Author: Tim Baros

Film REVIEW | I Am Michael

✭✭✭✭ | I Am Michael

CREDIT:

James Franco is very convincing as a man who renounces his homosexuality to lead a religious straight life in the film I Am Michael.

Franco is one of Hollywood’s busiest actors. One look at his IMDB page shows an incredible 21 upcoming projects with a mix of indie and blockbuster films. He also likes to mix up his repertoire (and keep his fans guessing) by playing gay characters. He was a gay porn producer in King Cobra, and he directed and produced the 2013 controversial film Interior. Leather Bar. And now in I Am Michael, Franco has his gayest role yet.

It’s based on the true story of Michael Glatze, who claimed he was no longer gay and became a straight pastor. But in 1999, Michael was in a gay relationship with boyfriend Bennett (Zachary Quinto) and was the editor of the successful real-life XY Magazine, while at the same time living in San Francisco – it was the ultimate gay life and gay lifestyle. But Bennett’s father has a job for him in Halifax, Canada, so they relocate there – it’s a city with not much to do, but they end up hooking up with the young good looking Tyler (Charlie Carver). But after a few panic attacks, and memories of his late father and mother, Michael starts to question his homosexuality – he starts to re-evaluate his life, loves, and takes up to reading the bible for answers, until one day he leaves it all behind for a new life.

Shot in just 20 days in New York, on a budget of $2.5 million, I Am Michael didn’t get the proper cinema release that it deserved. It’s done the film festival circuit and it’s only now being released, on video on demand. Writer and Director Justin Kelly keeps the movie flowing, and it never once loses the faith of its subject matter. Franco superbly carries this film (though his hairstyle seems to change in every scene) and the rest of the cast excellently support him. It’s a highly recommended watch not just for it being a gay film – it’s Franco’s performance that is more than worth the watch.

I Am Michael is out now.

5th April 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Adam and Eve and Steve, Kings Head Theatre, London

★★★ | Adam and Eve and Steve, Kings Head Theatre, London

It’s not Adam and Eve but Adam and Eve and Steve (plus the Devil) at The Kings Head Theatre.

A musical version of the biblical story that we all know and love so well is just what we need in this time of Brexit and Trump. But in this story Steve (Dale Adams), and not Eve, is accidentally created by God (the voice and later the body of Michael Christopher) – thanks to Beelzebub – the Devil (played to camp perfection by Stephen McGlynn). But Adam (an innocent looking Joseph Robinson) thinks that Steve is actually Eve, but then God waves his magic wand and creates the real Eve (a sexy Hayley Hampson) and it all becomes very confusing for Adam. Beelzebub tempts them all to take a bite of, as he calls it, the pom (a/k/a apple) against God’s wishes. But Steve wants to be with Adam, and Eve wants to be with Adam, and Adam is confused, and what does Beelzebub (and the mostly gay audience) want?

For Adam and Steve to hook up, and, of course, Beelzebub (and us) wants everyone to sin! Set to a sinfully silly musical score (‘I want to shop for furniture’ was one of the most memorable tunes) and tons of references to the existing world (Uber, Ikea, gluten free), with lots of skin on show, Adam and Eve and Steve won’t change your life but it will make you forget all about the outside world for a luckily brief 75 minutes.

Adam and Eve and Steve Plays at the Kings Head Theatre until 29th April 2017

1st April 2017
The best at BFI Flare – London’s LGBT Film Festival

The best films of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival 2017

It was always going to be hard to choose. There were so many wonderfully well-done, and in some cases, amazing films that were shown at the film festival – one of the biggest, and best, in the world. There were over 50 features and more than 100 shorts shown, as well as a wide range of special events, guest appearances, discussions, workshops, club nights and more. And while it was virtually impossible to watch all of the features and shorts, I did manage to catch most of them. So herewith is my non-exhaustive list of the best of Flare:

1:54 is an explosive film that stars the excellent Antoine-Olivier Pilon (Mommy) which goes from a simple gay love story to an unexpected and shocking direction. It touches on all the relevant themes (bullying, young love, etc.) and first-time director Yan England excellently pulls it all together. A must see!

Pushing Dead, directed and written by Tom E Brown, is a lighthearted comedy about an HIV+ man (a very good James Roday) and his trials and tribulations in getting his medication, finding love, and dealing with his boss and female roommate in San Francisco. It’s bittersweet, funny and lighthearted and will tug at your heart.

Dear Dad is an excellent Indian film about a middle-aged father who comes out to his son while driving him to boarding school. It’s heartwarming and funny, with great performances all around.

Eight long-term HIV+ survivors discuss their fears, challenges and milestones in the relevant and timely documentary Last Men Standing. With the HIV+ population getting older, these men celebrate life as they remember the past.

The Trans List is an important documentary where several prominent trans and nonbinary people get to tell their story. Well known celebrities Laverne Cox, Caitlyn Jenner and Buck Angel are featured, but it’s the less well-known who make more of an impact; lawyer and activist Kylar Broadus, teenage student Nicole Maines who won a landmark lawsuit in America after she faced discrimination for wanting to use the girl’s bathroom, and Bamby Salcedo, founder of the Los Angeles-based TransLain Coalition and who faced lots of issues growing up. There are a total of 11 interviews in this documentary, but I could’ve watched a dozen more. It’s an important and relevant documentary.

Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, another important documentary, is about four Lesbians who were tried and convicted of sexually abusing children in the 1990’s. Fast forward and the women are finally exonerated for their alleged crime, and this documentary shows – through interviews and news footage – the women’s journey of their nightmare. Gripping, and bittersweet.

Chilean film Jesús starts out as a buddy movie where the two young leads hang out with their friends and then have sex with each other, but their lives are changed, and the film takes a surprising turn, when they are involved in a crime. This event will tear their lives apart and the ending packs a wallop!

Lauren (Velinda Godfrey) has to deal with the death of her girlfriend in the film Heartland. She also gets kicked out of the house they shared, so she has to move in with her bigoted mother, while her brother and his long-term girlfriend are visiting in order to set up a local wine business. But Lauren and the girlfriend develop more than a friendship in an event that tears the whole family apart, and brings up bad memories.

Blow Job 2017 is a reimagining of the Andy Warhol classic, directed by Charles Lum and Todd Verow, that, for it’s four full minutes, focuses on David J. White, getting, as you guessed, a blow job. Why remake the 1963 classic? Because it was time to do so, and Lum and Verow do it in an excellent, grainy style.

A film with commercial potential is Handsome Devil. Out gay student Ned (a wonderful Fionn O’Shea) is faced with another year in boarding school. His new roommate, lucky for him, is the star rugby player. But most memorable is Andrew Scott who plays a gay and sympathetic teacher. Scott is brilliant (and extremely handsome) as always.

A film that will astound you is the documentary Out of Iraq. It’s amazing that this film was even made as it’s the true story of two Iraqi soldiers who fall in love, but of course, living in a country where gay men are killed is not the ideal place for a gay relationship. So one of them is lucky enough to move to the U.S. and it’s a four year wait for them to be back together. Their long-awaited reunion, and eventual wedding, will leave you in tears.

This was just a few of the highlights of the BFI Flare film festival.
The entire program can still be found on the link below and hopefully, some of these films will find their way to the cinema, or to the BFI website, or anywhere online. Let’s support and celebrate gay cinema.

http://www.bfi.org.uk/flare

30th March 2017
Film REVIEW | Nocturnal Animals

✭✭✭ | Nocturnal Animals

Credit: Merrick Morton/Universal Pictures International

Tom Ford’s highly anticipated second film, Nocturnal Animals, is both brilliant and confusing, no thanks to its three stories in one arc.

Amy Adams is art dealer Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) who lives high above the Hollywood Hills in a seemingly loveless marriage to her philandering husband Hutton (Armie Hammer). One day she receives a book called Nocturnal Animals written by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal, in one of his best performances in years). It’s been 19 years since they broke up, well actually Susan broke it off with him, and she hadn’t heard or seen of him since then. So it’s bit unusual for her to receive a book from him, knowing that he’s been a struggling writer all his life. While her husband is away on one of his many business trips, she settles down to read the book. It’s then that Nocturnal Animals the book becomes a whole second movie, a second movie so brilliantly written, acted, and told that it should’ve been the movie that is Nocturnal Animals.

The book is a tale of revenge, rape and murder, brutal and in your face and it’s directed wholly at Susan. While it’s obvious it’s a work of fiction, it’s brutal and horrific. The book as we see play out tells the story of fictional character Tony (Gyllenhaal) with his wife Laura (Isla Fisher) along with what could be (or not) their daughter – this plot point is not very clear, driving in Texas when they’re menaced by a gang of rednecks led by Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson in a performance you will never forget which won him a Golden Globe Award). The menacing turns much much worse, but only towards the women, and it’s too much to give away here to explain what happens to them. Suffice it to say you will be on the edge of your seat while this story is unravelling. And Oscar-nominated Michael Shannon is the cop who is roped in to investigate the grizzly crime.

Nocturnal Animals also replays the beginning of the relationship between Susan and Edward – how they met on a New York City sidewalk, then had a loving relationship, only for Susan to drop him (it’s not clear why she leaves him).

All of this is played out in just under two hours. Nocturnal Animals is a haunting romantic thriller with tension throughout, but it’s also a bit of a letdown after the brilliant A Single Man. Adams doesn’t have much to do except read the book in which the most exciting scenes of the film play out. A couple plot points are head scratching – a phone call Susan makes to her daughter – a real daughter or it she a hallucination due to Susan’s lack of sleep – (nocturnal), and Edward’s grudge for 19 long years – really? Nocturnal Animals is a movie that is so cruel and cynical, a story so much about disloyalty and especially about revenge, and it becomes very very violent and very very dark, and Ford dedicates it to his husband Richard and their son Zach. A bit narcissistic if you ask me.

Now available for Digital Download, Blu-Ray™ and DVD
From Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL BONUS FEATURES:
The Making of Nocturnal Animals – Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Ford, and other cast and filmmakers recount how they brought such a unique story to life including:
-Building the Story – Tom Ford and cast examine the central characters and how they fit into the story.
-The Look of Nocturnal Animals – Filmmakers and cast discuss how the cinematography and costumes give the film such a distinct and rich feel.
-The Filmmaker’s Eye: Tom Ford – See how Tom Ford’s attention to detail adds layers to the two interwoven stories at the center of the film.

25th March 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Tang, London

★★★★ | Tang, London

There’s a hidden gem of a restaurant right next to the Central YMCA near Tottenham Court Road – it’s called Tang.

And hidden is the key word. You could walk right passed it if you weren’t looking for it. Nestled right between the YMCA and VQ Diner, Tang is identified by its name on the wooden door and its menu to the left, and it’s named on the overhang. And do me a favour, and don’t walk by, go into this tiny venue (maximum capacity is 38) and you will step into a place that does not feel like you’re in London. Welcomed by the friendly staff, the restaurant contains Chinese-style newspaper wallpaper, a cosy space, an open kitchen, and tiny photos that line one of the walls. Its unique feel is akin to being in a restaurant anywhere in Asia, yet it’s the food that make’s it worth walking in.

Southern Asian specialities (Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore) are included in the menu that’s very small yet bursting with lots of appealing courses. We had two starters – the Fried Chicken (£5) and the Black and White – tofu (£4.50). The Fried Chicken (marinated in black bean soy milk and coated in batter) was nine generous-sized pieces which came with a three chilli hot sauce. While we almost all but ignored the hot sauce, the chicken was scrumptious and moist. The ten pieces of tofu were light and soft, and an unusual dish you can’t quite find anywhere else. It was served with white miso sauce that was perfect for dipping both the chicken and the tofu, and both very good value.

We were both pleasantly surprised at our dinner choices. My dining companion had the massive Chicken Tang (a soup in a roast chicken broth with bean sprouts, egg, bok choi, spring onion, and garlic chips) and it was absolutely superb! Flavours that went very well together and was a beautiful-looking dish. She was in heaven with its rich substance – and it’s healthy food as well! (A veggie option of crispy tofu is on offer as well) I wanted something with meat and was glad I ordered the Beef and Rice. Braised beef and tendons served with coriander and jasmine rice was gorgeous, with its bok choi and crispy noodles included. It’s packed with flavour and highly recommended, though it didn’t quite fill me up so I would suggest a wallop more of rice be added to the dish. Both dishes cost £9 each – a great deal.

There was one choice for dessert and it was the only choice you’d ever want. The Sugarcane Shiso Sorbet was out of this world! It was sugarcane (purchased in Brixton) with shiso leaves (tasting like mint) to give an absolutely refreshing ending to your meal – it was perhaps the best sorbet I’ve ever had.

Tang also has a wide selection of perfect drinks to go with your meal, from local beer (London Beer Factory) to soft drinks (from the Karma Cola Company) to the very good juices (Owlet Fruit Juice). I had the delicious pear and ginger fruit juice – apple and elderflower was another option. The drinks on their menu you will more than likely not find anywhere else – they’re that unique!

As I live close to the restaurant, I plan to return and try some of their buns (fried chicken, braised beef or crispy tofu), all at the ideal price of £4.50 or less. And the broccoli salad (£4.50) looks like an ideal small dish to look forward to.

Tang is an absolutely affordable restaurant where two can easily dine for as little as £32. The staff are warm and friendly, and Canadian Jamie will answer any questions you will have about the menu. As it’s an open kitchen any questions you might have the cooks are right in front of you! It’s an intimate noodle bar that’s warm and welcoming – I can’t wait to go back!

Tel: +44 (0) 207 300 3324

https://www.tanglondon.co.uk

Email: hello@tanglondon.co.uk
Twitter: @TangLondon
Address: 111 Great Russell Street
London, WC1B 3NQ

Opening hours:

Monday: Closed
Tues – Fri: Midday -3pm & 5pm – 10pm
Saturday: Midday – 3pm & 5pm – 10pm
Sunday: Closed

22nd March 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Stepping Out

★★ | Stepping Out, Vaudeville Theatre, London

Stepping Out steps into the West End again but it’s on the wrong foot and it’s not a very exciting show.

First staged in the West End in 1984 and running for three years and winning an Evening Standard Comedy Award, Stepping Out was then made into a 1991 movie starring Liza Minnelli. It now returns to the West End in a new production starring Amanda Holden and Tracey-Ann Oberman among others playing characters from various backgrounds who attend a weekly dance and tap class. They also meddle – no surprise – into each others personal lives. Holden is Vera, a wealthy woman who seems to have nothing better to do because her whole life revolves around her husband who apparently spends lots and lots of time with their teenage daughter. Then there is Oberman who plays the brash Maxine, and who gets all the best lines in the show. Anna-Jane Casey is Mavis, the dance teacher who is a bit frustrated, not only because her students can’t dance but also because she’s got issues in her personal life (Tamzin Outhwaite had to pull out of this role temporarily because of a broken foot). So Stepping Out centres around the seven women (and one man – Dominic Rowan as Geoffrey) plus the piano player (a wonderful Judith Barker) as they dance and talk but then get the opportunity (of a lifetime!!!) to perform at a charity show. Wow, how exciting! Will they be ready for the show in time? Will one of the students not drop her hat like she’s done many times in rehearsals? Will more dark secrets come out and, god forbid, will one of the woman pull down the towel where Geoffrey is changing behind to add a bit of excitement to this show because this show has no excitement at all?

It’s The Full Monty without the Monty! Sure, the women do their best to get ready for the big charity show, but it’s hardly worth our time. We really don’t get to completely know, or sympathize, with the characters, and only a couple are likeable (Sandra Marvin brings a bit of sass to her role as the token black woman – Rose), and Oberman is wonderful, but there’s not really a whole lot to love in this production. Rowan is one note – not at all attractive or likeable as the lone man – he’s a widow but it would’ve been nice to put him in some sort of romance with one of the ladies. Written by Richard Harris in 1984, with this version directed by West End producer wonderwoman Maria Friedman, Stepping Out, which will be playing at the Vaudeville Theatre until June 17, 2017, probably won’t last that long. Do yourself a favour and just step right past the theatre.

Book tickets now

19th March 2017
BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBT FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Spring is in the air (almost) and with this comes gay films – and the BFI Flare London LGBT Film Festival.

Taking place from March 16th – 27th at the NFT on the South Bank in London, this year Flare, for it’s 31st year, will deliver over 50 features, more than 100 shorts, and a wide range of special events including workshops, club nights and much much more in what is one of the world’s largest LGBT Film Festivals. Here’s a taste of what is showing:
Against the Law
Against the Law – the world premiere (and opening night gala) of this British film which commemorates 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales. The film deals with a Daily Express journalist, Peter Wildeblood, who has an affair with a serviceman that becomes disastrous for both of them in light of the law. Starring Mark Gattis (Boys in the Band) and Daniel Mays.

Signature Movie

Signature Movie – a widowed Pakistani woman living in Chicago falls in love with a Mexican woman but it’s not acceptable behavior in her culture. Even more so in that her mother constantly nags her about about finding another man to marry.

Torrey Pines – a psychedelic stop-motion animation film about a child grappling with gender identity and a schizophrenic mother. The film will be accompanied by a live score from director Clyde Petersen’s Queercore band.

After Louie

After Louie – Alan Cumming is a troubled New York-based artist, a survivor of the AIDS epidemic, who meets a young man who turns his life around.

Different for Girls – A woman has to explain to her female partner how she became pregnant while they were on a break. Expect lots of tension and drama!

Heavyweight

Short film Heavyweight deals with the arrival of a boxer who finds his world turned upside down by the arrival a new fighter at his club.

Flare continues to categorise the films in different sections: Hearts (love, romance and friendship), Bodies (sex, identity and transformation) and Minds (reflections on art, politics and community). Here’s a small sample of some of these films:
Handsome Devil, starring Andrew Scott, is about the unlikely friendship between a lonely gay teen and his hunky rugby-playing roommate; Heartland follows a young woman who has to move back home to Oklahoma following the death of her girlfriend; Being 17 is the touching story of two gay teenage boys in their last year in high school; Body Electric follows a young man and his casual encounters in Brazil; The Trans List, a documentary of where prominent transpeople, including Caitlin Jenner and Laverne Cox, tell their stories; Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things, a documentary about LGBT life in Canada’s remote Artic Intuit polulation; as well as Last Man Standing, the life of eight long-term AIDS survivors.

There’s also a chance to catch two recent gay-themed films in case you missed them. Academy Award winner Moonlight, which is the first gay-themed film to win Best Picture, and French Canadian wunderkind director Xavier Dolan’s It’s Only the End of the World will both be shown at the festival.

We highly recommend a visit to the festival at least on one of the days, but if you have the stamina, and the money, there is something for everyone every single day of the festival. To learn more about what’s going on, and to buy tickets, please visit:

www.bfi.org.uk/flare

Watch the trailer:

17th March 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Southern Baptist Sissies, Above the Stag Theatre, London

★★★★★ | Southern Baptist Sissies, Above the Stag Theatre, London

There’s something in the holy water at a Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas because all of the boys there are gay. And they’re not the only ones who have a story to tell. It all unravels in Southern Baptist Sissies, the new show at Above the Stage Theatre.

Southern Baptist Sissies is actually two shows in one. Four boys live in a religious community where they spend their days praying and the rest of the time all they can think about are other boys! Then in a very hilarious, emotional and witty way, we see these boys grow up to become young men, full of passion, love and in one case, regret. Separately there are scenes set in a gay drag bar where two barflies have a conversation about their lives, their adventures and their regrets while the young men from the church segments portray other characters in the bar. It’s genius!!!

Southern Baptist Sissies cleverly intertwines both stories while we get to know a bit about each character. Mark (Jason Kirk) does an outstanding job as the narrator who is also in love with the very sexy and muscular TJ (Daniel Klemens), whose other character is a sexy go go boy in the gay drag bar. James Phoon is a revelation as Benny, the most feminine of the boys, yet as alter ego Miss Iona Taylor, he’s the star of the show at the drag bar. The scene where’s he’s disrobing while pouring his heart out is absolutely stunning. And last but not least there is Andrew (Hugh O’Donnell), a sensitive young man who unfortunately has a very disapproving mother (Janet Prince). Don Cotter (as Preston) and Julie Ross (as Odette) are brilliant as the couple who exchange stories at the bar; two older people looking back at the past while contemplating what’s left of their future, with Preston always ogling the young men in the bar. It’s all fantastically put together in a fab script by Del Shores and superb direction by Gene David Kirk.

After a few mediocre shows, Above the Stag has really upped their game with this show. It’s funny, relevant, emotional and at the end literally had the audience in tears. There are still tickets left for a few performances – BOOK THEM NOW – it’s a show you definitely don’t want to miss! If, and when, this show sells out, hopefully Above the Stag will be able to re-stage it when they move to a larger venue just down the road. More people really need to see this show.

For tickets, please go to:

http://www.abovethestag.com/shows/

13th March 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Frankenstein, Wilton’s Music Hall, London

★★★★★ | Frankenstein, Wilton’s Music Hall, London

A re-imagining of the classic story Frankenstein is told to amazing effect in the new show simply titled ‘Frankenstein.’

In the perfect venue that is Wilton’s Music Hall, George Fletcher is a wonder as he portrays both Frankenstein and The Creature. Fletcher lives and breathes his performance for every one of the seventy minutes he is on stage. Assisted by Rowena Lennon as the chorus and as his wife Elizabeth, Fletcher gives a very physical performance where he morphs from man to grotesque monster, right before our very eyes.

Working with a bare minimum on stage, which includes two bright lamps, a chest, and a full length mirror, Fletcher as the creature learns to talk, say his name, while an audience member engages him to repeat his name, then her name. We are witness to this, Fletcher being both man and monster, and it’s a show and performance that is riveting, raw and amazing.

Wilton’s Music Hall has just undergone a £3 million programme of restoration work to ensure the infrastructure of the building is sound, but it still might look like it did when John Wilton combined the existing properties in the 1860’s to turn it into what it is today. it looks, and feels, when you walk in, liked you’ve stepped back in time. Separate drinking areas encompass the two story venue, with two bars and a kitchen that serves a small a variety of food, including pizza. But it’s the actual Music Hall where the magic happens. And Tristan Bernays adaptation of the story of Frankenstein, with direction by Eleanor Rhode, is the perfect show for this venue. Shadows, high ceilings, and elevated sound all contribute to the eerieness of the performances and subject matter. Go see it now because Fletcher, fresh from graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, is one to watch!

Frankenstein continues it’s run until March 18, 2017. To buy tickets, go to:

Home

11th March 2017
RESTAURANT REVIEW | BabaBoom

★★★★ | BabaBoom

BabaBoom is the perfect restaurant in an area of London that shall, and will, embrace it.

It’s a cozy, warm and petite place which serves food a bit different from the nearby Brewdog, Coté Brasserie, and The Breakfast Club restaurants. And the food at BabaBoom is really really good.

Two can dine here easily for less than £50. And while the menu is quite small, the food on offer is varied, large, and delicious!

On a cold and wet Sunday night me and my dining companion found BabaBoom very buzzing. Most of the 44 seats in this small restaurant were full – everyone from the staff to the customers to the cooks looked very very happy – which we noticed while we were led to the quieter back section where we enjoyed a new gastronomical experience.

The Sweet Potato Tahini starter was superb! Served with a nicely charcoaled pita bread, along with beetroot, celery and fennel, it was a perfect dipping meal. The sweet potato gave this hummus-like dish new life – I can’t recommend it more. My dining companion had the Rose Harissa Labneh starter, which also came with the same vegetables and pita bread, yet the labneh was topped with chilli, unusual but it worked! But the best was yet to come.

I had the Rotisserie Lamb Shoulder as my main course. And at £11.75 it was to die for! Served over a charcoaled pita, there was lots of succulent and tender lamb, along with a large helping of cole slaw, and a huge tasty cooked onion. I enjoyed every bite, though it was almost too big to eat as a sandwich. My dining companion had the Saffron & Orange Chicken Shish, as a salad, very colorful and served on a large plate. It came with the aforementioned coleslaw along with red peppers, and extremely tasty crispy flatbread. Though he felt the chicken tasted a bit plain, sauces were served with it to add to the flavor. Still a great deal at £9.25. Other kebabs on the menu include goat, short rib and falafel – something for everyone!

Just so that we can taste more of the menu we ordered a few sides. I can’t explain how delicious the Dukkah Fries were! Small and crispy, and cooked with 25 spices (!!!!) which gave the fries a fabulous kick – different, again, but worked so well! Also recommended is the Harissa Roasted Squash Tabbouleh and the Smashed Aubergine with Pomegranate and Tahini. And to top it off, each side is only £3.50 or 2 for £6.00. An excellent bargain.

BabaBoom calls itself a charcoal kebab kitchen, and that’s exactly what it is, and more. And more is what you get. They also serve brunch! Chose from teas to unlimited coffee and juices, to a boozy brunch with bloody mary’s and mimosas and margaritas (I had one with dinner and it was slush good fun!). For brunch you can choose from a Meat Kebab (sausage, date glazed bacon, tomato, 2 friend eggs & labneh) to a Veggie Kebab to a dish called the Ultrarunner (2 soft poached eggs, labneh, tabbouleh, fattoush salad & flatbread), to and including Eggy Bread (basically french toast)! Yum Yum!

BabaBoom combines middle eastern flavours with quality British produce to deliver outstanding meals at very affordable prices. And well worth a trip to Battersea.

Telephone: 07809903181

http://www.bababoom.london

Email: Hello@bababoom.london
Twitter: @BababoomLondon
Address: 30 Battersea Rise SW11 1EE

Opening hours:

MON 06:00PM – 10:00PM
TUE 11:45AM – 10:00PM
WED 11:45AM – 10:30PM
THU 11:45AM – 10:30PM
FRI 11:45AM – 11:30PM
SAT 10:30AM – 11:30PM
SUN 10:30AM – 10:00PM

BRUNCH: Saturday & Sunday 10:30AM-3:00PM

9th March 2017
FILM REVIEW | Certain Women

★★★★ | CERTAIN WOMEN

The lives of three women are told in the beautifully acted new film ‘Certain Women.’

Three women all lead totally separate lives from each other, yet their lives become slightly intertwined. First there is lawyer Laura (Laura Dern). Her client, Fuller (Jared Harris), is disgruntled because he is not able to work anymore due to an injury caused at work, and he can’t sue the company because he has already received a small settlement. So it’s up to Laura to deal with him and his reckless behaviour that eventually leads to a hostage situation and standoff with police. Laura is having an affair with Ryan (James Le Gros), who happens to be the husband of Gina (Michelle Williams). Ryan and Gina are building a new house in the countryside and they need sandstone, so they visit a local man who has a pile of it in his front yard. Yet while they are building their new home together, they don’t appear to be totally happy. In fact, Ryan always seems to undermine her in front of their daughter, while Gina is just Gina going through the motions. The best is yet to come in the third story. Jamie (Lily Gladstone) is a ranch hand who lives on a farm. She appears to be very lonely until one day she decides to walk into an adult education class taught by young lawyer Beth (Kristen Stewart). They start eating together after class but Beth always has to cut it short because she’s got a four hour drive home. Their after class get togethers are misinterpreted by Jamie because she is falling for Beth, and she’s not sure Beth feels the same. Beth, meanwhile, happens to work at Laura’s firm. Hence the intersection of the lives of these three certain women.

‘Certain Women’ is a simple, quiet film, one where the acting takes center stage. Gladstone is the standout – her Jamie is painfully alone, and all she wants is for someone to be with. Williams has a quiet yet powerful role as a woman who doesn’t appear to be totally happy in life yet soldiers on. Dern has a meaty role as the lawyer who has to deal with a volatile client. It’s Stewart who brings it all down a notch. Using her typical acting style (she always seems to be playing herself), she doesn’t add any energy or likability to her Beth. Written and directed by Kelly Reichardt, ‘Certain Women,’ based on several short stories, is particularly aimed at a female audience, an audience who can appreciate and relate to the strong female characters in this film.

4th March 2017