Tár-nation

I finally saw the film Tár, directed by Todd Field and starring Cate Blanchett as conductor Lydia Tár, as it is now available via streaming. The small screen is perfect for a film where the narrative and drama is intense and concentrated. It also allows one loo/refreshment breaks, as it’s a slow-moving film – nearly…

‘The Power of the Dog’ – an intense, disturbing psycho-drama

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is generally known for playing urbane Englishmen. In his latest role, in Jane Campion’s powerfully compelling film The Power of the Dog, he dons a Stetson and riding chaps to portray Phil Burbank, a tough, hardbitten cowboy who, with his brother George, runs a wealthy ranch in remote Montana.  As is…

Spade work: The Dig on Netflix

The discovery of the Sutton Hoo hoard  in 1939 as the nation was on the brink of war was England’s ‘Tutankhamun moment’, and the unearthing of the many “wondrous things” from the Suffolk soil marked a significant moment in archaeology and the understanding and appreciation of Anglo-Saxon society, culture and art. The Dig, a newly-released…

Himalayers: revisiting and revising ‘Black Narcissus’

‘Black Narcissus’ has, like the mountain palace of Mopu itself, been haunting me for some days now, after watching both the new TV adaptation and going back to the 1947 Powell & Pressburger (‘P&P’) film. What is the allure of this strange story, and why does Rumer Godden’s original novel somehow elude both versions? *…

ArtMuseLondon recommends…… ‘Phantom Thread’

Phantom Thread, the latest film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, The Master) is an intense, beautifully-crafted meditation on creativity and obsession. Said to be Daniel Day-Lewis’s final film before he retires (he has stated this is the case and he’s not given to changing his mind),…