Alec Guinness

How John Le Carré changed television and paved the way for box-set culture

The drawn out style and meticulous character studies of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy initially confused some viewers, but today the 1979 adaptation couldn’t feel more relevant

Mark Lawson

15, Dec, 2020 @12:00 PM

The Ladykillers review – a comic crime caper that still kills

Sixty-five years later the classic from Ealing Studios is still subversive, hilarious and distinctly English

Peter Bradshaw

23, Oct, 2020 @12:00 PM

I've never seen ... Doctor Zhivago

Would David Lean’s epic Russian-revolution romance stir my heart or leave me stone-cold? Well, all the balalaikas set my teeth on edge from the start

Anne Billson

06, May, 2020 @9:00 AM

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 40 years on, the labyrinthine thriller is still TV caviar

The BBC adaptation of John Le Carré’s novel mystified a nation – but also featured one of the greatest performances ever delivered on the small screen

Paul MacInnes

05, Sep, 2019 @11:45 AM

Kind Hearts and Coronets review – the most elegant serial killer in history

The Ealing genre reached utter perfection with this superb black comedy of manners starring Dennis Price and a miraculous Alec Guinness

Peter Bradshaw

06, Jun, 2019 @10:53 AM

The Man in the White Suit to be adapted for West End

Sean Foley directs story of chemist who invents a fabric that never fades, angering mill owners

Mark Brown Arts correspondent

12, Apr, 2019 @5:00 AM

Top 10 books about growing old

While ageing can all too easily leave some frightened, the likes of Alec Guinness, Nora Ephron and Julian Barnes have produced wry and positive takes on old age

Christopher Matthew

13, Dec, 2017 @4:21 PM

Lawrence of Arabia review – David Lean's sandy epic still radiates greatness

Peter O’Toole’s impossibly charismatic debut performance remains a mesmeric marvel in this digitally restored version of a truly exhilarating feat of film-making

Peter Bradshaw

20, Sep, 2017 @3:00 PM

Why do our spies keep telling us everything? | David Mitchell

The alarming news that MI6 plans to recruit 1,000 more staff makes me hanker for the days when they just kept things to themselves

David Mitchell

25, Sep, 2016 @8:59 AM

Oscar Isaac surprises audience at Letters Live event in London

The actor made a guest appearance to read aloud correspondence from his Star Wars forebear Sir Alec Guinness

Kevin Rawlinson and agencies

14, Mar, 2016 @1:15 AM

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – your interactive cheat sheet

Worried you won’t know Captain Phasma from C-3PO? As the latest episode arrives in cinemas, here’s a handy guide to the deep mythology of the Star Wars universe – from new characters to old favourites

Produced by Ben Child, Chia-Jung (Apple) C.Fardel, Chris Newell, and Troy Griggs

14, Dec, 2015 @11:29 AM