Seth MacFarlane: wanted dead or alive for making dreadful Western spoof May 29, 2014 FILM A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST Cert 15 | One Star THERE are a million ways to die in Hollywood, but being one of the worst ever hosts of the Academy Awards apparently isn’t one of them. Seth MacFarlane survived his Oscars nightmare with enough star quality intact to attract a number [...]
Theatre review: A Human Being Died that Night May 29, 2014 Among the secret service personnel working for the apartheid government, no one used the word “kill”. Instead people were “dealt with” or “taken for a drive”. Such linguistic sleights of hand are steadfastly avoided in A Human Being Died That Night, a taut, brilliantly acted play that looks with a scientific eye at the politics [...]
Should have stayed in bed: Sleeping Beauty update is luke-warm May 29, 2014 FILM MALEFICENT Cert PG | Two Stars DISNEY’S live action remake of Sleeping Beauty is an inversion of the fairytale told from the perspective of Maleficent. The cackling horned villain, who spends most of the animated version glowing green and plotting with a raven, is reimagined as a vengeful fairy who curses princess Aurora to [...]
Just the right balance of brains and silliness May 29, 2014 FILM EDGE OF TOMORROW Cert 12a | Four Stars IRON MAN, Saving Private Ryan and Groundhog Day complement each other surprisingly well as inspiration for the latest Tom Cruise blockbusting sci-fi epic, Edge of Tomorrow, in which Hollywood’s smallest titan fights and dies and fights and dies over and over again. Humans are locked in [...]
Women’s fashion: summer style May 28, 2014 JW Anderson x Versus Versace top, £POA, uk.versace.com; Antonio Berardi trousers, £440, antonioberardi.com; Christian Louboutin shoes, £545, 08432274322; Cartier bracelet, £55,500, 020 3147 4850; Theo Fennell ring (purple stone) £1,550, ring (red stone), £1,550, and ring (band) £1,650, all available at theofennell.com; Pippa Small earrings, £3,100, 201 Westbourne Grove, London, W11 2SB Antonio Berardi [...]
Men’s fashion: travel in style May 28, 2014 Billionaire Couture suit, £2,135 and shirt, £350, both at billionairecouture.com; Berluti shoes, £2,700, 43 Conduit Street W1S2YJ; Carven jacket, £775, 85 Pelham Street, SW7 2NJ; Tumi bag, £695, 211 Regent Street, W1 Dolce and Gabbana jacket, €1,852, waistcoat, €416 and trousers, €343, all available at dolcegabbana.com; Oliver Brown shirt, £65, oliverbrown.org.uk; Hermès bag, [...]
Where to drink May 27, 2014 London shows no sign of the summer slump as we head towards June, with a variety of bars and clubs launching in all corners of the capital. Jason Atherton’s rise to the top continues quite literally with his new bar at City Social. Situated on the 24th floor of Tower 42 on Broad Street, it [...]
All hail a brilliant double bill May 26, 2014 THEATRE WOLF HALL + BRING UP THE BODIES Aldwych Theatre | By Simon Thomson Four Stars THE UNDERTAKING is epic; two three-hour plays, back to back. But with crackling dialogue, compelling acting, minimalist sets, masterful special effects, extravagant costumes and ersatz crumhorns, the six hours fly by. Adapted from the first two-thirds of Hilary Mantel’s [...]
The M3 is back and in rude health May 26, 2014 After killing off one of its most iconic models, BMW has found an ingenious way to bring the M3 back to life BMW’s marketing department accidentally killed the M3. For four generations it epitomised everyday Porsche-humbling performance, and had been a hit in the City ever since the original 1980s M3 became a stockbroker pinup. [...]
Not convinced? May 26, 2014 CHECK OUT THESE ALTERNATIVES… AUDI RS 4 PRICE: £56,545 0-62MPH: 4.7 secs TOP SPEED: 155mph CO2 G/KM: 249g/km MPG COMBINED: 26.4mpg THE VERDICT: DESIGN Two Stars PERFORMANCE Four Stars PRACTICALITY Five Stars VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars PORSCHE MACAN TURBO PRICE: £59,990 0-62MPH: 4.8 secs TOP SPEED: 165mph CO2 G/KM: 208g/km MPG COMBINED: 31.7mpg THE [...]