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‘The King’s Man’ can’t find the right tone

Lindsey Bahr

AP – There are distinct pleasures to be had in watching Ralph Fiennes play the lead in an action franchise at this stage in his career.

For as fun as he is as erudite bon vivants, scoundrels and snobs, you always leave wanting more M Gustav, more Laurence Laurentz, more Harry Hawkes.

In that spirit, The King’s Man, a prequel to Matthew Vaughn’s irreverent Kingsman series, provides a definite service, and Fiennes is as charming as ever.

But it’s also hard not to wish he had a better movie than this to exhibit both his singular charisma and combat skills.

The King’s Man, which jumps back in time to World War I to the early days of the bespoke spy agency, is an improvement to the last Kingsman movie, which among other deranged choices had Julianne Moore feed someone a burger made of human flesh that she ground and grilled herself.

This one is decidedly quainter than that, but it’s still a Kingsman movie – manic, cheeky and vulgar- and it’s not going to sell anyone who wasn’t already on board.

A scene from the ‘The King’s Man’. PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST
Harris Dickinson (L) as Conrad and Ralph Fiennes as Oxford in ‘The King’s Man’. PHOTO: AP

The King’s Man also has the uneasy tension of its real historical context which the film wants to use for both sincere emotional beats and fodder for irreverence.

At its heart, this is an origin story about a fictional spy agency that blames WWI and 20 million deaths on an embittered Scottish cashmere farmer.

But this mysterious man, who is seen only in shadows until a big reveal at the end, is played like an angrier and more sadistic but no less ridiculous Fat from the movie Austin Power. And he is able to manipulate world leaders (Tom Hollander plays King George, Kaiser Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas) with his sphere of influence that includes Rasputin (Rhys Ifans), Erik Jan Hanussen (Daniel Bruhl), Mata Hari (Valerie Pachner) and Gavrilo Princip (Joel Basman).

Fiennes, who also executive produced, plays the Duke of Oxford who we’re introduced to as his wife is gunned down in front of him and his young son during the Boer War. He returns to England with one mission: To protect his son Conrad.

A few years pass and Conrad has grown into a dashing and patriotic lad, played with admirable dignity by Harris Dickinson, who wants nothing more than to join the army.

Fearing the front lines, the Duke tries to convince Conrad to join his little spy group composed of himself and two domestic servants, Polly (Gemma Arterton) and Shola (Djimon Hounsou), and manipulate world politics behind the scenes.

After almost preventing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, their first adventure as a foursome involves going to Russia to either sell Rasputin on entering the war or kill him.

The whole sequence is jaw-droppingly perverse as they try to lure Rasputin, who Ifans plays like a madcap cartoon rock star, with Conrad and poisoned baked goods that he promptly expels with grotesque theatricality.

In true Kingsman fashion, this also includes Rasputin dancing his way through a fight set to the 1812 Overture.

Subtlety is not in their vocabulary, so some whiplash is to be expected when the film suddenly turns into a war drama, and then back to absurdity again.

At a certain point, it becomes clear that not only is The King’s Man a tonal mess, it’s also just a set-up for a movie with an even more enticing cast that’ll leave you feeling even more conflicted.

But you have to admire a modern franchise that has an appreciation of bespoke tailoring as a core principle. If only The Kingsman movies didn’t also hold such juvenile humour in equally high esteem.

Quick and easy one-pan pizza broccoli

Ann Maloney

THE WASHINGTON POST – This week, you may be tempted to write me a note along the lines of, hey, just putting the word pizza in front of something doesn’t make it pizza.

That’s fair enough, but as a colleague noted, this Pizza broccoli recipe from food writer and editor Dawn Perry was devoured by her family, including her six-year-old.

She urged me to make it. I did and I was sold on the recipe and, subsequently, Perry’s new cookbook, Ready, Set, Cook.

If de-stressing or simplifying your life is one of your 2022 resolutions, then Perry’s dinner-making philosophy of stocking your pantry and refrigerator with food you really like and then making dinner with what’s on hand might be one key to success.

Yes, it may seem obvious, but truly putting this into practice takes, well, practice.

“Pantry cooking isn’t just a hook for this book – it’s how I cook in real life,” wrote Perry, who has two small children and a career. She empathises with busy folks and those without access to specialty markets (or equipment).

Pizza broccoli. PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST

Economy and cutting waste are top of mind with her, as well.

As I read through Perry’s cookbook, I was inspired to adopt some of her recommendations for setting myself up for success. I started, as she recommended, with an assessment of my cabinets, refrigerator and freezer contents.

I checked the labels and dates on everything. We finished off that frozen squash soup and chili, grilled the various chicken thighs, chops and sausages.

We quick-pickled fresh peppers in the crisper and made Perry’s Any Vegetable Fritters with some sad carrots and squash. I made hummus from a few of the six (six!, how’d that happen?) cans of garbanzo beans.

That meant a couple of weeks of eating with minimal cooking and shopping.

Best of all, by the end, I had space to smartly restock, and I truly knew what I had on hand. Goal!

One other bit of advice from Perry: If you bought boxed or canned food that, if you’re honest, you’ll never eat it, donate it to a food bank or give it to a friend – don’t let it expire or spoil.

Her advice for restocking and reorganising covers common staples of oils, vinegars and flours, but she also recommends long-lasting flavour boosters, such as miso, kimchi and sauerkraut and shelf-stable coconut milk and tinned fish. If you’re starting from scratch, her basic equipment list is spot on, too.

The cookbook is then loaded with more than 125 adaptable dishes that require few fresh ingredients. Most are ready in about 30 minutes. They include great toast ideas, soups and salads, as well as more than a few one-pan dishes.

Take this pizza broccoli: I had to buy broccoli, the fresh mozzarella and, the optional but desired-by-me, fresh basil. The rest of the ingredients I had on hand: oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, onion and a can of whole peeled tomatoes. Bonus: All of the fresh ingredients were used in this recipe.

I actually enjoyed the process of making this. Searing the broccoli until it had a golden crust on both sides was a great tip, giving the dish a nice smoky flavour and texture.

I loved crushing the whole tomatoes over the skillet with my hands. (No making a sauce.) It’s finished in the oven, so you get the great melty cheese on top.

Missing the crisped pizza dough? Perry recommended serving this with your favourite crusty bread. (Try toasted pita, too). What, no sausage? She advises carnivores to start the dish by removing a link or two of fresh sausage from its casing, frying it up and then searing your broccoli in the rendered fat.

In other words, make it your own, just as you would with pizza.

“I don’t know if this recipe came to me in a fever dream or a divine vision. All I know is one day I saw it, complete, and had to make it as soon as possible,” Perry wrote of the dish.

Here’s my theory about why it sprung whole from her subconscious: Practice. Practice.

Practice. Yes, Perry is a food writer, but she has also set herself up for success by training herself to think simply and deliciously and preparing her kitchen to make it a reality.

I’m betting that with a little practice and preparation, I can tone that cooking-from-the-pantry muscle. I’ve resolved to try to do just that in 2022.

PIZZA BROCCOLI

If you love pizza, but want something a little lighter, this vegetable-forward, pantry-friendly dish is worth a try.

The recipe is from Ready, Set, Cook by Dawn Perry, who also recommended making it with cauliflower florets.

If you want a meaty version, try adding sausage removed from its casing and fried.

Use the sausage drippings, adding oil as needed, to cook the vegetables and then proceed with the recipe, adding the sausage just before the tomatoes.

Storage Notes: Refrigerate leftovers for up to three days.

INGREDIENTS

– Six tablespoons olive oil, divided
– One white or yellow onion or two shallots thinly sliced
– Half teaspoon fine salt, divided
– Freshly ground black pepper
– One bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into spears
– One can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
– Half teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
– Eight ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
– Torn fresh basil leaves (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat two tablespoons of the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, season with quarter teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion starts to darken at the edges, about six minutes.

Transfer to a plate.

Add two tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Add half the broccoli and cook, flipping once, until browned on two sides, about four minutes per side.

Transfer to the plate with the onion, and repeat with the remaining oil and broccoli.

Season the vegetables with the remaining salt.

Return the cooked vegetables to the skillet, and use your hands to crush the tomatoes over the top. Season with several grinds of black pepper and the red pepper flakes, if using. Top with the mozzarella and transfer to the oven.

Roast for eight to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the broccoli is just tender.

Set the oven to broil. Carefully raise the rack five or six inches away from the broiling element and return the skillet to the oven. Broil for one to two minutes, or until nicely browned. (If your broiler is on the bottom, transfer the baking dish to the broiler drawer).

Let the dish cool for one to two minutes, then top with the basil, if using, and serve.

China, Singapore bourses to develop cross-border ETF link

SHANGHAI (CNA) – China’s Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Singapore Exchange (SGX) have committed to setting up a cross-border link for exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the bourses said, a move designed to open up a wider range of investment options on both sides.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the link, the two exchanges will jointly develop and promote ETF markets in Singapore and China through cross-border investments, the bourses said in separate statements late on Tuesday.

The MoU represents the latest step by China to open its capital markets. Earlier this month, China and Hong Kong bourses agreed to add ETFs to their stock connect schemes, and China’s securities regulator announced plans to broaden the Shanghai-London Stock Connect to include capital markets in Germany and Switzerland.

“The strong demand for ETFs in Asia underscores the region’s growing role as a global ETF hub and we are excited about the manifold opportunities that this partnership could bring,” Chief Executive Officer of SGX Loh Boon Chye said in the statement.

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Shenzhen exchange Sha Yan said the agreement will provide investors in China and Singapore with diversified, cross-border opportunities.

As at end November, Singapore-listed ETFs exceeded SGD12 billion (USD8.86 billion) in assets, up nearly 50 per cent from a year earlier, SGX said. The Shenzhen Stock Exchange currently lists 212 ETFs with a combined market capitalisation of USD39 billion.

Photo shows share prices at Shenzhen Stock Exchange in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province. PHOTO: CNA

Amid record infections, France ups pressure on unvaccinated

PARIS (AP) – France’s government is forging ahead with efforts to increase pressure on unvaccinated people to get coronavirus jabs, as the Omicron variant fuels a record surge in infections.

At a Parliamentary hearing, the Health Minister defended a government plan to allow only the fully vaccinated to enjoy continued access to places such as restaurants, cinemas, theatres, museums, and sports arenas.

The speeded-up introduction of the so-called “vaccine pass” forms part of a government strategy to use vaccinations, rather than new lockdowns, to try to soften the impact of the fast-spreading Omicron variant on already overburdened hospitals.

France reported nearly 180,000 new cases of COVID-19 infection on Tuesday, a record, and is bracing for that number to keep increasing, with forecasts warning of more than 250,000 daily infections likely by January. France has vaccinated more than 75 per cent of its population but more than four million adults remain unvaccinated.

The government wants the vaccine pass to be in place by mid-January. Its introduction will mean that unvaccinated people will no longer be able to use negative test results to access places where the pass is required.

Chelsea legend Terry returns to club in consultancy role

LONDON (AFP) – Former Chelsea captain John Terry is returning to the club where he won 17 trophies including five Premier League titles and the Champions League in a coaching consultancy role at their Academy.

“I’m delighted to announce that I’m coming home, and have taken up a consultancy role at ChelseaFC academy,” the 41-year-old former defender said on social media. “As well as delivering on field coaching sessions I will be involved in coaching discussions and mentoring our academy players.”

“The Blues legend will work with our young players and coaching staff in our youth development programme, sharing the vast experience gained from his 20-year playing career and recent spell as assistant coach at Aston Villa,” the club said in a statement on its website.

Euro banknote artist fears redesign could revive rivalries

FRANKFURT (AFP) – Twenty years after arriving in Europeans’ wallets, euro banknotes will get a new look with help from the public, a process officials hope will make citizens feel closer to the single currency.

But the Austrian artist behind the original banknotes fears the redesign could spark national rivalries, something he painstakingly tried to avoid with neutral illustrations the first time around.

Now retired, Robert Kalina was working as a graphic designer for the Austrian National Bank when he won a competition in 1996 to create the artwork for the first-ever euro notes.

“It’s incredible to think that the euro is already 20 years old, I hope it stays around for a long time to come,” he told AFP.

Kalina’s designs were initially printed on 14.5 billion banknotes in denominations ranging from five to 500 euros.

The bills in circulation have since almost doubled in volume and found their way into the hands of some 350 million Europeans and many more people around the world.

Euro coins, which are minted by euro members, have a shared image on one side and a country-specific one the other. Ireland for instance opted for a harp, France for a tree.

But euro banknotes are issued by the European Central Bank (ECB), and their designs had to be identical across the euro region and avoid “national bias”.

The challenge for Kalina was coming up with illustrations all Europeans could identify with, without stirring nationalist sentiments or appearing to favour one eurozone nation over another.

“Portraits might have been allowed, but only if the faces were anonymous. I excluded that option right away,” Kalina said.

He decided to focus on architecture.

Drawing on inspiration from existing buildings, Kalina simplified and reworked their depictions with the help of engineering experts, to ensure the structures “were no longer recognisable” but still believable.

His bridge designs, showcasing different historical styles in Europe, symbolise the connection between eurozone citizens, “but also between the European Union (EU) and the rest of the world”.

The windows and doorways on the other side of the notes stand for “openness and a vision of the future”.

Despite the numerous crises that have rocked the currency since its birth, Kalina said the ideals he sought to portray are “still valid”.

But earlier this month, the ECB said the bills were ready for a makeover, announcing a design and consultation process with a decision expected in 2024.

“After 20 years, it’s time to review the look of our banknotes to make them more relatable to Europeans of all ages and backgrounds,” said ECB president Christine Lagarde.

Euro banknotes are “here to stay”, she said, although the ECB is also considering creating a digital euro in step with other central banks around the globe.

The ECB will rely on a 19-person panel of experts for the banknote design – one from each euro nation – and consult the public along the way.

“The question is whether people have come far enough to accept, for example, famous people being represented”, even if they are linked to a particular country, Kalina said.

“Might it perhaps cause jealousy?” he asked, recalling heated debates on the issue in the 1990s.

The world of music might be a good place to look for inspiration for the next generation of notes, Kalina mused, since “great composers like Beethoven or Mozart can’t be reduced to a single country”.

Music “is a language that doesn’t require words and one that everyone can understand,” he said.

Woman gives birth in car hours after hospital told her to go home

THE STAR – A woman had to deliver her baby in the car when she could not reach a public hospital in time – apparently just hours after being sent home from one despite her protests.

According to a post on the PenangKu Viral Facebook page, the woman ended up at a private hospital after giving birth.

The post claimed that the woman’s husband was now upset at having to pay for the “unexpected” hospital bill.

He blamed a public hospital for turning his wife away earlier. The time of the incident was recorded but there was no mention of the day on which it occurred.

The woman, from Sungai Ara, had reportedly checked into the hospital on the mainland at 11am after there were signs that labour was imminent.

At 12.30pm, a doctor came to check on the woman and found that her cervix was only dilated to two centimetres.

Some three hours later, according to the post, the woman was asked to go home as she was told that it would be some time before she could go into labour.

It was then that the woman pleaded with the hospital to let her stay, saying she was living in Sungai Ara, which is far away.

However, her pleas were allegedly ignored.

Shortly after reaching home, the woman told her husband she needed to be rushed to hospital again at about 7pm.

Travel times to public hospitals ranged from 50 minutes to one hour and 20 minutes at that time, owing to peak-hour traffic.

The woman ended up delivering her baby in the car before her husband took her to the nearest private hospital.

A Penang Health Department spokesman said the department would come up with a report after completing its investigation.

He said the report would be forwarded to the Health Ministry.

Omicron under control in Brunei

Fadley Faisal

There is no cause for panic on the spread of Omicron variant in Brunei Darussalam as it is under control.

This was reiterated by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar during the daily press conference yesterday.

The minister added that among the eight Omicron cases in the Sultanate, six show no symptoms after suffering similar symptoms to getting Delta variant for about two or three days.

The other two cases have mild symptoms such as coughs.

Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham said they are being monitored despite them being under no serious threats.

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Omicron under control in Brunei

There is no cause for panic on the spread of Omicron variant in Brunei Darussalam as it is under control. This was reiterated by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar during the daily press conference yesterday. More details in Thursday’s Borneo Bulletin.

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Borneo Bulletin is the leading English daily in the country. It was first published by Brunei Press. Today, Borneo Bulletin has become the foremost source of information on local and foreign affairs, and the region’s business news.

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