LONDON: If there’s a feeling of déjà vu about “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” it’s probably because it stars Jaeden Martell as a complicated, sometimes-troubled young man in an adaptation of a Stephen King story — Martell played Bill Denbrough in the 2017 and 2019 big-screen versions of King’s iconic “It,” the success of which presumably played some part in Netflix’s decision to back this supernatural-thriller-meets-coming-of-age drama mashup.
In “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” Martell is Craig, a young man who befriends the titular billionaire as the two bond over a love of classic books. Harrigan (played with understated ambiguity by Donald Sutherland) eschews all modern technologies until Craig gifts him his first cell phone and teaches him to use it. When Harrigan’s failing health catches up with him, he is buried with the phone he grew to love, and Craig assuages his grief by leaving him voicemails. But when he begins to use those messages to complain about the bullies tormenting him at school, and other injustices he sees in the world around him, Craig begins to suspect that Harrigan is visiting retribution on behalf of his young friend, from beyond the grave.
Sadly, that same feeling of déjà vu results from the fact that “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” is yet another uninspiring adaptation of one of King’s lesser known (for good reason) stories. It has that same small-town-beset-by-mysterious-forces feel that typifies some of King’s better shorts, but it lacks any sense of purpose, or clear identity — something even more baffling considering it’s written and helmed by “The Blind Side” director John Lee Hancock.
Martell’s troubled teen is too mewling and too contrived to feel genuine, and a half-hearted attempt to posit the film as a commentary on technological overreliance is abandoned without any real effort. Sutherland seems to enjoy himself for the 30 minutes he’s in the movie, but “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” isn’t pacy or clever enough to be a gripping thriller, and it simply isn’t scary enough to be a horror. It’s hard to know exactly what this film was supposed to be, other than a Halloween cash-in, perhaps.
DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam has designed a collection with eyewear label Port Tanger.
Founded by Bilal Fellah and his creative partner Daniël Sumarna, the handcrafted eyewear line, which seeks inspiration from the Moroccan city of Tangier, has been spotted on everyone from US rapper ASAP Rocky to model Nora Attal.
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“(A) big thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the launch of my collection with @porttanger last night. I am (so) excited to share the rest of this amazing collection with you all,” 26-year-old Hammam wrote on Instagram, referring to a recent launch party held by the brand.
The collection is yet to be unveiled, but Hammam and her guests did flaunt a few pairs of sunglasses from the new line in a video uploaded to Instagram. If the video is anything to go by, fans can expect a throwback to 1990s fashion once the collection launches, with thick frames, blue-tinted lenses and oversized shapes galore.
“It felt really warm and the culture was rich. It felt really busy and family orientated. It was kind of a stark contrast compared to London every time I went, but it felt like home,” she revealed of what it is like to visit.
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“The difference I felt between a family environment in London and Morocco was that all of my family were in Morocco, so that’s how it was,” she added. “But when I went to Morocco it felt like a really big hug from everyone.”
Hammam has also shown love for her Arab roots in the past, and even starred in an Egypt-themed photoshoot for celebrity shoe designer Amina Muaddi this summer. The images, shared on Muaddi and Hammam’s Instagram accounts, were shot in Cairo and featured the model posing in a number of everyday locations, including sitting opposite an elderly man smoking shisha.
Hammam is one of the most in-demand models in the industry. She was scouted in Amsterdam’s Central Station before making her catwalk debut in 2013 by walking in Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture show.
Since then, she has appeared on the runway for major fashion houses such as Burberry, Fendi, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Balenciaga and Carolina Herrera, to name a few.
Hammam, who has been featured in leading fashion publications, such as Vogue and V Magazine, has also starred in international campaigns for DKNY, Celine, Chanel, Versace, Givenchy, Giorgio Armani and many more.
LONDON: The Super Muslim Comedy Tour, which platforms the “comedic superpowers of Muslims entertainers and their side-splitting performances,” is set to return to British stages with a tour that kicks off on Oct. 21, organizers have said.
Ten Muslim comedians, including Fathiya Saleh, Abdullah Afzal, Azeem Muhammad, Preacher Moss, Muhsin Yesilada, Farhan Solo, Atheer Yacoub, Salman Malik, and Prince Abdi are taking part again this year and performing live in 10 cities across the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, until Oct. 30.
He's the pioneer and O.G. of Muslim Comedy and the founder of “Allah Made Me Funny” - yes, that's right, it's your man Preacher Moss! He has an exclusive message for YOU! Book your tickets now to catch him on tour! Tickets are only £10 https://t.co/xtoEaJgku7 pic.twitter.com/TvQfo6fECX
The annual tour, now in its seventh year, and which received a prize at the 2022 British Muslim Awards, is organized by Penny Appeal, an international humanitarian charity working in more than 30 countries. The proceeds of this year’s tour will benefit people who have lost their livelihoods due to the recent Pakistan floods.
“The line-up of comedy styles and unique voices is guaranteed to bring laughter all night,” Penny Appeal said. “Acts range from Fathiya Saleh — a Londoner with Yemeni-Somali roots — to Atheer Yacoub, a Palestinian-American comedienne hailing from Alabama who has a half-hour special on Comedy Central Arabia, has been featured on AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live, (and) has also written for the Emmy award-winning channel BRIC TV on The Breakdown and Passport Control.”
Next up on our line-up is the sweetest soul with the finest comedy, Fathiya Saleh! Fathiya claims her mother is the funniest person she knows - a big shout out to mum! Drop an orange heart in the comments if you have a funny mama! BOOK NOW!https://t.co/xtoEaJgku7 pic.twitter.com/T4bQrDxZoo
Also flying in from the US is crowd-pleaser Azeem Muhammad, who uses comedy as a way of sharing his experience as a Muslim man in America and opening up about his conversion to Islam.
The tour’s co-founder, Yousaf Razaq, said the event is “a piece of entertainment that has filled a void and caters for the three million Muslims that are in the UK.
“It’s an environment where you can take a 5-year-old, you can take a 95-year-old, you can take your mum, your sister, your daughter, your auntie, go and have some fun as a family and literally just have a belly of laughs and in the process give money to charity,” he said.
Next up on the Super Muslim Comedy Tour line-up is the master of culture infused comedy, Salman Malik! He has a little message for you all! Don't delay, book your ticket TODAY!https://t.co/xtoEaJgku7 pic.twitter.com/IwDz63F1A7
PARIS: A concert fusing Saudi and Western music was performed on Friday in Paris by Saudi and French orchestras.
The “Masterpieces of Saudi Music” at the Theatre du Chatelet brought together 50 musicians from the International Philharmonic Orchestra of Paris and 25 musicians and 40 singers from the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir.
Both orchestras, led by conductor Emad Zari and under the direction of Amine Kouider, presented a joint musical show, performing a medley of Saudi folk songs in different traditional styles, such as Al-Majrour, Al-Mizmar, Al-Khabiti and Al-Samari, followed by a world premiere of the score “Jeddah,” composed by Italian Antonio Bernardi.
The Parisian audience was also treated to interpretations of arias from classic operas, including “O mio bambino caro” by Giacomo Puccini, “O sole mio” by Eduardo di Capua and Emanuele Alfredo Mazzucchi and “Addio, del passato” from Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata.”
The Saudi NOC has performed throughout the Kingdom and at festivals abroad, and the decision to bring the troupe to Paris was approved by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Sultan Al-Bazie, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Music, said: “The story began in Riyadh when the International Philharmonic Orchestra of Paris was invited to the Palais de la Culture in Riyadh to celebrate Europe Day, a cultural event organized in cooperation with the French Embassy and the Saudi Commission for Music under the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia.”
He continued: “On this occasion, my friend and maestro, Amine Kouider, with his creativity, was able to interpret pieces of classical music with using oriental instruments and Saudi rhythms.
“On the instruction of His Highness (Prince Badr), it was decided to deepen this experience and to carry it out in Paris. You will, ladies and gentlemen, discover a musical experience composed of Saudi songs and music as well as great French composers interpreted with Saudi instruments and rhythms,” he added.
* This article originally appeared on Arab News en Français, click here to read it.
DUBAI: British supermodel Naomi Campbell’s charitable organization Fashion for Relief has joined forces with Qatar Creates to launch a new global initiative called Emerge.
Through Emerge, the catwalk star will co-host a charity gala and fashion show to support creatives and business talents around the world, with a focus on Africa, the diaspora and developing communities around the world.
The event, held under the patronage of Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, sister of Qatar’s emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, will take place on Oct. 28 at Qatar’s Ceremonial Court.
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Emerge is expected to “create new apprenticeships, after-school programs and university programs focused on creative and alternative industries such as general education, fashion, technology, art, sustainable innovations and agriculture.”
Emerge will unfold in three main events leading to a grand couture show — the Art Exhibit, the Fashion Exhibit and Emerge Talk.
The Art Exhibit will highlight leading and acclaimed young artists. The Fashion Exhibit will showcase a selection of award-winning fashion designers from Africa, the diaspora and the Middle East, such as Thebe Magugu, Bianca Saunders and Abdel El-Tayeb.
The creative and business event, Emerge Talk, will bring leading professionals together to discuss the future of alternative industries after an opening conversation on the power of creativity in business between Campbell, Sheikha Al-Mayassa and New York-based artist, Kehinde Wiley.
CHENNAI: Decades later, World War I and II stories are as enthralling as ever — and “Amsterdam” is yet another title that offers its take on the inter-war years.
David O. Russell’s crime caper is set in the 1930s and earlier, when the war clouds were gathering over Europe.
Headlined by no less an actor than Christian Bale (in his third outing with Russell after “American Hustle” and “The Fighter”), the film catches your eye with a series of close-ups and long lens work, courtesy of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki.
As for the plot, Bale plays Dr. Berendsen, who, along with his friend Harold Woodsman (John David Washington), gets caught up in a bizarre conspiracy. The pair met in the trenches of WWI and formed a bond. Wounded on the battlefield, they meet an American nurse, Valerie (played by a compelling Margot Robbie), during their hospital stay. The trio become part of a story that unfolds on screen through flashbacks and love affairs.
Partly inspired by real historical events and people, it is based on the little-known 1933 “White House putsch” in which a set of wealthy businessmen conspired to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt and dupe a retired army general into leading their fascist veterans’ organization.
The rather wacky take on real-life events is set between Amsterdam and New York, where a young woman (played by pop superstar Taylor Swift) meets Berendsen and Woodsman. She is convinced that her father, a US Army general, was murdered and the mystery deepens when she is killed and the blame falls on our pair of protagonists. Their quest to clear their names is muddied with the introduction of a bizarre duo played by Oscar winner Rami Malek — who is hardly allowed to be on his best form — and Ana Taylor-Joy. Completing the all-star cast is Robert De Niro in the role of another army general.
Although most of the performances are great and “Amsterdam” looks spectacular on screen, it is not a film that will remain in one’s memory. It makes an attempt to touch on race relations, the concentration of wealth and fascism, but does not quite get there. All in all, it is a tad disappointing considering Russell is a five-time Oscar nominee — audiences may well expect a more thrilling, nuanced ride.