Anatomy Of A Scandal Review

The Plot

After public revelations of an affair, a prominent politician and his wife are swiftly plunged into even greater drama when more damning allegations find him on trial in court accused of rape.

The Good

Framing this drama around a court case instantly gives this series a convenient narrative structure and offers the absolute certainty of a definitive outcome. The inescapable desire to uncover that result is easily enough to make viewers enthusiastically binge through six episodes of fraught courtroom drama.   

Homeland star Rupert Friend does a magnificent job of bending his performance to portray the many different versions of his character that the story presents. At times he’s a mostly well intentioned man fighting to salvage his marriage and career from the hyperbolic fallout of his selfish indiscretions, while at others he’s a shamelessly predatory political monster oozing arrogance. Repeatedly exploring scenes from different perspectives, he adeptly convinces as both, keeping audiences guessing for much of the series about his ‘true nature’.

Alongside Friend’s central antagonist a trio of star turns from Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Naomi Scott breathe compelling life into the traumatized wife, determined lawyer and lover turned accuser each respectively fighting to expose that truth. Their earnest and effective performances allows the series to sustain much of its suspense and drama.

Notable supporting turns from Josette Simon and Joshua McGuire also helps the series deliver credible legal and political tension. Josette Simon’s defence barrister is a perfect counter to Michelle Dockery’s ‘righteous anger’ in court, while Joshua McGuire’s unapologetically odious spin doctor is a fractious thorn in the side of Sienna Miller’s efforts to cling onto a rose tinted view of her once devoted and inspiring husband.

Arguably the series greatest success is that it consciously avoids allowing audiences to second guess the outcomes of the trial or each characters individual journeys for as long as possible. By jumping back and forth between events of the past and present day as experienced form different characters perspectives, the series presents a far more ambiguous and interesting dilemma. To at least some extent it manages to force audiences to avoid becoming too complacent in their initial expectations and pre-existing prejudices.

That knowingly jumbled uncertainty compels audiences to watch all the way to the final scenes and even then will likely leave them with some provocative lingering questions about the true nature of privilege, power and the unreliable perspective we have on our own actions.

The Bad

Five years of relentless public debate and numerous self-reflective tv/film dramas addressing the MeToo movement sadly robs this series of much of its potential impact and originality. In particular critically acclaimed series like Liar and National Treasure have already expertly explored the complex and compelling themes of he said/she said courtroom battles. Those productions and copious real life drama may leave this specific series feeling somewhat overly familiar and a little more redundant than it probably should.

While Anatomy of a Scandal starts out as a fairly grounded and realistic dissection of real life questions of power, privilege and politics; it ultimately resorts to increasingly implausible twists and turns in order to sustain an ever escalating sense of sensational drama. Arguable injecting that shock value into proceedings sacrifices credibility in favour of a more entertaining but silly melodrama.

While the series also purposefully paints all its characters in murky shades of grey, undoubtedly some audiences may find it consequently more difficult to emotionally invest any of them. The series doesn’t offer audiences the convenient escapism of clearly defined heroes and villains. Instead it perhaps uncomfortably reminds us of a grim reality where everyone seems almost equally flawed, selfish and hypocritical. It’s a deeply cynical portrait that might not be especially welcome or entertaining for many.

It’s also true that while the gifted cast perform well, they’re still tied to a script largely built upon fairly heavy handed stereotypes. Of course many would argue that unapologetically debauched politicians, sneering spin doctors or cynically ruthless lawyers are undeniably part of real life. However there’s a fine line between piercing portrait and clumsy caricature. As the series proceeds its’ well intentioned eagerness to lash out against any form of privilege and power perhaps forces it to cross that line. It increasingly turns characters into clichés, sacrificing subtly to deliver mostly blunt two dimensional commentary.

While the series also tries hard to purposefully defy expectations with an unpredictable plot, it only manages to achieve this by occasionally veering into more wildly unrealistic territory and ultimately remains otherwise exactly as expected.

The Ugly Truth

Anatomy Of A Sandal is a very deliberately timely slice of courtroom drama that explicitly reflects on some of the most prominent political and social problems of today. An excellent cast, polished production and copious plot twists make it an easy binge watch. It’s also a mostly compelling experience, even if it has been undoubtedly robbed of impact by copious real world introspection and similarly themed recent dramas.

BAFTA Games Awards 2022 Winners List

The BAFTA Games Awards ceremony took place in-person (for the first time since 2019) at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Thursday 7th April, hosted by Elle Osili-Wood. Celebrating the best titles and technical achievements in gaming this year’s big winners included Returnal and Forza Horizen 5

View the complete winners list below:

BEST GAME

Returnal, Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment (WINNER)
Deathloop, Arkane Lyon/Bethesda Softworks
Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Inscryption, Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver Digital
It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

GAME DESIGN

Inscryption, Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver Digital (WINNER)
Deathloop, Arkane Lyon/Bethesda Softworks
Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Returnal, Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment

ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

The Artful Escape, Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna Interactive (WINNER)
It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Psychonauts 2, Double Fine Productions/Xbox Game Studios
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Resident Evil Village, Capcom/Capcom
Returnal, Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment

BRITISH GAME

Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios (WINNER)
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, ustwo games/ustwo games, Plug In Digital
Death’s Door, Acid Nerve/Devolver Digital
Fights In Tight Spaces, Ground Shatter/Mode7
Overboard!, Jon Ingold, Tom Kail, Joseph Humfrey – Inkle/ Inkle
Sable, Shedworks/Raw Fury

ANIMATION

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment (WINNER)
Call Of Duty: Vanguard, Sledgehammer Games/Activision Blizzard
It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Kena: Bridge Of Spirits, Hunter Schmidt – Ember Lab Llc/ Ember Lab Llc
Life Is Strange: True Colors, Square Enix, Deck Nine Games/Square Enix
Psychonauts 2, Double Fine Productions/Xbox Game Studios

AUDIO ACHIEVEMENT

Returnal, Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment (WINNER)
The Artful Escape, Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna Interactive
Call Of Duty: Vanguard, Sledgehammer Games/Activision Blizzard
Deathloop, Arkane Lyon/Bethesda Softworks
Halo Infinite, 343 Industries/Xbox Game Studios
Marvel’s Guardian’s Of The Galaxy, Eidos-Montréal/Square Enix

DEBUT GAME

Toem, Something We Made/ Something We Made (WINNER)
The Artful Escape, Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna Interactive
Eastward, Pixpil/Chucklefish
The Forgotten City, Nick Pearce, Alexander Goss, John Eyre – Modern Storyteller/Dear Villagers
Genesis Noir, Evan Anthony, Jeremy Abel – Feral Cat Den/Fellow Traveller
Maquette, Graceful Decay/Annapurna Interactive

EVOLVING GAME

No Man’s Sky, Hello Games/Hello Games (WINNER)
Among Us, Innersloth/Innersloth
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo Epd/Nintendo
Apex Legends, Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut, Za/Um/Za/Um
Fortnite, Epic Games/Epic Games, People Can Fly

FAMILY

Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Greg Lobanov, A Shell In The Pit, Madeline Berger, Alexis Dean-Jones, Lena Raine/Finji (WINNER)
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, ustwo games/ustwo games, Plug In Digital
Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Mario Party Superstars, Nintendo Epd/Nintendo
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Unpacking, Wren Brier, Tim Dawson, Jeff Van Dyck – Witch Beam/Humble Games

GAME BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT

Before Your Eyes, Goodbyeworld Games/Skybound Games (WINNER)
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, ustwo games/ustwo games/Plug In Digital
Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Greg Lobanov, A Shell In The Pit, Madeline Berger, Alexis Dean-Jones, Lena Raine/Finji
Game Builder Garage, Nintendo Epd/Nintendo
It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Psychonauts 2, Double Fine Productions/Xbox Game Studios

MULTIPLAYER

It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts (WINNER)
Back 4 Blood, Turtle Rock Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Call Of Duty: Vanguard, Sledgehammer Games/Activision Blizzard
Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Halo Infinite, 343 Industries/Xbox Game Studios
Hell Let Loose, Black Matter/Team17

MUSIC

Returnal, Bobby Krlic, Joe Thwaites, Harry Krueger – Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment (WINNER)
Deathloop, Tom Salta, Erich Talaba, Ross Tregenza – Arkane Lyon/Bethesda Softworks
Far Cry 6, Ubisoft Toronto/Ubisoft
Halo Infinite, 343 Industries/Xbox Game Studios
Psychonauts 2, Peter Mcconnell – Double Fine Productions/Xbox Game Studios
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Scott Hanau, Wataru Hokoyama, Mark Mothersbaugh – Insomniac Games/ Sony Interactive Entertainment

NARRATIVE

Unpacking, Wren Brier, Tim Dawson, Annie Vandermeer – Witch Beam/Humble Games (WINNER)
It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Life Is Strange: True Colors, Square Enix, Deck Nine Games/Square Enix
Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, Eidos-Montréal/Square Enix
Psychonauts 2, Tim Schafer – Double Fine Productions/Xbox Game Studios
Returnal, Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment

ORIGINAL PROPERTY

It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts (WINNER)
Deathloop, Arkane Lyon/Bethesda Softworks
Death’s Door, Acid Nerve/Devolver Digital
Inscryption, Daniel Mullins Games/Devolver Digital
Returnal, Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Unpacking, Wren Brier, Tim Dawson, Jeff Van Dyck – Witch Beam/Humble Games

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment (WINNER)
Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
Hitman 3, Io Interactive/Io Interactive
Psychonauts 2, Double Fine Productions/Xbox Game Studios
Resident Evil Village, Capcom/Capcom
Returnal, Housemarque/Sony Interactive Entertainment

EE GAME OF THE YEAR

Unpacking Witch Beam/Humble Games (WINNER)
Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Greg Lobanov, A Shell In The Pit, Madeline Berger, Alexis Dean-Jones, Lena Raine/Finji
Deathloop, Arkane Lyon/Bethesda Softworks
The Forgotten City, Modern Storyteller/Dear Villagers
It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts
Metroid Dread, Nintendo and Mercury Steam

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Kimberly Brooks as Hollis Forsythe in Psychonauts 2 (WINNER)
Laura Bailey as Polina Petrova in Call of Duty: Vanguard
Jason Cavalier As Drax in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Maggie Robertson As Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village
Han Soto as Gabe Chen in Life is Strange: True Colors
Alex Weiner as Rocket in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

PERFORMER IN A LEADING ROLE

Jane Perry as Selene Vassos in Returnal (WINNER)
Ozioma Akagha As Julianna Blake in Deathloop
Jason E Kelley as Colt Vahn “the Captain” in Deathloop
Jennifer Hale as Rivet in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Jon Mclaren As Star-Lord/Peter Quill in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Erika Mori as Alex Chen in Life is Strange: True Colors

Top Gun Maverick Gets London Royal Premiere

Paramount Pictures and The Film and TV Charity have announced a Royal Film Performance of TOP GUN: MAVERICK. The event, which will be the UK premiere of the film, will take place in London on 19th May.

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”.

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it. Top Gun: Maverick also stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis with Ed Harris.

The UK Premiere of TOP GUN: MAVERICK will be the 72nd Royal Film Performance delivered by the charity in its almost 100-year history.

The Royal Film Performance is the flagship fundraiser for long-time Paramount non-profit partner, The Film and TV Charity, an organisation that supports the tens of thousands of people working behind the scenes in the UK’s world-leading film and television industry.

Paramount Pictures will release TOP GUN: MAVERICK in the UK and Ireland on 25 May 2022.

Tickets for the Royal Film Performance™ and UK Premiere Screening will go on sale from 19th April and will be available via

 https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/royal-film-performance-2022-top-gun-maverick/

 

The Lost City Review

The Plot

A bereaved romance writer gets reluctantly thrown into an exotic real life adventure alongside her handsome cover model when an eccentric tycoon becomes convinced her latest novel is the key to uncovering real life treasure in the ruins of a mythical lost city on a remote private island.

The Good

The Lost City is unapologetically silly fun of the highest calibre that delivers consistent laughs thanks to a perfectly playful script and a terrific line up of acting talent.

Hollywood icon Sandra Bullock successfully adds yet another memorable romantic adventure to her glittering cinematic cv. This latest romp as an introverted author dragged into an adventure quite literally ripped from the pages of her own book, takes its place proudly alongside Bullock’s most beloved work. She pairs effortlessly well with the films embarrassing riches of leading men, with Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt and most especially Channing Tatum.

Channing Tatum has spent much of his career perfecting his unique brand of legitimately handsome swagger and amiable idiocy. It’s an absolutely ideal fit for this role. There’s endless joy to be found in Tatum’s surprisingly sweet natured male model and his enthusiastically fumbling attempts at real life dashing heroism. Tatum’s brilliant buffoonery makes him quite literally the butt of many of the film’s best jokes. Routinely sacrificing his own dignity to ensure audiences’ get the greatest giggles.

Brad Pitt indisputably remains one of Hollywood’s most compelling leading men, but in The Lost City he is on astonishingly good ‘scene stealing’ form. As the ruggedly heroic Jack Trainer, Pitt injects some authentic action into proceedings and serves as an absolutely perfect comedic counterpoint to Tatum’s hapless but well intentioned model. Pitt’s own uniquely golden aura as a Hollywood superstar gives his character an even more hilariously impressive charisma. Making the absurd contrast between his ruthlessly efficient Special Forces vet and Tatum’s fumbling well-groomed wannabe even more entertaining.  In truth, not since Tom Cruise’s infamous appearance in Tropic Thunder has an unexpectedly A-List supporting turn so magnificently improved an already great comedy.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe clearly also delights in embracing his darker side as he revels in providing the film with a suitably grand pantomime villain. Bearded and immaculately suited his treasure hunting tycoon is an effective blend of well-spoken awkwardness and sneering intensity. Providing just enough genuine menace to propel the plot convincingly. A clumsier comedian would likely have taken the role too far and drowned out other performances by being too suffocatingly flamboyant. But Radcliffe wisely plays the part with enough sincerity to allow him to still play the ‘straight man’ when the film requires.

The end result of this smorgasbord of acting greatness is a film that exceeds expectations as a delightful does of hilarious high adventure. Poking gentle fun at pulp fiction page turners The Lost City captures many of the very best qualities of the eternally popular romance genre. The film is affectionate rather than acerbic and sincere instead of sarcastic, allowing audiences to revel in the good natured glee.  Making it a delightful rare treat with truly re-watchable charm.

The Bad

Much like the guilty pleasure romance novels the film playfully mocks, there is a certain level of predictability to its’ plot. The film treads mostly familiar paths towards obviously expected conclusions. However that really shouldn’t diminish the joy most audiences will undeniably have along the way.

It’s also fair to say that this is a romantic comedy that leans heavily upon its’ comedic charms rather than offering any especially steamy romantic chemistry. Even when the film does deploy Tatum’s famously well chiselled physique it’s exclusively played for laughs. Likewise the playful banter between him and Bullock tickles funny bones but rarely comes close to tugging meaningfully on any actual heartstrings. Providing plenty of giggles but little opportunity for those who want to be swept of their feet with swoon.

The Ugly Truth

The Lost City is a riotously funny ride that takes full advantage of an amazing a-list cast on top comedic form. Self-aware, sharply satirical and satisfyingly silly it’s the perfect antidote to the real world woes of 2022. Packed with memorable moments it’s a glorious haul of comedy gold that deserves to be enjoyed on the big screen.

BAFTA TV Awards 2022 Nominations List

Leading actress