An unseen stalker is wreaking havoc on the life of a San Francisco woman in the new version of ‘The Invisible Man.’
Elisabeth Moss plays Cecilia – who literally runs away from her very wealthy tech genius of a husband Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) because of his mental and emotional abuse. But Cecelia has not completely broken away from trouble – she feels like she is being watched, spied on, and stalked by someone, something. But her sister Alice (Harriet Dyer) informs her that Adrian has committed suicide, and shows Cecelia the news on her smartphone. So her sister reassures her that she is free from Adrian and all the torment that he had caused her. But her unease continues and racks up even more when strange things start to happen (a blanket pulled off from her bed, footsteps seen on the ground).
This invisible stalker becomes more bold and violent, enough so that an unseen force murders her sister in plain sight, framing Cecila for the murder. She is convinced that her ‘dead’ husband is still alive, even after being assured that he’s dead by Adrian’s lawyer brother Tom (Michael Dorman). Writer and Director Leigh Whannel (’Saw’) really ratchets up the scare factor, including in quiet moments in the film when Cecilia is tending to normal activities.
Moss is very good as the victim, and as the film creeps up to its 2 hour running time, the suspense builds, though there are a couple of moments of disbelief.
All in all ‘The Invisible Man’ is one scary film that successfully reimagines the very scary HG Wells original.
★★★★ | The Prince of Egypt, Dominion Theatre, London
Dreamwork’s animated 1998 film ’The Prince of Egypt‘ comes to life at the Dominion Theatre.
With music and lyrics by veteran composer Stephen Schwarz, and directed by his son Scott Schwartz, ‘The Prince of Egypt’ faithfully follows the film in the telling of two men – Moses (Luke Brady) and Ramses (Liam Tamne) – who were raised as brothers but, in one of the dark secrets of the family, are not actually brothers.
Moses was born a Hebrew, and after an accident where Moses pushes an Egyptian guard off a temple being built by the Hebrew slaves, he runs off and encounters what turns out to be his real sister and the real members of his family – all Hebrews. While his adopted father dies, Ramses takes over as the Pharaoh – King – while at the same time still condemning all Hebrews to a life of slavery, which will now include his brother. With the brothers divided, what will become of their relationship, and of the Hebrews who desperately seek their freedom?
The production values in this show are worth the price of a ticket. From the illuminated pharaohs and hieroglyphics, which are projected on to the sides of and on the stage, to the amazing costumes and sets, ’The Prince of Egypt’ was made for the huge stage that is the Dominion Theatre. And the dancers are all actually superb, morphing from statues to flowing water to wind to sand dunes to the burning bush where God tells Moses that he needs to return to Egypt and guide the Hebrews to freedom.
Yes, we also get to see Moses part the red sea, with videos of waves projected onto the sides of the stage to make it look like the Hebrews are actually walking between the red sea. Disney, just like their other productions in the West End, looks like they spared no expense in this production. Kudos go to Sean Cheesman, choreographer, who has guided the dancers to be practically another character in the show, to the production and set design and costumes (Jon Driscoll, Kevin Depinet and Ann Hould-Ward respectively), and the performances of both Brady and Tamne. Also, the singing voices of Christine Allado, Alexia Khadime and Mercedesz Csampai are just beautiful. While there were a couple of scenes that had us scratching our heads, overall it’s an amazing production and one not to miss.
Beautifully shot and superb performances are just a couple of the reasons to go see ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire.’
In French with English subtitles (and nominated for an Oscar for Best Film in a Foreign Language) ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is a story about forbidden love set against the backdrop of a very different time and place.
On an isolated island in Brittany in the 1770s, a female painter is hired by the mother of a young woman to paint a portrait of her daughter to send to a prospective husband. Yet Heloise (Adèle Haenel), is not very excited about both the prospect of marriage and of having her portrait painted.
But somehow Marianne (Noemie Merlant) gets Heloise to warm to her, to pose gracefully, and soon enough they become close, enjoying walks on the beach, and time at Heloise’s stately home – more so when her mother leaves the house in order to give Marianne the freedom to paint. Marianne and Heloise start a love affair gently, softly, emotionally, and naturally – as it was bound to happen. Director and writer Céline Sciamma (‘Tomboy’ and ‘Girlhood’) elicits true passion from her actors without revealing too much in a film that’s original, romantic, thoughtful, wistful, and will leave you thinking about it for days after you’ve seen it.
It’s a truly remarkable film that’s won lots of awards and was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Queer Palm there. Sciamma also won the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes.
When you walk into a theatre and you see that the set is a grand staircase leading into a living room with a large statue of David and various photos of men and drag queens on the wall you know you’re in for a drag of a time. This is exactly what ‘La Cage’ delivers.
Actor Simon Callow adapted the show for the stage, who was asked to write an English version of the original 1973 play (which inspired three french films, a hit musical, and a hit American film – The Birdcage). Directed by Jez Bond, ‘La Cage’ is written in its original time and location, and French speaker Callow astutely brings the flavour of the original farce to life.
Drag queen extraordinaire Albin (Paul Hunter) and Georges (an amazing Michael Matus) own and live above drag queen bar La Cage, along with their extremely camp butler Jacob (Syrus Lowe) who can sure wear high heels. Georges’ son Laurent (Arthur Hughes) arrives to inform him that he’s getting married to a girl whose parents are very religious and conservative, and that they’re coming to town to meet his ‘parents.’
Laurent’s natural mother is invited as well but leaves it to Albin to pretend he’s Laurent’s mother and it’s all one huge farce on the day and things get worse downstairs in the club as all hell breaks loose as Albin is not in residence. Dishes with naughty pictures and innuendos galore go into overdrive as the show goes way over the top with an ending identical to the other productions but in this production is all a bit too easily sewn up.
A lot happens in just over two hours and the cast easily keep up the comedy and energy. From the grand dame that is Albin to the almost not in control Georges they help to maintain a bit of the drama while the show spins its characters all over the place. And while you’ll admire their dedication and tenacity, you might find yourself laughing throughout but to a point where it’s not even funny.
‘Time & Tide’ is a tale of love in the most unexpected places.
Nemo (Josh Barrow) works at a diner but has bigger ambitions in life. He wants to move to the big city of London, to be in theatre, and to get out of his nothing town of Cromer. This is much to the dismay of his boss at the diner May (Wendy Nottingham), who encourages him to stay in their small town. But Nemo’s friend Daz (Elliot Liburd) is secretly in love with him, but of course, Daz is not going to blatantly come out and say it, though he says he just recently broker up with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, May has an admirer in Ken (Paul Easton), the bread delivery man who also is hesitant to come out and say how he really feels. But May has some other sort of secret intentions, and it’s not for Ken. So what is her secret? And will Daz finally tell Nemo how he really feels? It’s unrequited love, love that may or may not be reciprocal, in Time & Tide.
Good performances, and the lovely diner set, in the cosy small room of the Park Theatre, make this production, its premiere, one to watch. Liburd is a natural on stage, but it’s Nottingham who is memorable as the woman who has run the diner for decades, and who is considering selling up and moving away. Nottingham is just fantastic.
Behind the frosted glass windows and the outdoor flowers around the entrance is Xier – a restaurant that is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds – a feast so unlike any other I have ever eaten.
Entering the cosy looking restaurant on Thayer Street in Marelybone, we were led upstairs to a brightly lit room – rather posh I would say. This is where the Xier experience starts. From there we were taken on a culinary journey, led by a very knowledgeable staff who all knew what they were serving, from the exotic drinks to the even more exotic food. We were guided by them through a 10-course tasting menu accompanied by a selection of wines and cocktails chosen to enhance the food and the experience. And what an experience it was. The food was very different yet extremely delicious!
Herewith is a breakdown of the 10 course meal we had (the courses on the menu are subject to change according to seasons and what is available):
1.) French Kiss. A glass block with literally a red kiss on it, made up of passionfruit, pistachio, and fennel with Japanese pumpkin. I imagine that this is exactly what the color red tastes like if it were food. And what an explosion of taste! It’s the best kiss I’ve had all year (thankfully the year is still young!) This is served alongside:
2.) Kabocha (Japanese squash) Crispy Pancake topped with black truffles (delicate and delicious and to die for!) and chestnuts resting on a bed of pumpkin seeds (not to be eaten). It was small but sumptuous. Then came
3.) Orkney Scallop Crudo, Cured Duck with Caviar swimming in an absolutely stunning Soy Dashi (Japanese stock soup) and Malabar sauce (sprayed) served, cleverly, in a large sea shell over a bed of black rocks. And to top it off, to get the full effect of the dish, a bowl of moss is delivered with liquid nitrogen poured onto it, releasing an earthy-smelling vapour across the table, the perfect accompaniment to the rich flavours of the dish. It’s one of the many actions of the evening that is very theatrical which enhances the experience. The scallops were just divine, as was the sauce. All in all an incredible dish and perhaps one of the best dishes I have ever eaten! The scallops literally melted on my tongue and the tiny bits of black caviar were just heavenly.
4.) Rose Cured Salmon, Foie Gras, Kumquad, Yuzu and Hazelnuts topped with coriander leaves and passion fruit puree, with beetroot was next. Hard to top the scallops, this small block of salmon – one of Xier’s signature dishes – where the salmon was solid – was a extreme combination of flavors all packed into a very small portion – yet it worked very well. Next was
5.) Gyoza dumpling (consisting of edamame beans) with hints of pepper, ginger, shallots, and spring onions – to be eaten with chopsticks – and served swimming in a stunning red cabbage tea – which was so unique and flavourful that one was not enough. Bravo for this dish – it was divine.
6.) Cleanser. Time for a break from the food. A Mandarin granita with Blue Curacao sorbet in a small glass cup served on top of a bed of ice in a white glass bowl on a white glass plate was just what was needed to clear the palet for what was to come next – more incredible food!
7.) Black Cod in Caramel Miso, Walnuts, Pistachio, Celeriac & Pear. The cod was so delicious, cooked well done on the outside yet tender and moist on the inside. Xier’s second signature dish – it was beautifully cooked and served with Burnt Kiwi leaf oil and celery Pear Puree. This was preceded by the amazing
8.) British Beef Cheek and Pickled Beetroot, on top of Collard Greens and topped with Bone Marrow. The Beef – sourced from the UK – was tender, moist, and literally falls apart on the dish and on your fork. And the red wine grapes au jus is just icing on the beef – the best beef I’ve had in many years. This was the last of the main courses and it was a high to top all highs!
9.) Swedish Cheese and Fresh Fizzy grapes were a nice delicate touch to wind down the meal. This is served alongside small ginger bread snaps with three jellies that consisted individually of white wine, red wine and walnut & pear. So many tastes – your taste buds will thank you!
10.) The final course was, of course, dessert, called Sweet Pleasure on the menu. And these were normal portions, but we realized bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Four desserts were delivered to our table – Chocolate passionfruit Mousse (funny looking but with delicious banana crips); very good banana ice cream; an unusual chestnut parfait on a bed of blackcurrant sauce with mandarin segments and topped with a nice hazelnut cracker; and a small slice of pear cake. The mousse wasn’t our cup of tea, it didn’t have a great taste, and the pear dish was too sugar-coated, but credit is given for the mousse – it was unusual, unique, and visually appealing.
Drinks come at price – of course. You can choose to have the wine & Cocktail Pairing for an additional £85 or alternatively the Deluxe Wine Pairing at £190 extra, or better yet just order drinks from the drinks menu separately. One drink I recommend is the Mango Tiki served in a pineapple tin cup. Mouth watering with rum, papaya, mango with orange juice and topped with Mango foam. Stay away from the Apricot Tai – too too sweet. Of course Xiers’ wine list is very very extensive – too many to mention here, but my dining companion had a Vodkatini – which he very much enjoyed – as well as a few glasses of wine which were all very very fine, even though the pour was small.
In each and every bite of the food we can taste the hard work done in the kitchen to prepare, cook, and serve all these amazing dishes. Xier, the first solo venture from Italian Chef Carlo Scotto – has rewritten the rules on fine dining with Xier. The menu is from his culinary experiences, with aspects of his travels through Europe, Scandinavia and especially Japan, which you can tell had a huge influence on his skills as a chef.
I had commented to my dining companion about halfway through our meal that I felt the courses were too small and that I would probably need more food on the way home, well that was not the case after the tenth course. We both were comfortably full and were just taken aback with the whole experience.
Open for only one year, the room has clean lines, is very minimalist, stylish yet very much on the quiet side, with the excellent staff hovering about to make sure you know what you are eating. They do explain, in lots of detail, when the food is delivered what you are about to eat, otherwise you’d have no idea. Downstairs is XR, which offers prestige A-La-Carte dining. So it’s up to you to decide what you prefer. But the ten course tasting menu is just absolutely divine, and worth every penny of the £95 you will be charged. And with this menu being changed from time to time – it will be interesting to know what type of dishes Scotto will be dreaming up next. But guaranteed they will be amazing and out of this world.
The new film ‘Emma’ – based on Jane Austen’s 1815 novel – is about a rich young woman who sees her friends all around her falling in love. But does Emma want love?
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Emma with a spark, and lives a very comfortable life with her very rich father (Bill Nighy) – who always feels a draft in his house) much to the dismay of his butlers. But it’s Emma who rules the roost – and who plays matchmaker for her girlfriends – all hanging on her every word.
Her friends include the daughters of Miss Bates (a hilarious turn by Miranda Hart), and her friend Miss Harriet Smith (Mia Goth). But while others around her are falling in love right and left, love eludes Emma – and it’s been under her nose all along! Will her knight in shining armour be George (Johnny Flynn) or Mr Elton (Josh O’Connor) or Frank (Callum Turner)? ‘Emma’ – a story told many times in the past, is a fun film – perfect for Valentines Day. Directed by Autumn de Wilde, with sumptuous costumes and sets, and Anya Taylor-Joy is a joy!
It takes someone with a lot of talent, energy, charisma and pizzaz to keep you mesmerised, enthralled, entertained and laughing non-stop in a one hour show. Frances Barber does just this playing Billie Trix in the show ‘Muzik.’
Barber is, in a word, brilliant in her one woman show where she recounts the life, and acting as, Billie Trix, who was an icon, rock star, screen goddess, and drug addict.
In a show written by Jonathan Harvey and with songs by the Pet Shop Boys, Barber (Trix) tells of her life when she belonged to the Warhol crew (there is a funny joke about a gun and Valerie Solanas – the woman who shot Warhol), to her time in Paris, and how her and her mother never saw eye to eye. The jokes are fast and furious and hilarious. Barber keeps the momentum going singing the hilarious songs about anything and nothing. No stone is left unturned when she, truth or not, recounts the time when she was Donald Trumps lover and how she could’ve been the princess to Prince Harry.
This one hour show is jam packed with her stories; Madonna is in disguise in the audience, and her agent, also in the audience, is happily eating away. If you get a chance go see this show. I knew nothing about Trix, and Barber until now – Barber made me laugh until I cried.
MUSIK
Written by Jonathan Harvey
& Pet Shop Boys
Leicester Square Theatre
6 Leicester Place
London WC2H 7BX
Wednesday 5 February – Sunday 1 March
Tues-Thurs £22.50, £34.50 & Premiums £42.50
Fri-Sat £22.50, £42.50 & Premiums £49.50
Sun £22.50, £37.50 & Premiums £45.00
These prices are inclusive of all booking fees and theatre levy
Fried chicken was all the rage in 2019 – will it be just as popular in 2020? Well Other Side Fried (OSF) is trying to make sure this will be the case.
With five locations in London, including two in Brixton, they are all about fried chicken – just what it says in the name! Buttermilk – dipped chicken is offered in several burger varieties. In my quick visit there one Saturday afternoon to the flagship restaurant in Brixton (not Pop) – the Honey Butter chicken burger stood out on the menu. Loads of pickles and lettuce under the chicken with bacon on top – was – to borrow a well-known phrase – finger-lickin’ good! It wasn’t that large considering the price – £8.45 – but it was delicious thanks to the smoked honey butter sauce. My friend had the Bacon Cheese chicken burger with OSF special sauce – at £7.45. Other burgers include the Classic, Buffalo, Garlic & Mayo and Vegan – all priced between £6.45 and £8.45. What makes OSF chicken burgers taste better than KFC? The quality for one, and secondly the taste – OSF are original, and good.
The order of fries were very good – they were of the small-sized variety. I asked for no salt so that I could taste them as they should be tasted – plain, but they came salted – oh well – but were cheap (£2.45). The Dirty Tots were superb. A bit pricey at £5 – they were topped with bacon bits and delicious ranch/hot sauce but weren’t hot at all. We thoroughly enjoyed these and ate them all up.
We tried the Garlic Butter Mayo and Smoke Honey Mustard (superb) dips to go with our chicken and fries(a must at 50p each). If you want bacon or Parmesan cheese these will set you back £1 each.
Beer, wine (pending liquor license approval in the main branch) and soft drinks are available as well.
If you find yourself in either Camden (Camden Lock Market), Leicester Square or Peckham (Peckham Levels), you’ll find their other locations. They are smaller so there are less menu options but the quality of food is the same throughout all the locations. The original location is right near Brixton tube station – you can’t miss it – it’s all glass – and an ugly orange inside. Too bad loud rap music was on play – not pleasant for this small 16-seater location. And unusually it was not busy at all when we were there at Saturday lunchtime.
Thanks to OSF – it looks like the fried chicken craze is here to stay – though I’d still stay away from Chicken with waffles – it’s so so wrong!
There’s an oasis in Central London where time stands still, that is full of vivid colours and wonderful aromas, a place where you can just forget about the outside world, your troubles, politics, and just release.
The oasis is The LaLit London – a very unique and luxurious Hotel.
Situated right between Tower Bridge and City Hall, The Lalit also has an amazing restaurant – Baluchi – a Pan Asian food lovers delight which serves a contemporary take on Indian Dishes – food that is inspirational, divine, delicious and colourful. But more on this later.
The LaLit is one of the leading privately-owned domestic hotel brands in India, with 12 luxury hotels, palaces and resorts. The hotels are in Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, New Delhi, Eastern Kolkata and Chandigarh; palaces in Udaipur and Srinigar; and the resorts in Goa (Golf & Spa Resort), Kerala (Resort & Spa Bekal), Khajuraho (Mangar and Temple View). It’s sole London location is the LaLit Group’s first venture outside India, and it’s one amazing place.
Opening in 2017 – The LaLit London was formerly the St. Olave’s Grammar School (from 1855-1967), a stately red brick building that, from the outside, in its neo-Baroque style, still has this appearance. (Lambeth College occupied the premises from 1968 until 2003). And inside, the rooms have not been tampered with architecturally so the former gym, offices and classrooms are still intact. And in keeping with the Grammar School theme, the rooms are named as such including the Headmasters room which is an annexed seating room next to the bar – which is called the Teacher’s Room (presumably where the teachers hung out back in the day), to the hotel rooms which are called ‘Classrooms’, and The Naanery (Baluchi) where the menu is entirely dedicated to naan bread, which was the Assembly Room back in the day. The school theme is throughout the hotel in keeping with its history.
And the rooms come in all shapes and sizes, with high ceilings. Suites large and small, from the Lalit Legacy Experience with three rooms, to The LaLit and Lambeth Suites, to the Thames River View Suite (with of course is a panoramic view of the river), and to the Tower Suite, which is part of the original tower of the building. Smaller rooms, called Classrooms, will more than match your budget.
All rooms are cosy, intimate and offer an elegant stay. And the rooms come with the usual hotel amenities but also a high tech toilet, heated bathroom floor, safe, Kronokare bath products including lotions, shampoo, conditioner and bath gel that have an amber fragrance that will take you to the forgotten ancient times of Rajasthan while the sweet and spicy tones of vanilla and spices will pamper your senses. Rooms also include Flat Screen televisions (I had a hard time getting mine to work – the remote control was temperamental), a collection of travel books, and in the bathroom more amenities including shoe polisher, comb, dental kit, shave kit, vanity and sewing kits, robes and slippers, and a scale. The beds are super comfortable, and the pillows even more so. It’s these extra little touches that make a stay here very enjoyable and memorable. But it’s the ambience, and atmosphere, the smells, and the colours that will make your stay an amazing one.
The LaLit is a very relaxing place, from the earth tone colours of the interiors of the hotel to the star pendant light fixtures throughout that give the place an Indian glow. The hotel is smoke-free and includes a 24-hour fitness centre and spa in the basement for all your pampering needs. A 24-hour desk is also available, and the views of Tower Bridge, City Hall and the amazing environs of this very unique part of London is right at your doorstep.
And then there is Baluchi restaurant – a destination all on its own. Their menu takes inspiration from the major food regions of India to carefully craft an elegant cuisine, which is made from the finest organic ingredients. And the room, the Naanery, is one of the most stunning dining rooms in London. A blue hue coloured ceiling gives the room a soothing glow, with wood-panelled walls for that very extra special and unique touch. And the food is divine. It was my second visit to this restaurant and the food was just as good this time as it was last time. The menu, continuing with the school theme, include a Beginning Term 1 (starters), Mid Term (mains), and Term Break-School Holidays (dessert) sections.
I can’t recommend enough, and am still thinking about it days later, the Kaffir Lime Chicken (starter) – it was perhaps the best taste of chicken I have ever had. Three pieces of tandoor roasted free-range chicken were perfectly cooked – nice and brown on the outside and perfectly white on the inside – and delicately placed cashew crumble along the side – made this a dish to die for, and it’s only £9.50. Also very good, and a good deal at £21.50 – was my Lamb Shank Gushtaba. Cooked with fennel, cashews and saffron, the shank was not spicy at all and was a very large portion, coupled with masala mash to make the dish a meal in itself, with the lamb amazingly tender and chunky. My dining companion had the Bharwan Zucchini (£9) as a starter – one small dumpling-like courgette with masala soya sauce, curried coconut curd and pickled garlic. It was good but not great value for the money – unlike the chicken. His main was the Aubergine Steak – three large aubergines with coconut sukka and spiced tofu mince placed on top, and cooked with Malabar sauce. It’s a nice vegan dish, with a bit of a kick – but a bit pricey at £16.50. The mango and coconut Naan was to die for – two large pieces at only £4.00 with the flavours just the right combination. And on to the desserts, the Saffron Infused Tandoori Pineapple was nothing special, with slices of tandoori cooked pineapple on the bottom of a chunk of cardamom ice cream (which was good) – at £7.50. The Raspberry and Chocolate Tart – expensive at £12.00 – was a large chunk of chocolate with pistachio sprinkles with sorbet – and was heavy. Other dessert choices that might tickle your fancy include Chocolate Mousse or the Ginger and Mint Cake.
We had a couple of drinks – mine was the Kheera Khazana – at £10 a glass it was fresh cucumber, lemonade, elderflower syrup, and fresh lime and was sweet and refreshing while my friend had a martini which was served to him accidentally incorrectly – but he drank it all. The staff at the restaurant, and including the hotel, are all nice and professional and go out of their way to make your dining experience, and stay, perfect. This included the next day at breakfast where they brought me anything I wanted, and also pointed me in the direction of the buffet. The English breakfast was very very good, and so were the pancakes (yes, I ate all of this), and the buffet had just the right amount of food from cold cuts to fruit to plenty of juices and pastries. There is also an Indian Breakfast if this tickles your fancy – including Indian style scrambled eggs, a Bombay Masala Omelette and Masala Dosa (a type of pancake made from fermented batter with potato filling) to Medu Wada – a deep-fried Latin dumpling served with sambar and coconut chutney. And if you live locally you get %15 off – however, leave the dog at home. Also, the restaurant and bar can also be hired for weddings and ceremonies.
The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group promotes inclusivity and welcomes all with open arms. The Group launched the Elphie books with the Drag Queen Story Hour – to share Elphie’s journey through understanding and embracing self to empowering others. And in their hotel magazine, The LaLit Insight, LGBT issues and articles are included, and in London, they regularly hold gay-friendly events including their NYE party which was hosted by a slew of drag acts. A great time was had by all. The Group not only advocates inclusive policies, but also adapts them as well for their 100 or so LGBT+ employees.
They also have India’s first Inclusive Loyalty program for same-sex and different-sex couples. And for Valentine’s Day The LaLit London offers a romantic five-star dinner accompanied by the sophisticated ambience of the Matthew van Kan Jazz Trio, where Chef Jomon has created a special Valentine 5 course meal. Expect to be treated with the perfect amalgamation between European and Indian cuisine. Guests will enjoy stylish dishes to share with their partners as well as individual plates for the perfect harmony. Tickets are £80 each.
The LaLit and Baluchi experience are perfect for the traveller and foodie. They both capture the essence of sophistication – they are an oasis, and what an oasis they are.
Robert Pattinson in director Robert Eggers THE LIGHTHOUSE. Credit : A24 Pictures
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Powerful acting by both Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, and superb cinematography by Oscar nominee Jarin Blaschke, are the highlights of this film about two men sent to a remote location to take care of a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere.
As boredom, heavy and continuous rain, and monstrous waves take their toll on both men, they start grating on each other after too many meals and too much time together, and it all comes to a head as Pattinson’s Ephraim Winslow starts getting annoyed as Dafoe’s bossman character Tom Wake barks one order too many.
A bit on the homoerotic side, The Lighthouse is visually so unlike any film you’ll see this year, or even this decade.
