My friend and writer Roisin joined me for this February round up!
Films
The Kitchen
Speculative Fiction set in London. It’s about community, gentrification and fatherhood which is something we don’t see enough of. Although we did also have the brilliant Scrapper this year. The Kitchen is set in a completely different world from that, and the cinematography is stunning. Kano does a banging job - I feel like it’s a tone and role he’s familiar with and he absolutely smashes it.
Poor Things
Roisin - From the Director of The Lobster and The Favourite is a new film, based on the novel by artist Alasdair Gray. Emma Stone plays Bella Baxter, and it’s her truly brilliant performance that carries you through this mind-bending concept seamlessly. As funny as it is absurd, and at times unexpectedly moving, Poor Things deserves all the hype it’s been getting.
The End We Start From
Jodie Comer and Katherine Waterston are sensational in this story of motherhood and natural disaster. In an interview with Woman’s Hour, Comer spoke about not naturally being maternal, but this role made her understand what people’s bodies go through and the emotional sides of having a child. She says it deepened her respect for all parents. I was already a Comer fan but she has really taken it to the next level. The End We Start From interrogates class as well as motherhood, and the use of landscape is stunning.
All of Us Strangers
Roisin - Andrew Scott and Claire Foy are the standout performances in this study of love, loss and grief. It’s a slow burn, with a few unusual plot points, but ultimately an important watch with beautiful and true moments. Anyone familiar with Croydon will also appreciate the numerous shout-outs to the Whitgift Centre.
TV
The Traitors
You’ve probably seen it unless you’ve been living under a rock, but it’s a fun one to binge. There was a segment on Radio 4 recently about what companies are now doing to thrive in an era where they can’t rely on 5pm live TV slots. The team behind The Traitors invested in it like a high budget drama, and it paid off.
Mr & Mrs Smith
I think it’s rare a blockbuster film is reimagined as brilliantly as this. It feels like they were inspired by the origin but not limited by it. It’s funny, warm and charming. The writing is brilliant. Swarm was one of the best things I saw in 2022, so with Donald Glover starring and executive producing this, it’s no surprise that it’s fabulous. It’s just the right balance of action and romance.
Vanderpump Rules
Episode one of the new season is back with a bang. I only started watching the last two seasons because I was told about the level of drama. Just fab. Absolutely worth a watch.
And the paperback of my debut novel Rosewater is coming in April! OBSESSED with the new cover.