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India Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Patience, Honour, and Heart: The Joe Root blueprint for lasting success
Joe Root must be a fan of The Devil's Advocate, a mind-bending film starring Al Pacino as this over-the-top yet thought-provoking exploration of morality, ambition, and temptation, Pacino delivers a chilling piece of advice to Kevin Lomax, Keanu Reeves as a young lawyer: 'No matter how good you are, don't ever let them see you coming.' Root, England's cricketing maestro, embodies this a world full of cricketing divas, nobody saw him coming till he, like a sprinter racing in an alternate track away from limelight, burst ahead of all, bar Sachin Tendulkar. On Friday, July 25, during the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, Root's 150-run masterclass saw him surpass Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, trailing only Tendulkar. With age and form on his side, Root is set to overhaul Tendulkar's Test yet, who would have thought just a few years ago Root would be ascending cricket's Mt Everest, the summit of batting?The Sudden Emergence of a Cricketing SupernovaRoot's rise to cricketing immortality was not a blaze of instant stardom but a quiet, smoldering glow that erupted into a supernova, catching the cricketing world off he debuted in 2012 against India in Nagpur, scoring a gritty 73 off 229 balls against a formidable spin attack, Root was a promising talent but not a pegged him as reliable, yet his early career lacked the flair of peers like Virat Kohli or Steve Smith. Before 2020, Root's 17 centuries in 89 Tests and a modest conversion rate placed him as the underdog among the Fab Four. Among his peers, Root was the quiet one, always in the shadow of Kohli's swagger, Smith's maverick mastery, and Kane Williamson's steel.'But post-2020, Root transformed, shedding the captaincy in 2022 to unleash his full potential under 'Bazball.' Since 2021, he has scored 5,586 runs in 60 Tests at an average of 56.42, with 21 centuries, converting over half his fifties into the race of cricket's Fab Four, Root is the veritable tortoise to the other hares, his steady, unassuming stride outlasting their early of the Fab FourWhile Kohli, Smith, and Williamson burst from the blocks with flamboyant brilliance. Kohli's brash charisma shone in his 2011 Test debut century, leading to high expectations, and his crowning as Tendulkar's heir. But his form faltered since 2020, with only five centuries in five years, and a sharp dip in the Test average. Kohli started failing against seam, and struggling against spin. After flickering for a few years, his candle flamed out, belying his early the unorthodox genius, racked up 9,685 runs in 109 Tests, his 32 centuries a hallmark of innovation, but he has looked a bit vulnerable in the last two years. Williamson, the steely technician, has 8,881 runs in 102 Tests. His consistency has been praised, but injuries and New Zealand's sparse Test schedule have slowed on the other hand, has transformed into a run machine in the second half of his career. His 150 at Old Trafford took him to 13,409 runs, surpassing Dravid (13,288), Kallis (13,289), and Ponting (13,378), leaving him 2,512 runs shy of Tendulkar's 15, English GentlemanOff the crease, Joe Root lives with a quiet humility that keeps him far from the limelight's glare. Born on December 30, 1990, in Sheffield, Root was nurtured in a cricket-mad family. His early days at Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club, under the shadow of Michael Vaughan, saw a shy talent emerge, earning a scholarship to Worksop College at 15 and shining at the 2005 Bunbury a boy, Root spent hours perfecting his cover drive in Yorkshire's gritty nets, often biking to practice with dreams bigger than his small frame from his youth paint a picture of shyness: teammates recall a teenage Root blushing when praised for a century, preferring to let his bat speak. Impressed, his friends and fans anointed him with prophetic nickname during his college days –FEC (Future England Captain) for his quiet non-controversial career reflects this reserve—unlike peers, he's avoided scandals, with his 2019 stand against homophobia, calmly telling Shannon Gabriel, 'There's nothing wrong with being gay,' showcasing principle over Honorable Foe And A FriendRoot's character, a blend of quiet resilience and profound sportsmanship, shines brightest in moments that transcend the July 14, 2025, during the third Test at Lord's, India's chase of 193 ended in heartbreak, falling 22 runs short when Shoaib Bashir dismissed Mohammed Siraj for 4 off 30 balls. Siraj, visibly shattered, slumped over his bat, the ball having spun back with cruel overspin to dislodge his leg the roaring Lord's crowd and England's jubilation, Root was the first to rush toward Siraj, his gesture a beacon of empathy in a match marked by fiery Siraj's earlier sledging—mocking Root's 'Bazball' with taunts of 'Baz, Baz, Bazball, I want to see' on Day 1 and venting frustration after a failed DRS appeal against Root on Day 4–the England legend set aside the on-field tension. He offered a firm handshake, a gentle pat on the back, and a quiet Multan in 2024, where he scored 262, Root quietly declined a celebratory wave to the crowd, preferring to share a private nod with Harry Brook, saluting their 454-run partnership as a testament to his team-first Root Teaches UsIn a game that so often idolises the spectacular and the brash, Root's journey reminds us that true greatness is forged in patience, humility, and the relentless pursuit of quiet resilience and unwavering commitment to the team underscore a deeper truth: in sport, as in life, it is not always the loudest or the fastest who reach the summit, but those who endure, who build others up, and who play with both honor and story stands as proof that, in a world chasing fleeting success and shallow fame amplified by hype, enduring greatness is built on character and substance.- EndsMust Watch
Daily Record
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
MOVIE REVIEW: We suffer frightening familiarity with horror 'The Ritual'
No emotional connection to cast and nothing on screen we haven't seen before in the possession-themed genre. Young (Dan Stevens' Father Joseph Steiger) and old (Al Pacino's Father Theophilus Riesinger) priests team up to save a possessed young girl (Abigail Cowen's Emma Schmidt) - so far, so The Exorcist. If only The Ritual was half as gripping, scary and engaging as that horror classic. Inexperienced director David Midell's film is set in 1928 but truthfully I kept forgetting this as there is so little separating it from dozens of other possession-themed outings. The main selling point of The Ritual for me was seeing Pacino make a mainstream comeback. Sadly, he looks and sounds worn out and bored - if you want to see what the legendary actor can really do in a religious horror flick check out his barnstorming turn in The Devil's Advocate instead. Midell co-wrote the script with Enrico Natale and it claims to be based on true events - 'one of the most documented possession cases in American history'. So little is done, though, to make you care about any of the characters and there is absolutely nothing here that we haven't seen on screen before. The most impressive thing about Midell's movie is that he attracted Pacino and Stevens to star in it. Stevens, in fairness, is the cast standout, with Father Steiger, having just suffered a personal tragedy, being conflicted with saving Emma and the drastic measures being taken to do so. As with any possession-afflicted victim on screen, Cowen's body is shaken and twisted from pillar to post but, as her plight is so familiar, the emotional connection just isn't there. Ashley Greene's ( Sister Rose) only purpose seems to be suffering physical abuse at the hands of Emma and all Patrick Fabian's ( Bishop Edwards) presence does is evoke memories of his role in the vastly superior The Last Exorcism. I really tried to give The Ritual the benefit of the doubt but as a horror fan who has been down this road so many times, I actually felt frustrated and fed up sitting through it. If you're new to the possession film world maybe give it a go; otherwise grab that holy water and crucifix to keep it at bay. ● Pop me an email at and I will pass on any movie or TV show recommendations you have to your fellow readers. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
Gizmodo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Charlize Theron's 6 Best Genre Roles
Charlize Theron can do any genre—she has an Oscar for playing a serial killer, and she gave a standout comedic performance on Arrested Development. She's also a gifted action star, as seen in her appearances in Atomic Blonde and the Fast & Furious movies, a series which skirts the edge of sci-fi. But you don't need to qualify anything when it comes to Theron's fondness for sci-fi and fantasy. With The Old Guard 2 coming to Netflix in July, and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey due next summer, she's still going strong—but here are Theron's most memorable sci-fi and fantasy roles so far, plus a few notable cameos too. The Devil's Advocate (1997) and The Astronaut's Wife (1999) Theron broke out in the late 1990s and was almost instantly playing leading roles—including a pair of wives forced to deal with supernaturally compromised spouses. In The Devil's Advocate (1997) she gets gaslit when she catches on that her attorney husband's new boss is, well, the ultimate bad guy; in The Astronaut's Wife (1999), she must deal with the similarly alarming revelation that her husband has returned from a space voyage with an alien lurking inside him. Both of those movies are centered around the male characters—Al Pacino's campy Satan in The Devil's Advocate is particularly legendary—but Theron still makes an impression while providing a sympathetic entry point for the audience. The Old Guard (2020) A few years after the letdown of 2005's Æon Flux, Theron made another go at superpowers in 2008's Hancock, playing a woman who's been secretly hiding her abilities until her long-lost partner, played by Will Smith, suddenly starts wrecking Los Angeles. It's entertaining but Theron is definitely the second banana. That's not the case in The Old Guard, whose ensemble cast is very much led by Theron as an ancient warrior tasked with regularly saving the world while grappling with the sudden loss of her immortality. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Obviously. If this list was ranked, Theron's fierce portrayal of Imperator Furiosa would be number one. It was nice to get a prequel filling in the character's backstory, played in a younger incarnation by Anya Taylor-Joy, but truthfully we didn't need it. Fury Road stands alone, and Theron is the main reason why. The Orville (2017) We love the Alien movies, even the occasionally impenetrable Prometheus (2012). But if we want to watch Theron in space, we're going straight to the season-one Orville episode 'Pria,' in which Theron guest-stars as a captain rescued from her floundering vessel. She's so distractingly gorgeous it takes everyone awhile to realize she's secretly got some very sinister designs on the titular ship. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) Casting Theron as the mystical evil queen in a rough-and-tumble retelling of the Snow White story is a brilliant idea; bringing her back for a sequel that leaves out Snow White (2015's The Huntsman: Winter's War) is still a good idea, even if the second movie wasn't as good. In 2022, she tapped back into that 'evil fantasy queen' vibe, with a little more arch humor, to play the Dean of the School for Evil in Netflix's The School for Good and Evil. Bonus cameos In 2009, Theron had a brief but searing role in The Road, playing a woman who chooses to end it all rather than face life in the post-apocalypse (you can't really blame her after you spend some time in that film's particular post-apocalypse). In 2022, she had shocking little moment in The Boys season three premiere, playing 'herself' portraying 'Nazi bitch' Stormfront in the show's in-universe blockbuster, Dawn of the Seven. But we must give it up for Theron's 'did that really happen?' appearance at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, also released in 2022. In the mid-credits scene, she appears as purple-clad sorceress Clea, a character only comic-book readers would immediately recognize, and beckons Doctor Strange into the Dark Dimension, telling him he needs to fix the 'incursion' he caused. Will Clea ever return, or is this a dangling thread that will remain tucked away in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Even the Sorcerer Supreme probably couldn't tell you at this point.
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
My parlor, myself
Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Yikes! If there's a lesson here, it's don't let journalists into your home. Or anyone else, for that matter. Advertisement But celebrity chaff simply cannot exercise self-restraint. Earlier this month, about three dozen New York eminentos such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Spike Lee invited The New Yorker to invade their living rooms, with predictable results: They In his living room hovering well above the Manhattan skyline, investor and philanthropist Alex Soros appeared bored with owning half the world. His fiancee, Huma Abedin, looked annoyed, and they aren't even married yet. The Rev. Al Sharpton posed near a portrait of himself; the Democrats' answer to Advertisement I was charmed to see the magazine's portrait of 'Anna (Delvey) Sorokin, con artist,' whom I mistakenly assumed was still in prison. Memorably portrayed by Julia Garner in the Netflix series ' doing what she does best — being fabulous. Last year lifestyle doyenne Martha Stewart suffered a similar unforced intrusion when she posted a photo of the redecorated living room at her Skylands estate in Seal Harbor, Maine. 'The lack of color is drab,' one commenter People can be so cruel! Circa 1997, Donald Trump allowed the production team of 'The Devil's Advocate' into his Manhattan apartment to shoot some scenes. (I learned this from director Tony Gilroy's 'If you look at the movie, that's his [expletive, expletive] apartment with all Versailles gilt and the high-rise windows. It's just so perfect.' Advertisement I don't believe Donald has yet offered a tour of the living quarters of the Trump White House. In the highly unlikely event that I were to invite you or anyone else into my living room, there wouldn't be much to see: some family photos, a few miniature Viking ships from God knows where, a piece of Inuit art from too close a friend for regifting. A visit to my 'study' — no, you're not invited there, either — would yield up a bit more information, e.g., a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) battle flag, a clip from The Onion ('Wife Always Dragging Husband Into Her Marital Problems'), an original cartoon by Paul Szep depicting former congressman You would have to be there. But I can assure you, you won't be. Alex Beam's column appears regularly in the Globe. Follow him
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Andor season 2: The political Star Wars thriller makes a return
Andor 2 Disney+ ★★★★★ In 2022, the first season of Andor made a great impression on critics and Star Wars fan s b y doing something no one believed was possible – in the story of the Rebel Alliance versus the evil Empire, the science-fiction series uncovered a gripping political thriller. Showrunner and writer Tony Gilroy specialises in stories of men seduced into the arms of a corrupt regime, who later use their insider knowledge to topple the system, as seen in his screenplays for the legal thrillers The Devil's Advocate (1997), Michael Clayton (2007) and the first three Bourne spy films (2002 to 2007). Set five years before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), the prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), the series follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he moves from apolitical cynic to becoming the determined intelligence officer seen in Rogue One. In the early episodes, he, like many of Gilroy's heroes, is complacent. He is a thief, living only for himself and his adoptive mother Maarva (Fiona Shaw). A brush with the brutality of imperial rule shakes him, so that by the end of the first season, he is a man with nothing to lose, ready to be recruited into the rebel cause. The show's second and final season premieres on Disney+ on April 23. Here are three reasons to watch it. Villains who see themselves as the good guys Andor answers the question of how Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine can run an empire from their desks. Regimes may be founded on ideology or a cult of personality, but cannot thrive without a civil service. Empires persist because middle managers and desk jockeys keep trying to hit monthly quotas. The imperial civil service, in all its sprawling, cubicle-packed glory, is where former security officer Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) finds himself in Season 1. From here, he must ascend the ranks by being more thorough and ruthless than the next guy. Characters like Karn and imperial security officer Dedra (Denise Gough) – a highly intelligent woman who has to be twice as tough as her male colleagues to be viewed as an equal – are layered and believable. In Season 2, in a sly twist, viewers might even find themselves rooting for Syril and Dedra. After all, they are two people trying to live their best lives, who happen to own fascist jackboots. Competent evil versus incompetent good The squabbling side of the Rebel Alliance is highlighted. In real life, rebel militias often burn out through infighting and mutual mistrust long before they can make a dent in the central government. In the Star Wars movies, being reckless and spirited are the reasons the rebels succeed; in Andor, it is why they fail. In another of the show's nods to real politics, the few competent rebels are those from the ruling class, such as the aristocratic Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly, reprising her role from Rogue One) and wealthy antiques dealer Luthen (Stellan Skarsgard). Luthen casually sends his people to their deaths – in war, clean hands on either side are a fantasy. It is not afraid to get political There are so many references to the current state of affairs that the show can be said to be the D isney+ streaming service's closest thing to political critique . In Season 1, Andor is a smug centrist who believes the imperial forces will bother only certain groups. As long as he blends into the majority, he will be safe. That theory is shattered in one blackly comic encounter with security forces, who could not care less about his identity or his crimes. All they are interested in is rounding up the politically powerless for the prison labour force. In Season 2, the allusions to present-day headlines are more stark. The empire, as represented by weapons director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), is desperate for a resource grab through military action, but baulks at being seen as the aggressor. What do Darth Vader's people do? They bring in marketing experts to teach officers how to poison galactic opinion against the natives they are about to destroy. The Sith Lord would approve. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
