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Wolf (2023)
An impressive line-up of stars fails to make Wolf worth watching
Who's afraid of the appallingly bad Wolf? Viewers of the BBC's latest drama series fall into two camps - those who find it compelling and those who think it's a turn-off. If you glory in the gruesome, you'll probably enjoy it, but if you're sick of sadistic behaviour on screen, maybe give it a miss.
Based on one of the Jack Caffery novels by Mo Hayder, the script follows a detective inspector whose brother is missing, presumed dead. The prime suspect in the case happens to be a neighbour of Jack's who still lives across the road. Jack (Ukweli Roach) keeps tabs on the suspect by watching him from the bedroom which was once his brother's and has since become a shrine to his long-lost sibling. His girlfriend insensitively tidies the bedroom before a party in case the guests want a tour of the house. The couple end up rowing at the party, and their relationship looks doomed.
The action then moves to Monmouthshire, where the Anchor-Ferrers family arrive home to find some unexpected entrails in the garden. When the unconvincing-looking animal innards are shown draped across some branches, you'll either find it laughable, or else decide things have gone beyond a joke.
Two cops turn up on the doorstep out of the blue, and the family trustingly let them into the house. They should have smelt a rat as soon as they set eyes on the gruesome twosome, given that one of them is Iwan Rheon, who was previously cast as the evil Ramsey Bolton in Game of Thrones.
Instead, the mother, Matilda, played by Juliet Stevenson, prattles on about her daughter Lucia, who looks 30 (and is played by 31-year-old Annes Elwy) but acts like a teenager. "She's 22", says Matilda, which nobody needed to know, if it wasn't for the plotline about Lucia being 17 the last time something unspeakable happened. There's a killer on the loose who only strikes once every five years, taking the rest of the time off for bad behaviour.
The atmosphere becomes unsettling as the two supposed police officers casually slouch on the sofa and don't even bother to take notes about the case. When Matilda finds herself alone with DI Honey, (Sacha Dhawan) he helps himself to a slice of her home-made cake then raids the fridge for a carton of milk, pours himself a glassful and downs it in one.
It's all very odd, but Matilda thinks he is trying to put her at her ease; a strange take on threatening behaviour which aspires to the style of Pinter but never quite makes the grade.
The tension is bound to ramp up as the drama unfolds, but the only mystery is how such an impressive line-up of luvvie luminaries ended up in this unsavoury potboiler.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Stellar cast in Sixties-style thriller wrestle with an implausible plot.
When a naïve young student looks in a mirror and glimpses a more glamorous reflection of herself, we're on board with the Alice through the Looking Glass theme, and all set to relive the Swinging Sixties in the company of the gorgeous Sandy. (Anya Taylor Joy)
Newly arrived in London to study fashion design, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is first dazzled by the bright lights, but soon starts to experience the seedier side of Soho. When she falls asleep in her attic room, she is transported to the past, and her life goes from drab to fab, as she draws inspiration from Sandy's style for her fashion designs.
The Sixties vibe is boosted by the appearance of stars from the era: silver fox Terence Stamp, Rita Tushingham as Eloise's gran, and the late, great Diana Rigg in her final performance as the landlady from hell.
When Sandy first meets Jack (Matt Smith) in a night club, she is captivated by his boyish charm, but his interest in her takes on a sinister undertone as he begins to control her life. The further we go down the rabbit hole, the darker it gets.
Back in the present, Eloise's flashbacks to her night-time terrors add to her increasing mental fragility. She is comforted by her class-mate John, (Michael Ajao) who might have been better off staying in the friends zone rather than ending up as an unlikely love interest, given how things pan out when he's invited back to her creepy attic room.
The final scenes pile on a few ham-fisted plot twists, which all amount to an implausible ending. If only someone had looked in the mirror and seen Hitchcock, they might have got a few tips on how to make a truly suspenseful psychological thriller, rather than this poor imitation of a Sixties classic.
Swallows and Amazons (2016)
Film adaptation of popular classic captures the essence of a British summer
Swallows and Amazons captures the essence of a beautiful British summer, in this film adaptation of the popular children's classic, celebrating the delights of the great outdoors, set against the picturesque backdrop of Cumbria's Lake District.
England's green and pleasant land looks at its loveliest as director Philippa Lowthorpe makes the most of the lush landscapes of the Lakes, the original setting for the book by Arthur Ransome. Derwentwater and Coniston Water offer some spectacular views, while the Walker children set up camp during their summer break and have fun mucking about in their boat, the Swallow.
Sailing and camping play a large part in a world of make-believe where pirates lurk around the corner, boats are captured and prisoners are made to walk the plank.
The screenplay by Andrea Gibb remains largely true to the spirit of the original stories, while adding an extra dimension to the plot in the form of a family friend called Uncle Jim, who is revealed to be a spy. This intriguing plot twist was inspired by Ransome's own eventful life, and his diplomatic activities during his time in Russia, when he met his wife-to-be, Evegenia.
After returning to Britain, Ransome later went to live in a cottage in the Lake District, and Swallows and Amazons, the first book in the series, was published in 1930. While some fans of the book might be dismayed at the changes to the original plot, others may enjoy this evocation of a bygone golden age, featuring the quaint cobbled streets of Heptonstall in West Yorkshire and the steam trains of Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
The story highlights the importance of playfulness in our lives - the sense of fun, vivid imagination, and taste for adventure which underpin our youth, as yet unfettered by grown-up concerns, but should not be entirely forgotten in adulthood, if we are to nurture the inner child. After seeing this film, perhaps some youngsters might be persuaded to rediscover the outdoor delights of clambering on rocks, picnicking in meadows or paddling in streams.
National Theatre Live: Hamlet (2015)
Cumberbatch is a popular Prince - but does he make a Great Dane?
As Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the mantle of the Prince of Denmark, does he make a great Dane or a passably good one? That is the question, and as the star turn, he is certainly the brightest thing about this production.
It must be tricky to bring freshness to lines so familiar they have almost become clichéd, but this sweet Prince does his level-headed best, causing hearts to melt at the "Oh, too solid flesh", jumping on tables and shrugging off the slings and arrows of the less enthusiastic reviews.
Director Lyndsey Turner aims to shed new light on Hamlet's soliloquies by having the rest of the cast move in slow motion around him, a device used most effectively at the wedding feast, when Hamlet's regal mother Gertrude (Anastasia Hille) marries his scheming Uncle Claudius (Ciaran Hinds).
All the complex emotions running through Hamlet's mind are voiced in the time it takes the guests to rise from their seats and turn away from him, oblivious to his inner anguish.
The set by Es Devlin is in the style of a sumptuous stately home, dominated by a huge chandelier and grand piano, walls covered in family portraits and an armoury of weapons. A rocking horse, doll's house and other toys lie hidden in the stairwell, mourning an innocence lost, as a grown man must put away childish things.
Faced with his father's ghost and his mother's betrayal of her late husband's memory, Hamlet feigns madness and embraces his inner child, who comes out to play in a scene with toy soldiers and a castle.
The flashes of humour provide welcome light relief from the sense of impending doom which pervades the play, underlined by a musical score which is at times rather heavy-handed. Karl Johnson brings gallows humour to the role of grave digger and Polonius (Jim Norton) cuts a tragi-comic figure destined for an unfortunate end.
Ophelia (Sian Brooke) is highly strung from the start, which lends psychological depth to her subsequent breakdown, but leaves little room for a greater contrast in her moods, with barely a hint of the happier times which had gone before.
She finds comfort only in music, that lightning conductor of emotions, singing sweet songs in the purest tones, and playing a moving piano duet with her volatile-tempered brother Laertes (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith). In a world full of deception, music is the sole form of expression which strikes a true note.
Most of the cast deliver their lines with clarity and conviction, but a few tend to rush their words at times, perhaps aiming to keep within a performance time of three hours, but making their speeches harder to follow. Dismissed by some reviewers as a dumbed-down version, this production changes the order of the original text and may not please the purists.
This is a performance for people who come along to see TV's Sherlock in action, and end up getting what the Bard is all about. This is for families bringing children who have only ever experienced Shakespeare in the confines of a classroom, and are hearing the lines brought to life on stage for the first time.
If making Shakespeare accessible to a wider audience is the main aim, this NT Live production, broadcast live in cinemas worldwide, is certainly a success.
Howard Marks and the Lance of Destiny (2014)
Howard Marks presents an epic tale of intrigue - You'll like this lance a lot
Howard Marks is the ideal choice to present this epic tale of intrigue, which centres around an ancient artifact steeped in myth and mystery. As Marks draws us in to this multi-faceted tale of a precious cargo smuggled from country to country, he turns out to be something of an authority on the subject.
He explains how the Lance of Destiny, the weapon used to pierce the side of Christ on the cross, was closely guarded by members of secret societies like the Templars and Masons, both branches of an even older sect, the Brotherhood of the Snake.
After a long and arduous journey from Jerusalem to Rome, then French Aquitaine, the lance, sometimes known as the "Spear of Destiny", finally ended up on the Island of Jersey. Hitler sought the spear for its supposedly occult powers, but the Nazis failed to find its hiding place.
At some point in his chequered career, Marks used his persuasive charm to acquire a map claiming to show the location of the lance. Rumour has it that part of the map, containing the words "the spot" was torn away, leaving only "X Marks", and that a fake passport in the name of Xavier Marks was produced to claim ownership of the map. This rumour is entirely untrue.
Following the map's directions, the trail leads to a field where a festival is being held. Revellers party on, heedless of the priceless treasure which lies beneath their feet, having little interest in unearthing anything which can't be made into a potato salad.
Amid a sea of blank stares and shaken heads, only one man shows a glimmer of recognition when asked about the lance, then hurries away, fearing the wrath of the Brotherhood of the Snake.
After an unfortunate misunderstanding, due to intoxication, a group of women wonder if the lance is located in the dance tent. The rumour spreads like wildfire, and one young Lothario can be heard trying out his chat-up line: "Fancy a glance at my lance?"
Interviewer Tim Bonner then turns treasure hunter, and follows the directions on the map. As he nears the final destination, suddenly the tables are turned, and in a dark and claustrophobic climax, we begin to question whether the lance is within reach. Can anyone grasp this elusive spear? Perhaps the story is simply a metaphor for the inner journey, and the eternal quest for enlightenment.