ABBEY ENDING...
DEPENDING on how much of the promotional material you may have seen, Hustlers could be a very different beast from the film you were expecting.
Anyone who had seen the trailer could be forgiven for thinking it is another heist movie or run-of-the-mill comedy.
While it certainly has those elements, at its core Hustlers is a story about female friendships and what is permissible for women to do to get ahead in a man’s world.
Loosely based on a true story, it follows a group of New
York City strippers who resort to ripping off their clients after falling on hard times in the wake of the 2008 financial crash.
The film boasts a star-studded cast, with Crazy
Rich Asians actress Constance Wu playing struggling single mother Dorothy, who strips under the name Destiny.
Jennifer Lopez steals the show as veteran dancer Ramona Vega, who takes Destiny under her wing and lures her into a life of crime.
Former child star Keke Palmer and Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart take supporting roles while Cardi B’s muchpublicised involvement is in fact an all-too-brief Jennifer Lopez steals the show ■ Review by Keiran Southern.
TOWARDS the dewy-eyed conclusion of Downton Abbey, a handsomely appointed return to the award-winning period drama created by Julian Fellowes, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) considers bidding a hearty cheerio to her ancestral home.
“What are we doing? Should we really go on with it?” she ponders aloud.
It’s a fair question, not just for the heiress apparent as she contemplates her future, but also for Michael Engler’s film, which seeks to recapture the guilty pleasure of a TV phenomenon that chronicled the wavering fortunes of the Crawley family across six series from the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912 to New Year’s Day 1926.
Ardent fans can unstiffen their upper lips with relief because the glassware gleams and the bone china is lustrous in this crowd-pleasing frippery of froth, which assiduously ties up loose narrative threads and unpicks a few new ones.
Cinematographer Ben Smithard captures the Jacobethan splendour of Highclere Castle, the real-life Downton Abbey, in every
conceivable flattering light while Fellowes serves up bite-size morsels of intrigue and romance to generate a steady trickle of conflicts, resolutions and cliffhangers.
He makes no concession to newcomers to his rarefied world and expects a passable knowledge of the characters.
His script arms Dame Maggie
Smith with the lioness’ share of biting oneliners and she delivers with lip-smacking relish.
Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern) receive written communication from Buckingham Palace, informing them of a forthcoming visit by King George V (Simon
ROCKETMAN (15)
★★★★★
OCCASIONALLY thrilling biopic of Elton John. A young Reginald Dwight (Kit Connor) grows up in a fractured family home. He metamorphoses into Elton Hercules John (now played by Taron Egerton) at DJM Records. Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) land two gigs at The Troubadour club in Los Angeles and the touch paper on stardom is lit. John Reid (Richard Madden) worms his way into Elton’s affections and bed, adopting the role of Elton’s manager as the singer gorges on an all-you-can-eat buffet of sex, drugs, booze and self-loathing.
■ Download/stream from September 14 and on DVD/Blu-ray from September 30.
cameo, though a typically colourful one.
Hustlers’ central narrative focuses on the relationship between the characters played by Lopez, 50, and Wu, 37.
Lopez showcases the many strings to her bow and is equally at home showing off her impressively toned body while dancing on a pole as she is having a heart-to-heart with the young women who look up to her.
Wu also puts in a strong performance, convincing as the hard-up mother prepared to go to extreme lengths to provide for her daughter.
The story is told through flashback, with Julia Stiles playing a journalist who interviews Dorothy about her past as a hustler.
Writer-director Lorene Scafaria, begins by framing the strippers as Robin Hood-type characters, robbing the undeservedly rich bankers of Wall Street.
However, viewers are forced to question the morality of the group when they start ripping off men who may not be so one-dimensional.
Having said that, we’re left with the feeling that, while these are women doing bad things, they’re not necessarily bad women.
Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Mena Massoud as Aladdin
Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James). “They’ll spend one night in Downton then move onto Harewood for a ball,” discloses the master of the house.
The visit is part of a royal tour of Yorkshire, which will reunite the King and Queen with their daughter, Mary, Princess Royal (Kate Phillips). Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), who has replaced Mr Carson (Jim Carter) as head butler, briefs the staff including housekeeper Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan), Lady Mary’s maid Mrs Bates (Joanne Froggatt) and cook Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol). King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James)
Preparations are in full swing when Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) and her husband (Harry HaddenPaton) arrive for the ceremonial parade and dinner.
However, excitement is spiced with nervous anticipation because the Queen’s lady in waiting, Lady Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton), is a troublesome thorn on the Crawley family tree.
Shadowed by her maid Lucy (Tuppence Middleton), Maud proves a formidable sparring partner for the Dowager Countess (Smith) and Baroness Merton (Dame Penelope Wilton).
Downton Abbey is
ALADDIN (PG)
★★★★★
LIVE-ACTION remake of the 1992 Disney animation. Street urchin Aladdin (Mena Massoud) runs amok in Agrabah with pet monkey Abu. He falls for Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who must honour her father, the Sultan (Navid Negahban), and marry a man of similar social standing. The Sultan’s chief adviser Jafar (Marwen Kenzari) plots to seize power using a magic lamp that lies within a cave in the desert. Aladdin is sent to steal the lamp, but after Jafar double crosses him, the “street rat” summons the Genie (Will Smith) and is granted three wishes.
■ Download/stream from September 16 and on DVD/Blu-ray from September 23.