriptions, to readersletters@readersdigest.co.uk 18
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* TO BUY DVDS FEATURED HERE, GO TO SHOP.READERSDIGEST.CO.UK
© Paolo Roversi / © universal pictures
through the full series of the best-ever political drama.
Online: BBC News I prefer reading to going online, but I visit this website daily to keep up with the latest news.
Album of the Month
Raleigh Ritchie is the stage name of actor and singer Jacob Anderson (whom you may recognise as Grey Worm from HBO’s Game of Thrones), and this—his debut album—cements the feeling that he’s on the verge of becoming one of the biggest pop-soul acts in the UK. As the title suggests, You’re a Man Now, Boy deals with the shift from adolescence to adulthood. But despite the lyrical insecurities, this is an album full of optimism. Mixing R&B, hip hop and soul, Ritchie has produced a fine collection of radio-friendly contemporary pop music that manages to retain a strong sense of identity throughout.
On Your Radar Colin Bullen, retired Watching: West Wing (box set) I’m again going
Reader’s Digest
The idea behind this music collective—founded by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and featuring heavyweights such as P J Harvey, Mark Lanegan and Twiggy Ramirez— was to take a bunch of musicians out to a ranch and record a heap of material on the spot. The sessions ran from 1997 to 2004, and the last of these was by far the most accessible. Incorporating the disparate styles of the various members, from bluesy tunes to solid rock numbers, it also produced songs later recorded by Queens of the Stone Age: “I Wanna Make It Wit Chu” and “In My Head”. listen to these albums at READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/LISTEN
On Our Radar Glasgow Film Festival, Feb 17–28,
Innovative movies from emerging and established talent. London Fashion Week, Feb 19–23,
The finest finery on the capital’s catwalks. Rhyl 10-Mile Run, Feb 21, Beat your
personal best on the North Wales seafront.
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