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Nicole Kidman in The Paperboy

Cultural highlights from the week, including Nicole Kidman's much-praised role in Lee Daniels' film The Paperboy and a funny and moving debut novel from Kevin Maher, The Fields.

Lee Daniels' film The Paperboy has attracted praise and boos in equal measure - the latter when it was shown at Cannes. It's a steamy Southern thriller with powerful performances from Nicole Kidman and John Cusack.

Kevin Maher's debut novel The Fields has already - inevitably - led to comparisons with Roddy Doyle. It's a darkly funny account of growing up in 80s Dublin and attracting attention - some desirable, some not so.

George Bellows is best known for his paintings of boxers but he also has a reputation for capturing the lives of all sorts of ordinary New Yorkers about their business or leisure: diving into the polluted East River or standing at the shore edge waiting for work. The first retrospective of his work in this country has just opened at the Royal Academy in London.

A Thousand Miles of History is a new play on at the Bussey Building in Peckham, South London. It's a portrait of the lives of Jean Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring and the circle of Andy Warhol - who's played in this production by comedian Adam Riches.

And In the Flesh is a new drama from 91热爆3 in which zombies rise... and then are rehabilitated into society. But is society ready for them? And will this satisfy those mourning Being Human? Luke Newberry and Ricky Tomlinson star.

The writer and broadcaster Bidisha, and novelists Deborah Moggach and Dreda Say Mitchell join Tom Sutcliffe to review.

Producer: Sarah Johnson.

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45 minutes

Broadcast

  • Sat 16 Mar 2013 19:15

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