It’s amazing what a bit of colour and dash can do for a career that is based on more prosaic foundations. Blues pianist Reg Dwight put on some outrageous glasses and became Elton John. Gloria Estefan took Latin American dance music into the charts via a series of glittering costumes. Even boring old cricket gets an upgrade with coloured uniforms and massive video screens. It certainly helps to have talent, but a little bit of razzmatazz can be a big part of getting that talent noticed.
Boy meets girl and they have nothing to offer each other than love, dreams and a shared love for a common Cuban heritage. This is the true back story behind this all-singing, all-salsa production that propels and sustains it all throughout. When Miami Sound Machine hit the mainstream charts back in the eighties, few knew that they were already seasoned professionals with a raft of Spanish language hits behind them.
Fronted by vocalist, Gloria Estefan, they were masterminded by husband/guitarist Emilio who skilfully wove the salsa and mambo rhythms of their native island into the prevailing dance pop of the era. The result was a stream of glossy hits that brought fame and fortune, but they never forgot their roots and have released many award-winning tributes to the dynamic music of Cuba. This stage biopic pays homage to their efforts and will have audiences doing the conga all the way up St Martin’s Lane.
There are no ugly characters in Manga. Even the most malevolent death machine or twisted villain is imbued with a flawlessly symmetrical design aesthetic. This is the underlying appeal of a genre that has risen from the Japanese underground to become an instantly recognisable part of both serious art and contemporary pop culture.
The British Museum is taking a predictably high brow approach to looking at the genre, but not even their forensic eye can hide the mischievousness in its DNA. Even the most revered pioneers of Manga tell of their fascination with fantasy and dressing up and together with Anime (Manga’s moving picture cousin), the art form continues to subvert and delight audiences around the world.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/manga.aspx
Don’t call it a biopic – Rocket Man is a fully fledged musical like Cabaret or Chicago. The life and times of Pinner’s Reg Dwight, the ugly duckling who became the glittering swan that we know as Elton John is well documented, but this film looks deep into the heart of the matter.
Taron Egerton plays Elton expertly and really gets to grips with his subject’s mix of ego, vulnerability and geeky love of the more esoteric side of American Music. The hits that lit up the seventies aren’t done in sequence, but according to mood which makes the movie a more heartfelt exploration of the pressures of fame and fortune.
Two of the big guns of international cricket take to the field in South London and both will be looking for a good start to their World Cup campaigns. Virat Kohli’s Indian side are full of confidence and are used to winning on the road with a squad full of talented one-day specialists. Australia, on the other hand, have had mixed fortunes but can never be discounted in a major tournament.
The crowd will be looking forward to some batting fireworks from the talismanic Indian skipper and from former captain MS Dhoni. Australia also have master blaster Aaron Finch and will be boosted by the return of Steve Smith. England might be hot favourites to win the cup, but these two sides have the talent and grit to capitalise should the home side falter.
