Critics’ choices for the week ahead
Cinema by Robbie Collin and Tim Robey Hacksaw Ridge
Mel Gibson returns with this fantastically moving and bruising military biopic of a Christian US Army medic clinging to his principles in a typhoon of blood and bullets. Andrew Garfield stars as real-life conscientious objector Desmond Doss. 15 cert, 139 min
Christine
In 1974, the suicide on live television of newsreader Christine Chubbock shocked America. Rebecca Hall delves into her psyche with empathy and skill, in a compassionate look at her final days from writer-director Antonio Campos. 15 cert, 119 min
T2 Trainspotting
A Danny Boyle-directed, 21-year reunion for the original junkie icons of Cool Britannia cinema. There’s no chance of this sequel matching the legacy of the original, but it won’t tarnish it either: it’s funny and poignant. 18 cert, 117 min
Denial
The libel trial brought by David Irving against the historian Deborah E Lipstadt, who accused him of denying the Holocaust, is reconstructed in absorbing fashion, with Timothy Spall and Rachel Weisz fighting each corner. 12A cert, 112 min
Jackie
Set in the immediate aftermath of the 1963 Kennedy assassination, Pablo Larraín’s astounding biopic of America’s most iconic First Lady is about America’s muddled and selfdeluding relationship with its own history and mythology. 15 cert, 100 min
La La Land
Damien Chazelle’s unforgettable musical is set in present-day Los Angeles but it’s about that city’s silvery past. At the film’s core are Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist. Each has the talent to make a go of their dream. All they need is an opportunity. What they find is each other. 12A cert, 132 min
Stage by Dominic Cavendish Winter Solstice
One Christmas, a couple welcome into their home an old man; alarm-bells start to ring as he talks about the need for order and purity. For all the pleasing
Classical & Opera by Ivan Hewett and Rupert Christiansen Ensemble 360
That excellent organisation Music in the Round presents concerts and education projects in Yorkshire as imaginative as anything found in London or Manchester. In this concert, resident group Ensemble 360 offers a different take on Sibelius and Strauss, and turns up rarely heard pieces by Martinů. Lutosławski and Spohr. Crucible, Sheffield (0114 249 6000), Wed
Rigoletto
English National Opera takes Jonathan Miller’s classic Mafia in Little Italy production of Verdi’s tragedy out of mothballs by popular demand. Three American singers take the principal roles, conducted by veteran Richard Armstrong. Coliseum, London WC2 (020 7845 9300), until Feb 28
Gigs by Neil McCormick Drake
The Canadian rapper, charming and charismatic live, is arguably the biggest and most influential star of contemporary pop, bringing vulnerability to hip hop. The arrival of this tour in the UK was delayed to incorporate new production elements, so hopefully it will be more than just one man and a laptop bemoaning the cruelties of fate and fame. The O2 Arena, London (ticketmaster. co.uk), Mon-Fri, and touring
Martha Wainwright
A fascinating member of the Wainwright musical clan, Martha brings neurotic energy to her bold, confessional singer-songwriting. Her latest album, Goodnight City, has a broad musical palette but live she can slay with just acoustic guitar and vocals. Town Hall, Birmingham (0121 780 3333), Mon, and touring
Loyle Carner
A particularly fresh and distinctive voice in British hip hop, Loyle Carner is a laid-back, poetic rapper in the consciousness tradition. His subject matter is family, friendship, growth, education, love and loss, set to easy flowing grooves with jazz, gospel and blues influences. The Garage, Glasgow (loylecarner.com) Fri, and touring
Exhibitions by Mark Hudson The Allure of Napoleon
A faux-French chateau in the Durham hills is at once the oddest and most obvious venue for a show examining the Napoleonic cult through paintings, prints, books and sculptures, and its particular fascination for this extraordinary museum’s founders, John and Joséphine Bowes. Bowes Museum, Durham (01833 690 606), until Mar 19
Idris Khan: A World Within
A celebration of the acclaimed Walsallborn artist whose multi-layered works may include every page of the Qur’an or every Beethoven sonata. New Art Gallery, Walsall (01922 654 400), Feb 3-May 7
Portrait of the Artist
Examining the cult of the artist from the 15th century to today, this intriguing exhibition offers major selfportraits from the Royal Collection – including Rembrandt, Rubens, Freud and Hockney. The Queen’s Gallery, London SW1 (0303 123 7301), until Apr 17
The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined
Over-the-top couture from the past 100 years is paired with historic items to give a history of bad taste : “vulgar” here means anything from the ostentatious to the overtly sexy. Barbican, London EC2 (0845 120 7550), until Feb 5