‘Eden' Review: Twilight of the Europeans
He and his wife, Dore (Vanessa Kirby), who has multiple sclerosis, live in a rough and ready style, growing vegetables that are easy on the gums.
Richter sends prose accounts of his lifestyle to a German newspaper, which turns out to be not such a hot idea, because when the movie begins his solitude is compromised by the arrival of a starry-eyed fan, Heinz (Daniel Brühl), and Margret (Sydney Sweeney), Heinz's quiet wife.
If Friedrich and Dore aren't too taken with Heinz's schemes, the island's growing population is further rocked by the arrival of a self-styled Baroness, played with maximum glam-queen entitlement by Ana de Armas and complemented by a few not-too-handy boy toys. Her exaggerated German accent at times sounds a little like Madeline Kahn's in 'Blazing Saddles.'
There are erotic shenanigans galore, and as the tension mounts, harrowing acts of violence. It's a little surprising that these proceedings are led by the director Ron Howard, since this subject matter is more perverse than anything he has set his sights on before. The actors are up to the task, however. De Armas is particularly distinctive; she has a tight grip on her character's venality, but also revels in her absurdity.
EdenRated R for language, violence and sexuality. Running time: 2 hours 9 minutes. In theaters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Microsoft re-joins handheld gaming fight against Nintendo's Switch
The record launch in June for the Nintendo Switch 2, a game console that can be played at home or on the go, heralds a new portable race that Microsoft aims to win with a handheld version of its Xbox. Selling itself as the option for discerning, hardcore gamers, Microsoft's Xbox ROG Ally console is available to try for the hundreds of thousands of visitors at the Gamescom trade show in Cologne, Germany. The US tech giant said the devices would go on sale from October 16, but has yet to reveal the price. Born of a partnership with Taiwanese hardware heavyweight Asus, the handheld device includes a central screen with two side grips sporting the same array of joysticks, triggers and buttons as a familiar Xbox controller. "We're really designing and building around an entire ecosystem of devices, to allow people to play where they want, how they want," Jason Ronald, the Microsoft vice president who heads up console development, told reporters. Microsoft's console sales have declined and its Game Pass subscription service has yet to convince large numbers of players, pushing the world's biggest games publisher to seek new sources of growth. - Sights on Valve - At 5.8 million units sold in seven weeks, the Switch 2's mammoth launch figures have other industry players salivating. But "the Switch 2 has that unique thing of games that are nowhere else", locking in fans of beloved Nintendo franchises like Mario or Zelda, Rhys Elliott of the data firm Alinea Analytics told AFP. Microsoft's biggest competitor in the handheld arena is instead another American firm: Valve, which runs the Steam games platform and offers the Steam Deck portable device. Valve says sales of the device have reached several millions since its 2022 launch for the device, which aims at a different market from the Switch. Like the ROG Ally, the Steam Deck was conceived as an on-the-go alternative to a powerful gaming PC. With its portable, Microsoft is targeting "people that already own Xboxes and potentially a PC", said Christopher Dring, founder of the specialist website The Game Business. "The bigger goal of this is engagement," he added. "If you can get your players to play your games more, they will spend more" time and money on them even when away from the console in the living room. Elliott agreed that portables are "complementary" devices to existing consoles. - Sony on the sidelines - For now, Japan's Sony, maker of the PlayStation consoles, is staying out of the portable fight, having withdrawn after 2011's PlayStation Vita failed to match the success of the 2004-era PlayStation Portable, which scored 76 million sales. Sony never revealed sales figures for the Vita. But in late 2023 it dipped a toe back into the scene with a new PlayStation Portal, which incorporates a screen that lets users play games running on their console at home via internet streaming. With no official sales figures, some industry sources estimate around two million sales for the device. "Remote play still impacts a very small portion of the overall audience, but it's growing and is showing strong potential for the future," Mat Piscatella of the gaming data firm Circana has said. Gaming media is already abuzz with rumours about a portable version of a future PlayStation 6 -- though Sony's next-generation console is likely years away. kf/tgb/js
Cosmopolitan
2 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
‘One of her best yet': War is Sienna Miller's new legal thriller series full of double crossing and scandal
It's been a while since we've had a really good thrilling legal drama to sink our teeth into, but thankfully Sienna Miller and the team at HBO are finally answering our prayers with new series War. Also starring The Crown's Dominic West, War is all about two rival London legal firms who are battling head to head in the divorce case of the century. You can expect double crossing, betrayal and plenty of scandal. Curious to know more? This is everything to know about HBO's War. From the creator of Sky's Hijack George Kay, War is a brand new legal drama about two rival legal firms in London. The series opens with a "scandalous divorce case that sends shockwaves through boardrooms, bedrooms and courtrooms alike." And it will then "follow two of London's most prestigious rival firms — Cathcarts and Taylor & Byrne — as they go head-to-head in the divorce case of the century. Each side is certain they'll win. But as the case spirals and loyalties fracture, reputations are on the line, and everyone's playing to win," according to the series' official synopsis. Oh, and this is just the beginning, as the series has already been renewed for a second season, with the first expected to be "the first in an anthology of headline-making legal battles.' Leading the cast of War, is Dominic West as tech titan Morgan Henderson and starring alongside him as his estranged wife and actress Carla Duval is Sienna Miller. Also starring in the series are Phoebe Fox and James McArdle as Serena Byrne and Nicholas Taylor, who are partners in life and work as the leads of legal firm Taylor & Byrne. And then the rival firm Cathcarts will be lead by 'Her Majesty' Beatrice 'Queen Bea' Ubosi (played by Nina Sosanya) and St. John Smallwood (played by Pip Torrens). We'll also meet an ambitious lawyer by the name of Jonathan 'Johnny' Warren, who will be played by Archie Renaux. The HBO production will air on Sky and NOW here in the UK, but right now we don't have an exact air date from Sky as to when the show will air in the UK. So far all the channel has said is the series is in "production soon", so given it still hasn't been filmed we reckon we won't be seeing it for at least a year. Just enough time to brush up on our knowledge of legal jargon.
Elle
3 hours ago
- Elle
'War': Sienna Miller And Dominic West To Star In 'Scandalous' New Legal Thriller About Divorce
HBO and Sky have just confirmed a new "scandal-soaked" TV thriller that looks set to have us glued to our screens. A two-season order has officially been confirmed for War, a gripping legal drama starring Sienna Miller and Dominic West. Created by George Kay (the mind behind Lupin and Hijack) and directed by Ben Taylor (Sex Education), War promises high drama and cut-throat ambition, set against the backdrop of London's elite legal firms. The story follows a messy divorce between tech mogul Morgan Henderson (West) and his estranged wife Carla (Miller), who is an international film star. The breakdown of their marriage results in a multi-million-pound legal dispute, with two of 'London's most reputable legal firms' going head to head in the divorce battle – with each side convinced that they will win. For those of us that have a Rivals-shaped hole missing in our lives, you'll be glad to know that the drama extends far beyond the boardrooms and courtrooms, and also 'sends shockwaves through bedrooms' too, as the former couple's disintegrated relationship dismantles their respective trust of those around them. The official logline reads: 'As the case spirals and loyalties fracture, reputations are on the line, and everyone's playing to win.' Sky also confirmed that this is the first instalment in a new legal anthology, with each season focusing on a new headline-making legal battle. The first season will also star Phoebe Fox, James McArdle, Nina Sosanya, Pip Torrens and Archie Renaux. 'I am excited to be working with Sky and HBO – two homes for bold, ambitious storytelling – and our brilliant production team,' says creator and writer George Kay. 'War is a legal drama full of double crossing, scandal, twists and betrayal. The kind of TV show that made me want to write TV shows.' War is set to air on NOW via Sky in the UK. While there is no official release date yet, all eyes will be on this upcoming series. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
