Daisy Ridley on exciting Star Wars future, her marriage, and crying to manage stress December 1, 2024 Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley is on the cover of the December edition of Morning Wire The Magazine. The Londoner on the challenges of living with Graves’ Disease, optimism and making her dream film with her husband, the screenwriter Tom Bateman “I imagine life must be simpler if you really think you’re the shit,” says [...]
Vue: National Minimum Wage and rising costs cuts cinema chain’s earnings November 29, 2024 The releases of Wonka, Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part 2 failed to boost sales at cinema chain Vue during the first half of its financial year while its earnings were slashed. The company said the falling admonitions and total revenue for the period were the result of coming up against the tough comparison [...]
Moana 2 can’t quite recapture the magic of the original November 28, 2024 Eight years ago, Moana found box office success thanks to a rich and heartfelt story grounded in Polynesian culture, combined with catchy tunes. A lot has happened in the film industry since then, but Disney will be hoping to capture the same excitement from audiences with Moana 2. Set years after the events of the [...]
Beatles ’64: Scorsese tackles the band’s Beatlemania moment November 28, 2024 Producer Martin Scorsese and Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films bring to life perhaps the biggest moment in pop music history. Beatles ’64 is the story of John, Paul, George and Ringo arriving in America for the first time for a fortnight of performances and press, a phenomenon that was referred to as Beatlemania. Told mainly through [...]
Conclave review: Ralph Fiennes shines in Papal drama November 27, 2024 Religious films rarely make the top of the box office, but they do occasionally catch the eye of Oscar. Although they have differing takes on faith, The Exorcist, 2008 drama Doubt, and 2016 Best Picture winner Spotlight are among those who have found awards success through stories involving the Church. Edward Berger, already an Academy [...]
Bread and Roses: Jennifer Lawrence doc is a troubling success November 22, 2024 Produced by Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Bread and Roses is a documentary that captures a modern crisis happening right now. It analyses modern Afghanistan, and the effects of the 2021 offensive that saw The Taliban seize control. The film focuses on the effect it has had on women, whose rights to work, education, and privacy [...]
Wicked film review: Ariana Grande helps this musical really fly November 22, 2024 More than two decades after the production was first staged, Wicked makes it to the big screen in the first of a two-part adaptation. Arriving on a tornado of publicity, expectations are high for the Broadway favourite, but can it be just as popular on film? For the uninitiated, Wicked presents an alternative history behind [...]
Layla film review: a bold tale of London and LGBTQ love November 21, 2024 Layla film review and star rating: ★★★★ Independent film Layla begins with a Pride event that will look familiar to all those sceptical of Rainbow Capitalism. Bilal Hasna plays the title character, a British-Palestinian non-binary drag queen who lands a gig performing for a delivery app company. When a high paying show turns out to [...]
The music of Louis Armstrong in this stirring Democratic Republic of Congo documentary November 18, 2024 Music, history, and politics intersect in this dense Democratic Republic of Congo documentary that informs as well as overwhelms. A Cold War-themed story of rebellion, espionage, and geopolitical intrigue, Soundtrack to a Coup D’etat is set during 1960 as the Republic elects its first independent leader. At the same time, the US begins to send [...]
Memories of a Burning Body review: beautiful ode to women November 16, 2024 Three lifetimes of memories are used to inspire this novel docudrama from Costa Rica. Memories of a Burning Body incorporates interviews from three women over 65 about their lives, loves, and trauma. All three are encapsulated in the character of The Woman (Sol Carballo), walking around her apartment contemplating old age and the stories of [...]