MY SIX BEST ALBUMS
KERRY ELLIS, 38, is the West End musicals star who has appeared in We Will Rock You, Wicked and Cats. She has also recorded albums with Brian May. She starts a 20th anniversary tour on February 16 and is touring in The Importance Of Being Earnest – theimportanceofbeingearnest.co.uk ORIGINAL LONDON CAST: Les Misérables (First Night) Massive in my life. It was the first album I had and sang along to and the first musical I was taken to see. I was in shows from a young age and this was a huge hit at the time. The orchestrations are phenomenal. I went on to play in it in the West End. BONNIE TYLER: The Very Best Of (Metro Select) I met Bonnie recently on a TV show. She was this big rock singer who I’d idolised. I loved Total Eclipse Of The Heart, a huge power ballad with drama and storytelling. I used to sing Holding Out For A Hero at auditions. QUEEN: Queen II (Island) I have many Queen albums and they have been a huge influence. My dad used to play them and I’ve gone on to record with Brian May which I’m hugely proud of. My interest has always been that link between rock and musicals. ED SHEERAN: Divide (Atlantic) I’ve always been a fan and have sung some of his songs in my concerts. His lyrics are fantastic and his melodies are brilliant. I love Perfect which he has recorded with a ton of other people, which is really clever. And we’re both from Suffolk. JOHN BARRY: Born Free (Import) This has been huge in my life. It makes you feel something and music is all about that. I remember seeing the film and, with the lyricist Don Black and Brian May, we did our own arrangement after doing charity work with the Born Free Foundation. VARIOUS: Chess In Concert (Rhino) I like the mood and gravity of this. Tim Rice has been another influence. I’ve recorded songs of his, including Anthem from this, and I sang at this concert at the Albert Hall. I performed Anthem with Brian at the Festival of Remembrance and will remember that for the rest of my life.
secret weapon in brilliant footballer Goona (Maisie Williams) and a very keen pig called Hognob (Nick Park).
That’s all you need to know in order to cheer the underdogs, boo the villains and enjoy a feast of slapstick antics and imaginative puns. Flimsy but good wholesome fun.
LAST FLAG FLYING (Cert 15; 125mins)
THE pleasure of watching Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Carell together is almost enough to offset the meandering, mild-mannered storyline of Last Flag Flying.
This semi-sequel to the salty 1973 Jack Nicholson comedy The Last Detail is set in 2003 and reunites the Vietnam veterans of the original.
When his son is killed in Baghdad, Larry (Carell) goes in search of his old navy buddies. Sal (Cranston) is now running a bar while Richard (Fishburne) has become a preacher. They reluctantly agree to accompany Larry to meet his son’s coffin then attend the burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
Last Flag Flying becomes a road trip in which the trio reflect on their past and confront a world in which little has changed and lessons have not been learned. In other ways the world has changed too much and the film feels like a lament for a lost America as they pass through idle towns where factories have fallen silent.
This wry and rueful film largely consists of three men talking and its static quality makes it feel more like a play with Cranston stealing the acting honours as the rascally, sardonic Sal.
MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (Cert 12A; 142mins)
IT has been so long since the last Maze Runner sequel that you’ve probably forgotten why they were all running in the first place. I’m not sure this series finale, significantly delayed by the serious injury sustained by actor Dylan O’Brien while filming, leaves you any the wiser.
Having escaped from the Maze, Thomas (O’Brien), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and the rest of the gang are now intent on attacking the fortress headquarters of evil corporation WCKD. But first they need to rescue captured comrade Min-ho (Ki Hong Lee).
The film is a series of daredevil rescues as they fight off zombie hordes to get to the Lost City and try to save the world or die trying. You are encouraged to savour the spectacle of this efficient blockbuster rather than question the logic of the plot.
12 STRONG (Cert 15; 130mins)
12 STRONG may be based on true events but it still feels like a standard issue war movie as a band of brothers displays courage under fire. But a decent cast and striking photography lend substance to the depiction of a mission driven by patriotic fervour and heroic intentions.
Chris Hemsworth (Thor) easily handles the role of special forces captain Mitch Nelson. He was stuck behind a desk when the 9/11 terror attacks unfolded but now he is determined to get back into action and strike a blow against America’s enemies.
His plan involves taking a hand-picked group of soldiers into Afghanistan, including Hal Spencer (Michael Shannon) and Sam Diller (Michael Peña).
Heavily outnumbered and forced to traverse treacherous mountain terrain, the men also face the disadvantage of having to travel on horseback which gives the film the feel of a western at times. 12 Strong is decent and earnest but in need of extra grit or depth.
THE CINEMA TRAVELLERS (Cert PG; 96mins)
TECHNOLOGY has revolutionised the way we watch films and that makes The Cinema Travellers all the more nostalgic. Shirley Abraham’s loving, lyrical documentary celebrates the last days of the men who travel to the remote villages of western India, erect a tent, fire up a projector and show films to an audience hungry for an evening’s entertainment.
It is pitched between the Peter Sellers classic The Smallest Show On Earth and Cinema Paradiso and tells of rusty equipment, bad weather, decaying film reels and the sense that, no matter what, the show must go on.
A charming celebration of a disappearing profession.