entertainment
Films
Movie of the Month
by tom b r ow n e
In close proximity: Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and Joy (Brie Larson)
© STUDI O CA NAL / © IFC F ILMS / © Altitude Film Entertainment
■ drama: room Five-year-old Jack
(Jacob Tremblay) and his mother Joy (Brie Larson) are held captive in a tiny room by a man referred to as Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). Although Joy tries to protect her son from the reality of their situation, circumstances eventually force her to enlist Jack’s help in a plan of escape. Author Emma Donoghue has done an fine job of adapting her own 2010 novel, and she’s ably assisted by director Lenny Abrahamson, the man behind 2014’s marvellous Frank. As you’d expect from a story inspired by the notorious Josef Fritzl case, this is intense viewing at the best of times, but the stunning performances by Larson and newcomer Tremblay —along with some fine support—make this an early contender for film of the year. ■ comedy: sleeping with other people Twelve years after a college
■ documentary: Bolshoi Babylon
entanglement, Jake (Jason Sudeikis) and Lainey (Alison Brie) attempt to pursue a platonic relationship in New York, despite a deep-seeded attraction. This is essentially When Harry Met Sally with fruitier dialogue, although the comparison is somewhat flattering. Still, if you’re looking for an undemanding date movie with cheeky laughs, you could do worse.
This fascinating account of the 2013 acid attack on Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet’s artistic director Sergei Filin explores the dark underbelly of professional ballet, also hinted at in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. But like all good documentaries, it’s the wider issues highlighted by the subject matter —ambition, resentment and politics both inside and outside the theatre walls—that really draw the viewer in. Compelling stuff. 01•2016
|
17|
e nt e r tainm e nt
Eddie Redmayne (right) and Alicia Vikander
■ biopic: the danish girl Eddie Redmayne scooped the Best Actor Oscar in 2015 for his epic performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, and he has every chance of repeating the dose with this love story based on the life of transgender woman Lili Elbe. Director Tom Hooper (who also won an Oscar for The King’s Speech) handles the material with sensitivity, and there are solid supporting turns from Alicia Vikander and Ben Whishaw.
Music
■ drama: youth Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel (see interview on p22) play old friends reminiscing about their lives and loves within the confines of a Swiss hotel, populated by some decidedly offbeat guests. The ingredients of this surreal drama are rather disparate—and some clash rather than complement each other— but the final dish is still a tasty and satisfying one.
by ma n di goodi er
Curve of the Earth by Mystery Jets
DVD of the month ■ 45 years* Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtney are great as a couple confronted with an issue from the past.
Key tracks: “Bubblegum”, “Blood Red Balloon”, “The End Up” Like this? You may also like: The War on Drugs, Grizzly Bear, Pink Floyd Overlooked Record from the Past The Gulag Orkestar by Beirut
Reading: Meg by Steve Alten
I’m revisiting an old favourite. This is a “novel of deep terror” and a rollercoaster ride of a story.
Listening: Various I’m very
old-fashioned when it comes to music—I listen to records, tapes and CDs. I can spend many a happy afternoon inside an old record shop searching for some lost classic.
Fancy appearing in this section? Send your current cultural favourites, along with short descriptions, to readersletters@readersdigest.co.uk 18
|
01•2016
* TO BUY DVDS FEATURED HERE, GO TO SHOP.READERSDIGEST.CO.UK
© UN IVERSAL P ICTURES / © Gianni F iorito
coupled with a supremely talented cast make this the best show on TV—ever!
Online: Wales Online I like to be up to date with what’s happening in the local news.
Album of the Month
“We’ve been through quite a lot in the last couple of years,” says guitarist Will Rees. “I think these songs have real feeling about them.” Rees is quite right about that. This album sounds huge, creating palpable space between the roomy drums, ambient piano and clean, melodic guitar. For a band associated with poppy indie tunes, it’s full of real musical accomplishment, and the title sums up a record that’s overpowering, ethereal and emotive at the same time. And don’t worry: the catchy choruses are still there—they’ve simply got bigger along with their sound.
On Your Radar Owen Hollifield, mechanic Watching: Breaking Bad (box set) Superb writing
Reader’s Digest
Released in 2006, this sounds like it’s been plucked straight out of Dostoyevsky’s Russia. But listen closely and you’ll hear lyrics that recall war-torn 1940s Europe and Cold War-era Germany. Pay even more attention and you may pick up the Americanisms of the singer—this, after all, is the project of US citizen Zach Condon, created after two years spent travelling round Europe. It’s a style that’s been imitated since, particularly in the twee folk boom that followed its release. But few have the power to transport you in the way The Gulag Orkestar does. listen to these albums at READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/LISTEN
On Our Radar London Short Film Festival, Jan 8–17
Showcasing cuttingedge UK film makers. Celtic Connections, Glasgow, Jan 16–20
Celebrating Celtic music and cultures across the globe. Australian Open, Jan 18–31 The first
tennis Grand Slam of the year.
01•2016
|
19|