Rahul Patel

Pepper LaBeija, shimmering in her golden gown, struts into the Savoy Manor Ballroom to be met with raucous applause. Through Paris Is Burning, Jennie Livingston’s seminal chronicle of Harlem’s ballroom scene in the 1980s, we enter a wonderland of self-expression, where vogueing was born and houses compete by walking runway categories in a bid to become ‘legendary’ – the highest praise within the community. In the 30 years since it premiered, few films have come to occupy such a prominent plac...

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga begins just as any Eurovision fan would hope. In a small Icelandic town, Pierce Brosnan gathers with friends and family to watch ABBA’s winning performance of ‘Waterloo’ at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. The power of ABBA is enough to rekindle young Lars Ericksson’s spirit...

Romas Zabarauskas’ The Lawyer follows the privileged life of corporate lawyer Marius, played by Eimutis Kvoščiauskas. Shaken by the death of his estranged father, Marius seeks comfort with handsome sex-cam model Ali (Doğaç Yildiz), a bisexual Syrian refugee trapped in a camp in Belgrade. A personal reckoning ensues for the titular professional...

“You should be like a nail… you’re too soft.” Strict rules are in force at this traditional Georgian dance school. Despite such critiques, young Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) still mesmerises with every snappy gyration and foot stomp. His focus is evaporated only as a result of the heat created between him and new student Irakli...

We’re just a few years away from Tom Holland morphing into his final form: Chris Pratt. The Marvel Cinematic Universe affiliates’ analogous auras might explain why they are so effective as mismatched elf brothers in Pixar’s latest animated yarn...

Being governed by monarchs is a thing of the past for most. Yet apparently, we still love telling royal stories. And 2019 was a particularly bountiful year for regal representation. So without further ado, here is your very own royal procession of the year’s screen kings and queens...

What can six Emmys buy you? RuPaul’s answer: AJ and the Queen. With multiple upcoming iterations of Drag Race, 2020 is a packed year for the world-famous drag queen. But first to sashay onto our screens is comedy-drama AJ and the Queen...

The Crown season three opens with Queen Elizabeth II facing away from us: a powerful silhouette, perfectly poised. Her crown, however, is not the true focus; rather her burdened shoulders are. These are new shoulders. Claire Foy has passed the bejeweled scepter...

A handsome man walks the sun-soaked streets of an exotic city, searching for escape or new romance (could they come hand in hand?). End of the Century has the makings of a classic, holiday romance. But that is not where writer-director Lucio Castro wants to take you for his debut feature...

We are all afraid of something. Ron Weasley had severe arachnophobia. Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus had a fear of clowns in Zombieland. And Scottie in Vertigo was afraid of heights. To have fears is to be human and to be sympathetic towards others’ fears is to be compassionate...

Once again in her career, the revered Helen Mirren finds a crown atop her head. However, this time her subjects (us, the audience) may not be so pleased. The Sky-produced and HBO-backed miniseries Catherine the Great is needlessly simplistic and, frankly, ugly...

Love is eternally undefinable. It looks and feels different for everybody. For some, it can be measured on a scale from zero to 3000; for others, they’ll push a child out a window for it. Another form of love is the one that exists between sexagenarians Joan (Lesley Manville) and Tom (Liam Neeson)...

From the clean-cut heartthrob in Crazy Rich Asians to the cryptic academic in A Simple Favor, Henry Golding launched his film career with a roar. In a time when diversity is increasingly welcomed, it is little surprise that Golding is such a popular casting choice...

Acting performance this and cinematography that. Critics, we get it, you like cinéma. For those looking for a light-hearted summary of this year’s cracking London Film Festival, here is a rundown of the top ten looks from the films offered in the program...

The Aeronauts is a Victorian-era version of Cuarón’s Gravity. Yes, really. Tom Harper’s latest directorial feat is surprisingly successful in uniting the disparate tones of the British period piece and the space-bound epic...