Harriet film review: Cynthia Erivo gives Tubman the biopic she deserves – no Julia Roberts required November 22, 2019 The story of Harriet Tubman has been waiting to be told for a long time. Shamefully the film has been in the works since the ‘90s, but, as its screenwriter and producer Gregory Allen Howard revealed in interviews this week, it didn’t get off the ground because executives thought the story of the 19th-century American [...]
First look: Zaha Hadid Architects’ flower-inspired lobby for Southbank Tower November 22, 2019 The critically-acclaimed firm of architects founded by the late Zaha Hadid is responsible for London cultural landmarks like the London Aquatics Centre built for the 2012 Olympic Games and the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in Hyde Park. Until now it had not worked on any residential projects in the UK, but it has just started a [...]
Forget chemicals – these organic Luke Irwin rugs are dyed with turmeric, peppers and rhubarb November 22, 2019 I love rugs – a room simply isn’t dressed without one. I didn’t think I could champion rugs any more than I already do until I spoke with Luke Irwin, who has been selling his eponymous brand since 2003 and recently moved to larger premises on Pimlico Road. Here, his richly textured creations are hung [...]
Property focus on Sloane Square: This 1980s hotspot is experiencing a revival November 22, 2019 It may be famed for being the social epicentre for the young and blue-blooded in the 1980s, having lent its name to the Sloane Ranger set which included Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson. But the area around Sloane Square is now getting a modern makeover – and vying with other parts of Chelsea and Mayfair [...]
Judy & Punch review: A traditional seaside puppet show turned #metoo revenge caper November 21, 2019 Punch & Judy, the Victorian puppet show about a child murderer turned serial domestic abuser who loves sausages, is an unlikely candidate for a gritty, live action remake. But this is 2019, all bets are off, and here we are. Set in the town of Seaside, which is nowhere near the sea, we find travelling [...]
Pokémon Sword and Shield review: A spectacular upgrade for Nintendo’s chart-topping series November 21, 2019 Pokémon’s creator GameFreak was uncharacteristically secretive during the development of Sword and Shield, the latest pair of monster collecting games in the world-dominating, 23-year-old franchise. Now it’s clear to see why the studio played its cards so close to its chest: the new games shake up the rulebook in a way that might have given [...]
The definitive guide to the best Christmas sandwiches of 2019: Don’t eat lunch without it November 21, 2019 Cranberry-sodden turkey sandwiches seem to arrive earlier and earlier every year, and 2019’s parade of oppressively festive Christmas offerings from the City’s favourite high-street food chains is no exception. This year’s sandwich selection is a more mixed bag than ever, hiding some delectable surprises among a real cavalcade of limp bread and lacklustre bird. With [...]
Death Stranding review: Hideo Kojima’s game about delivering parcels hits dizzying highs and terrible lows November 20, 2019 There’s an entire genre of games disparagingly referred to as “walking simulators”. In most of them, walking is simulated in only the most rudimentary of ways – you tend to glide about the place, looking at sunsets and picking up fruit. Japanese auteur Hideo Kojima has created a true walking simulator, a game in which [...]
The Bentley Bentayga Speed is officially the fastest SUV on sale. But should you buy one? November 18, 2019 Zero-point-six-two miles per hour. That slender margin – half the speed of a spider scuttling across your bathroom floor – is enough to make the Bentayga Speed the fastest SUV in the world. Yes, Lamborghini rounds up to an identical 190mph maximum for its second-placed Urus. But whether you’re blitzing a German autobahn or bragging [...]
AirPods Pro review: An incredible step up to the top table of mobile audio for Apple November 15, 2019 Apple’s regular AirPods leave me cold. They look daft, with their elongated stalks – often compared to toothbrush heads – and have such poor sound insulation that unless you’re listening to music in an hermetically sealed room, everything sounds distant and muddy. When Sony came along with its excellent WF-1000XM3 noise cancelling buds it was [...]