LIGHT MODE
DARK MODE
Florence is a city that has spawned many illustrious and famous names, from Dante to Machiavelli to most of the Renaissance artists to Galileo. But more recently, in the last hundred and fifty years or so, Florence’s most famous citizens have all been foreigners. Inspired by the Tuscan
Italian men pat themselves on the back for having gotten the art of courting down, and not without good reason - they are, after all, known for their dexterity in this department across the globe., Meanwhile, in an effort to stay open-minded, you’ve finally put your dry, independent-
Famous winner of four Oscars (including Best Picture) Clint Eastwoods latest film is already established as an American classic. Set in the world of womens boxing, but hardly just about that, this is a masterpiece, pure and simple, deep and true (Roger Ebert). Another chance to see probably the best
Retro-futuristic comic book urban decadence makes a brilliant reappearance in Robert Rodriguez and Frank Millers own Sin City graphic novels. Using almost literally Millers story board for the film, and retaining the graphic imagery and colouration of the original, as well as the narrative style and sentimental characterization, the
A guy who dresses up like a bat clearly has issues. Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney have all had the privilege, but Christian Bale has more issues than most hes less camp, more convincing in this earnest Batman prequel, as possibly the best Bruce Wayne since
Do you remember fun? One of the best American movies in years, and already assured of classic status alongside the likes of Woody Allens trenchant comedies of manners, Alexander Paynes Sideways as garnered widespread acclaim. A bittersweet journey of self discovery in the Californian winelands and homage to the culture
Florence is a city of movement—a city of dance. From the Renaissance sculptures and frescos that adorn churches and piazzas featuring men and women in elegant positions of comportment, to the Italian use of gesture and the intricate, cobble-stoned street maneuverings of car, moped and pedestrian, Florence
Sending contemporary artworks out of Italy is complex, but exporting antiques and artworks of authors no longer living can be literally impossible. In 1939, Law 1089 was passed to inhibit the criminal act of illegally removing antiques from Italian territory and to regulate the liberal circulation of cultural goods. The
I like to ask Florentines what they think about the fact that their city is so overrun by tourists and foreign students. I reckon that if it gets to me, a foreigner myself and so without much of a leg to stand on, then it must really wear on the
Do you remember fun? One of the best American movies in years, and already assured of classic status alongside the likes of Woody Allens trenchant comedies of manners, Alexander Paynes Sideways as garnered widespread acclaim. A bittersweet journey of self discovery in the Californian winelands and homage to the culture
A big hit in 2002, Gurinder Chadhas feel-good comedy reworks in a sports environment, and with less seriousness, some of the ethnic differences that are the particular concern of Non Resident Indian directors like Chadha herself (Bhaji on the Beach; Bride and Prejudice), and Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) and
How and why did Anakin Skywalker desert the Jedi and go over to the dark side to become Darth Vader? This is the issue central to the third prequel in the Star Wars saga, the one that links to George Lucas original mid-sequence space opera from 1977. And while
Sir Ridley Scott is no stranger to the period epic genre (most successfully with Gladiator) and in this, his latest Crusader blockbuster, his peculiar skill at choreographing violence and brutality, and graphically depicting Hell on earth, is unleashed to dramatic effect (its amazing what slow motion can do!). A material
Florence may hold the world’s best concentration of Renaissance art, but there is another movement overshadowed by the Renaissance that Florence keeps well hidden. Tucked away in churches around the city are jewels of the Mannerist movement, masterpieces that most people will unknowingly miss in favour of lining
We’re all very well aware of the reputation Italian men carry worldwide. Who knows out of what mixture of reality and cultural myth the image has been propagated – though it would probably make an interesting sociology dissertation topic, but no woman could plead oblivious to the archetype
Sir Ridley Scott is no stranger to the period epic genre (most successfully with Gladiator) and in this, his latest Crusader blockbuster, his peculiar skill at choreographing violence and brutality, and graphically depicting Hell on earth, is unleashed to dramatic effect (its amazing what slow motion can do!). A material
The penultimate feature in the British Institutes Talking Pictures programme of Indian Diaspora films and never the twain shall meet? This is a remarkable film debut for British born Asif Kapadia. An ambitious epic undertaking, spectacularly filmed in the deserts and mountains of Rajasthan, The Warrior is set in Indias
This is a breath-takingly thrilling drama documentary (Oscar-winning Director Kevin MacDonalds description) that brings a true story of a devastating moral dilemma alive on the big screen. Retracing the ascent of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes by two young British climbers in 1985, MacDonalds film slopes with
World War II melodrama of epic silliness and supreme vapidity (Rolling Stone) is perhaps not the best recommendation for this Chalize Theron and Penelope Cruz coupling. And coupling in various guises is what its all about. Theron plays Gilda (yes!),a 30s throwback (would-be) femme fatale fatally seducing all
CRASH! The sound of broken glass shatters the silence of the dark, rainy night. My jet-lagged brain takes a moment to process. It’s a Sunday night in January 1999, and I have just fallen asleep in the apartment that I’ve rented over the Internet for
I suggest that you and your friends begin your day with a visit to the Museum of Opificio Pietre Dure, Via Alfani, 78, a rare and precious museum, where, ...
How do you make love to a cube? is the question at the centre of the rivalry between the Italian painter (he of the long necks) Amedeo Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso, reigning divo of the Parisian avant-garde circa 1919, and the question is one about style as well as
