entertainment
Films
Movie of the Month
by tom b r ow n e
Love and tragedy: Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin
■■Romance: Me Before You
© warner bros / © 20th cen tury fox
This adaptation of Jojo Moyes’ bestselling novel stars Emilia Clarke as Louisa, a wholesome and unambitious 26-year-old who accepts a job looking after William Traynor (Sam Claflin), a wealthy young man who’s disengaged from the world after being left disabled by a road accident. Can Louisa help him recover his love of life, and discover herself in the process? It’s easy to be cynical about Me Before You, an old-fashioned and sentimental weepie clearly aimed at a broad audience. But while the flaws are obvious (a clichéd narrative, a horribly intrusive soundtrack), the lead actors lend the film a lot of charm, and the traumatising issues it deals with are sensitively handled. ■■big-budget: Independence Day: Resurgence We’ve had to wait 20
■■Fantasy: Tale Of Tales This anthology
years for a sequel to Independence Day, one of the highest grossing films of all time, and we’ve lost Will Smith along the way. But if you thought the deadly alien force had been defeated in the last film, think again—they’re back with an even more enormous army for this follow-up, which adheres to the principle that any sequel should be bigger, louder and more expensive.
film is made up of three fables adapted from the writings of Italian fairy-tale writer Giambattista Basile, variously starring Toby Jones as King of Highhills, Salma Hayek as Queen of Longtrellis and Vincent Cassel as King of Strongcliff, along with a very colourful cast of supporting characters. As often with this kind of movie, the tone is rather uneven, with bizarre interludes alongside moments of real magic. But it’s a sumptuous and beguiling journey. 06•2016
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e n t e r ta i n m e n t
■■drama: learning to drive
Patricia Clarkson plays a buttoned-up literary critic going through a marriage meltdown, who forms an odd friendship with a reserved driving instructor (Sir Ben Kingsley, see interview on p24). The title is a slightly trite metaphor for gaining mastery over your life, and the film in general is rather contrived. All the same, there are some resonant scenes and the leads give solid performances.
Music
■■biopic: elvis & Nixon Following his successful turn in House of Cards, Kevin Spacey here portrays real-life President Nixon and his infamous 1970 meeting in the White House with Elvis Presley (Michael Shannon), who was keen to be appointed a Federal Agent. This bizarre fusion of politics and showbiz is vibrant material for a film —the photo of the event is the most requested from US National Archives.
by ma n di goodi er
The Dreaming Room by Laura Mvula
DVD of the month ■■The Revenant*
Leonardo DiCaprio is on Oscar-winning form as a frontiersman looking for revenge.
Key tracks: “Overcome”, “Show Me Love”, “Phenomenal Woman” Like this? You may also like: Jessica Ware, Lianne La Havas, James Blake Overlooked Record from the Past Baduizm by Erykah Badu
Reading: The Valley by Richard Benson A compelling mix of
imagination and social history.
Online: Paragraph Planet
I get a quick fix of flash fiction on this site, which publishes a 75-word story every day. Listening: One Direction and Little Mix My five-year-old
has recently discovered music, so I’ve been hearing a lot of these popular groups lately.
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
© Bleecker Street Media
rediscovered this series from the Eighties, which features a surprising number of wellknown actors.
Album of the Month
It would be a mistake to pigeonhole Laura Mvula as a soul artist. Her style neatly encompasses jazz, funk, pop and touches of classical—and this, her second album, twists and turns with ethereal arrangements. Mvula shines as a lyricist when she draws on personal experience. Critics have compared her to Billie Holiday, perhaps focusing on the dark side of Mvula’s lyrics coupled with her unique and powerful voice. But the melancholy comes with optimism. There’s an anthemic urgency here, and affirmations that defeat any negative energy the songs might amass. You don’t listen to this album—you embark on a spiritual journey.
On Your Radar Amanda Quinn, writer Watching: Tales of the Unexpected (box set) I’ve
Reader’s Digest
While we’re on the subject of artists that combine soul with other influences, check out this offering from 1997. Although it might sound slightly dated, Baduizm is one of the most laid-back albums of all time. Instruments are minimal and the production is bass-heavy, leaving plenty of space for Badu’s smooth voice. Indeed, it’s her talent for effortlessly filtering her jazz vocals through hip-hop-inspired beats that make this album such a joy. The lyrics are intelligent too, drawing inspiration from Badu’s heritage and experiences. listen to these albums at READERSDIGEST.CO.UK/LISTEN
On Our Radar Man v Horse Marathon, Powys, Jun 11. A 22-mile
runners-v-riders race. Edinburgh International Film Festival, Jun 15–26.
Home of classic and innovative cinema. Wimbledon, Jun 27– Jul 10. Can Andy
Murray win it again?
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