| | | Lamb review – sheep thrills in Iceland | | by Simran Hans Dec 12, 2021 | | Noomi Rapace stars in this creepy story of a couple raising a strange ovine addition to their household On a farm in rural Iceland, Pétur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) is visiting his brother, Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason). Expecting lunch with Ingvar and his wife, Maria (Noomi Rapace), he’s perplexed by a third guest at the table. “What the fuck is this?” he asks. Audiences might well ask the same throughout Icelandic film-maker Valdimar Jóhannsson’s fun, freaky debut feature. In the first act, hot hipster couple Ingvar and Maria deliver a lamb. A cut to their awestruck faces tells us that this creature is … different. They name her Ada and declare her a blessing. Jóhannsson’s film is not quite a horror, though it flirts with the genre’s motifs. There is the constant sense of danger lurking in the frostbitten depths of the nearby lake, or just behind the postcard-perfect mountain that looms over their home. Maria has creepy dreams of curly-horned rams with sinister, glowing eyes; the ewe that gave birth to Ada waits stubbornly outside her bedroom window. Inside, Maria swaddles the lamb in a blanket, cooing and singing her to sleep. In one adorable scene the pair bathe together. When Ada disappears, she becomes feral with fear and maternal rage. Continue reading... | | | | | Naomie Harris says 'huge star' groped her during audition | | by Helen Pidd Dec 12, 2021 | | Bond actor recalls past #MeToo incident and contrasts lack of censure with ‘immediate’ removal on recent project The Oscar-nominated actor Naomie Harris has said a #MeToo incident on one of her recent projects prompted the “immediate” removal of the perpetrator, as she recalled another occasion when she was groped by a “huge star” who faced no censure. Harris, who played Moneypenny in the last three Bond films and was up for an Oscar for her role in Moonlight in 2017, declined to name either of the men allegedly responsible. Continue reading... | | | | | Bands and DJs count the costs as UK fans fail to show up for gigs | | by Tess Reidy Dec 12, 2021 | | Artists are having to bump up the guest list to fill venues as growing numbers of ticket-holders drop out Bands and DJs are resorting to inviting huge guest lists to their gigs in order to boost numbers because as many as four in 10 ticket holders are not turning up. When the government announced the roadmap out of lockdown in February, many shows sold out within hours, and the events that happened straight after things opened up were “bananas”, as one promoter described them. Continue reading... | | | | | The best children's books of 2021 | | by Fiona Noble, Imogen Carter and Kitty Empire Dec 12, 2021 | | Fiona Noble looks back on the year and, below, our critics pick their favourites in each age group Children’s books bounced back in buoyant style in 2021. As bookshops reopened in the spring, children’s books enjoyed an 11% boost in sales against the equivalent period in 2019, according to the Bookseller. Michael Rosen’s own journey of recovery from Covid was movingly documented in Sticky McStickstick (Walker), illustrated by Tony Ross. A move towards greater diversity heralded a rich array of new and emerging talent. Hey, You! by Dapo Adeola (Puffin) took an empowering, celebratory look at growing up black, showcasing the work of 18 black illustrators. Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston (Farshore) is first in an outstanding fantasy series following a young black girl and her adventures in the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Neurodivergent author Elle McNicoll’s debut, A Kind of Spark (Knights Of), winner of the Waterstones and Blue Peter awards, told the story of an autistic girl campaigning for a memorial of witch trials. The Marcus Rashford Book Club was created to give books to children who need them the most; Rashford’s You Are a Champion, written with journalist Carl Anka, is the year’s bestselling children’s nonfiction book. Continue reading... | | | | | A Chorus Line review – a timely revival of the 70s musical | | by Clare Brennan Dec 12, 2021 | | Curve, Leicester
The 70s musical centred on a group of Broadway musical auditionees is all about the ensemble in Nikolai Foster’s winning revival It’s not difficult to see why Nikolai Foster has chosen A Chorus Line as Curve’s first post-Covid Christmas show. Set in a rehearsal room, peopled by dancers nervously attending the final audition to become part of the chorus for a Broadway show, the 1975 musical has no flashy costumes, no stunning sets, no standout solo parts. Instead, it offers numerous characters, speaking, singing and dancing the often-harsh realities of their personal and professional lives (based on true stories told by dancers and recorded by Michael Bennett, who conceived, directed and choreographed the original production). Its continual focus-switching, from collective to individual experience, from gritty endurance to exuberant celebration, speaks powerfully to our pandemic-troubled times. Staging and design add impact to the dramaturgical focus-shifts. Against the soaring black walls of Grace Smart’s vast-seeming set, individuals appear small and vulnerable, their bright clothes an emblem of hope against darkness (Edd Lindley’s costumes). At times, individuals dominate the setting – faces, projected in closeup on to the back wall. Even here, though, the dancers are subject to manipulation – the hands holding the camera belong to Zach (Adam Cooper), director of the show, sternly making his selection, or to Larry (Taylor Walker), his impatient assistant. A Chorus Line is at Curve, Leicester, until 31 December Continue reading... | | | | | Maggie Gyllenhaal: from 'difficult' roles to lauded Hollywood director | | by Wendy Ide Dec 12, 2021 | | With a string of plaudits for portraying complex characters, the actor is now focusing her ‘quiet fire’ behind the cameras with a stunning debut film From her breakthrough role in Secretary, wearing stilettos, a pencil skirt and manacles and attempting to operate a stapler with her chin, to her directorial debut which digs into the messy truths about motherhood, Maggie Gyllenhaal has always been attracted to what she has described as “troubled women. The ones that are a real challenge. They really need me.” It’s a quote that really gets to the heart of what distinguishes Gyllenhaal. An Oscar-nominated actor, and now– with her Elena Ferrante adaptation The Lost Daughter – an award-winning screenwriter and director, she is drawn to the kind of women whose stories don’t usually get told. She delves into the uncomfortable angles and sharp edges of her characters and found her niche by not quite fitting into the mould. Continue reading... | | | | | Don't Look Up review – an A-list apocalyptic mess | | by Simran Hans Dec 12, 2021 | | Adam McKay’s star-studded climate change satire with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence et al lands its gags with all the aplomb of a giant comet A comet is on a collision course with Earth. The targets in this shrill, desperately unfunny climate change satire directed by Adam McKay are more scattershot. According to stoner PhD student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and her professor, Dr Randall Mindy (a self-consciously tic-y Leonardo DiCaprio), the asteroid is the size of Mount Everest and due to hit in six months. The pair try to warn Meryl Streep’s President Orlean about the impending “extinction-level event”, only to find her preoccupied by the midterm elections. They attempt to raise awareness on breakfast TV, but anchors Jack and Brie (Tyler Perry and Cate Blanchett) can’t help but give their bad news a positive spin. The only person with enough money to intervene is tech entrepreneur Peter Isherwell (Mark Rylance), who wants to mine the comet for its “$140tn worth of assets”. Party politics, celebrity gossip and social media memes are swiped at too. It feels cynical, then, when Timothée Chalamet shows up with no real narrative purpose other than to snog Lawrence. In cinemas now and on Netflix from 24 December Continue reading... | | | | | |
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