‘The Penguin Lessons' offers accidental lessons of its own
The British do cozy cinematic whimsy like few others, and Peter Cattaneo has directed more than his share, starting with 'The Full Monty' in 1997 and sloping off gently from there. His latest, 'The Penguin Lessons,' shares with his 2019 drama 'Military Wives' the challenge of fashioning an uplifting, audience-friendly silk purse out of the sow's ear of the world's political complexities. When it works, it works, but in the new film it doesn't work as often as it needs to.
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Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Pro-Palestinian Irish rap group plays for big U.K. crowd despite criticism, terrorism charge
PILTON, England — Irish-language rap group Kneecap gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans on Saturday at the Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by British politicians and a terrorism charge against one of the trio. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O'Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August. 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man!' O hAnnaidh shouted as Kneecap took the stage at Glastonbury's West Holts field, which holds about 30,000 people. Dozens of Palestinian flags flew in the capacity crowd as the show opened with an audio montage of news clips referring to the band's critics and legal woes. Between high-energy numbers that had fans forming a large mosh pit, the band members led the audience in chants of 'Free Palestine' and 'Free Mo Chara.' They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn't think it was 'appropriate' for Kneecap to play Glastonbury. The trio thanked festival organizers Michael and Emily Eavis for resisting pressure to cancel Kneecap's gig and gave a shout-out to Palestine Action, a protest group that the British government plans to ban under terrorism laws after its members vandalized planes on a Royal Air Force base. The Belfast trio is known for anarchic energy, satirical lyrics and use of symbolism associated with the Irish republican movement, which seeks to unite Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., with the Republic of Ireland. More than 3,600 people were killed during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland involving Irish republican militants, pro-British Loyalist militias and the U.K. security forces. Kneecap takes its name from a brutal punishment — shooting in the leg — that was dealt out by paramilitary groups to informers and drug dealers. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting, 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah,' and calling on people to kill lawmakers. Members of the group say they don't support Hezbollah or Hamas, nor condone violence, and O hAnnaidh says he picked up a flag that was thrown onto the stage without knowing what it represented. Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in the Gaza Strip. A performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April — where the band accused Israel, with U.S. support, of committing genocide against the Palestinians — sparked calls for the group members' U.S. visas to be revoked. Several Kneecap gigs have since been canceled as a result of the controversy. The BBC, which airs many hours of Glastonbury performances, didn't show Kneecap's set live, but said it would 'look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms' afterward. About 200,000 ticket holders have gathered at Worthy Farm in southwest England for Britain's most prestigious summer music festival, which features almost 4,000 performers on 120 stages. Headline acts performing over three days ending Sunday include Neil Young, Charli XCX, Rod Stewart, Busta Rhymes, Olivia Rodrigo and Doechii. Glastonbury highlights Friday included a performance from U.K. rockers the 1975, an unannounced set by New Zealand singer Lorde, a raucous reception for Alanis Morissette and an emotional return for Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, two years after he took a break from touring to adjust to the effect of the neurological condition Tourette syndrome. Dixon writes for the Associated Press.
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Irish rap group Kneecap plays for a big Glastonbury crowd despite criticism
PILTON, England (AP) — Irish-language rap group Kneecap gave an impassioned performance for tens of thousands of fans on Saturday at the Glastonbury Festival despite criticism by British politicians and a terror charge for one of the trio. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged under the Terrorism Act with supporting a proscribed organization for allegedly waving a Hezbollah flag at a concert in London in November. The rapper, who was charged under the anglicized version of his name, Liam O'Hanna, is on unconditional bail before a further court hearing in August. 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man!' Ó hAnnaidh shouted as Kneecap took the stage at Glastonbury's West Holts field, which holds about 30,000 people. Dozens of Palestinian flags flew in the capacity crowd as the show opened with an audio montage of news clips referring to the band's critics and legal woes. Between high-energy numbers that had fans forming a large mosh pit, the band members led the audience in chants of 'Free Palestine' and 'Free Mo Chara.' They also aimed an expletive-laden chant at U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has said he didn't think it was 'appropriate' for Kneecap to play Glastonbury. The trio thanked festival organizers Michael and Emily Eavis for resisting pressure to cancel Kneecap's gig and gave a shoutout to Palestine Action , a protest group that the British government plans to ban under terrorism laws after its members vandalized planes on a Royal Air Force base. The Belfast trio is known for anarchic energy, satirical lyrics and use of symbolism associated with the Irish republican movement, which seeks to unite Northern Ireland, currently part of the U.K., with the Republic of Ireland. More than 3,600 people were killed during three decades of violence in Northern Ireland involving Irish republican militants, pro-British Loyalist militias and the U.K. security forces. Kneecap takes its name from a brutal punishment — shooting in the leg — that was dealt out by paramilitary groups to informers and drug dealers. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references, and for political statements, especially since videos emerged allegedly showing the band shouting 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' and calling on people to kill lawmakers. Members of the group say they don't support Hezbollah or Hamas, nor condone violence, and Ó hAnnaidh says he picked up a flag that was thrown onto the stage without knowing what it represented. Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza . A performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April, where the band accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians, enabled by the U.S. government, sparked calls for the rappers' U.S. visas to be revoked. Several Kneecap gigs have since been canceled as a result of the controversy. The BBC, which airs many hours of Glastonbury performances, didn't show Kneecap's set live, but said it would 'look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms' afterward. About 200,000 ticket holders have gathered at Worthy Farm in southwest England for Britain's most prestigious summer music festival, which features almost 4,000 performers on 120 stages. Headline acts performing over three days ending Sunday include Neil Young, Charli XCX, Rod Stewart, Busta Rhymes, Olivia Rodrigo and Doechii. Glastonbury highlights on Friday included a performance from U.K. rockers The 1975, an unannounced set by New Zealand singer Lorde, a raucous reception for Gen X icon Alanis Morissette and an emotional return for Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi , two years after he took a break from touring to adjust to the impact of the neurological condition Tourette syndrome.
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
How to watch Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025: live stream electropop icon online for FREE
Charli XCX might be headlining The Other Stage rather than the Pyramid but make no mistake, as the biggest British artist on the planet right now, she's Glastonbury 2025's star attraction. You can watch Charli XCX at Glastonbury live streams from anywhere with a VPN and for FREE. Charli XCX's Glastonbury 2025 set takes place on Saturday, June 28.► Start time: 10:30 p.m. BST / 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 a.m. AEST (Sun.)• FREE STREAM — BBC iPlayer (U.K.)• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free The timing of Brat's release led to the extraordinary sight of the hottest artist at last year's festival being confined to the tiny Levels stage. One year on, we can't believe she isn't right at the top of the billing. The BBC is believed to have had a major say in the decision, though a dispute between the broadcaster and Neil Young — whose headline set takes place at the same time — means it's ended up having to televise Charli XCX after all, instead of the folk legend. It's a mess worthy of Brat. Again, timing prevented Brat from really taking Glastonbury by storm last year. While Charli XCX busted out a handful of tracks from the album, including "Von Dutch" and "Talk Talk", mega-hits "Apple", "360" and "Sympathy Is a Knife" were held in reserve. The electrop phenomenon's setlist is, of course, being kept under wraps, but her recent performances suggest she'll draw mainly from her newer material. However, 2012 banger "I Love It" remains her signature closer. Strap in for a slime green all-out assault on the senses. Below are all the details you need to watch Charli XCX and live stream Glastonbury 2025 for FREE and from anywhere. Charli XCX's set is one of only a select few that will be televised live. It will be shown on free-to-air BBC One, with dedicated coverage beginning at 10:30 p.m. BST. However, we'd recommend tuning in on BBC iPlayer instead, as the platform will be live streaming all of the build-up, including Deftones' warmup set. As well as laptops, the service also has apps for smartphones, tablets and a wide range of streaming devices. Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Charli XCX at Glastonbury 2025 as if you were back home. NordVPN is our top pick of the options and we'll show you how to access it below. Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the Charli XCX set on your usual subscription? You can still tune into the Other Stage headliner and all other Glastonbury coverage live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear as if they're back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market: NordVPN deal: FREE $50 / £50 Amazon gift card Boasting lightning fast speeds, great features, streaming power, and class-leading security, NordVPN is our #1 VPN. ✅ FREE Amazon gift card worth up to $50/£50✅ 4 months extra FREE!✅ 76% off usual price Use Nord to unblock BBC iPlayer and watch Glastonbury live online with our exclusive deal. Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.K. but want to view BBC iPlayer as usual, you'd select a U.K. server from the list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head over to BBC iPlayer and enjoy! The Glastonbury Festival is only shown in the U.K., so you won't find Charli XCX's Glastonbury set in any international listings. There's good news if you're currently on holiday in the U.S., Australia or Canada from the U.K., however. You can download one of the best VPN services and tap into your FREE home coverage of Glastonbury 2025 through BBC iPlayer. We recommend NordVPN. Or if you're content only to listen to Charli XCX's set, you can do so via the BBC's 'pop-up radio station' BBC Radio Glastonbury via BBC Sounds on web browsers. Pyramid Stage The Other Stage West Holts Stage Woodsies Park Stage Acoustic Stage Avalon Stage We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
