Film: The Eye of the Storm

Australian filmmaker Fred Schepisi is a sturdy helmsman for this tale of family dysfunction, resentment and longed-for, hard-fought inheritance. One of the prized offerings at last autumn’s Australian Film Festival finally making its big screen bow over here, The Eye Of The Storm is both mature and sombre.

Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis are grown up children who return to attend their monied dying mother Elizabeth’s (Charlotte Rampling) last days, not so much to share her final earthly moments, reminisce and share pleasantries, but to ensure their varying estrangement does not deprive them of their inheritance. 

Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis | 15 | 119mins | Out May 3 

Film: Dead Man Down

Director of the original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo movie, Niels Arden Oplev, reteams with Noomi Rapace for his first US flick, with Colin Farrell and Terrence Howard joining the cast.

A neo-noir about revenge, murder and all kinds of yucky-ugly business that involves explosions, guns and double crosses. So, all the pedigree there for quite a pulpy thriller. 

Starring: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace | 15 | 117mins |  On general release May 3

Film: I’m So Excited

Celebrated Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar returns with his 17th movie, a “light, very light” comedy, he says, that’s set almost entirely on a plane.

At 40,000ft, the passengers – and air stewards – drink, fuck and overdose on mescaline. It even has a couple of cameos from former Almodovar alumni to have made it in Hollywood, including Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz. 

On general release May 3 

Theatre: Doktor Glas

A one man show in Swedish may not seem an enticing proposition, but Wallander star Krister Henriksson makes his West End debut in this gripping rendition of Hjalmar Soderberg’s epistolary novel – a tale of misguided medical practice that ends in murder – which caused a scandal when first published in 1905. LKWyndhams Theatre Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DA.

Until May 11. £15+  
Tube | Leicester Square  
drglas.com   

Theatre: #aiww - The arrest of Ai Weiwei 

In 2011, conceptual artist and political activist Ai Weiwei (of the porcelain Sunflower Seeds at Tate Modern) was detained for 81 days, with his captors as confused as he as to the nature of his crime. Howard Brenton’s play envisages this period, based on interviews with the artist, convincingly played by Benedict Wong. LK

Hampstead Theatre 
Eton Avenue, NW3 3EU.
Until May 18. £22+  
Tube | Swiss Cottage  
hampsteadtheatre.com   

Exhibition: Sebastião Salgado - Genesis

Photo journalist Salgado spent eight years of his life travelling the world and documenting cultures, creatures and places that have managed to remain untouched by mankind’s push for modernity. The results of this outstanding odyssey are on show here, in what is a must not miss exhibition. Illuminating.  

Natural History Museum 
Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD.
Until Sep 8. £10 
Tube | South Kensington  
nhm.ac.uk 

Comedy: Trailer Park Boys

The Nova Scotian stars Ricky, Julian and Bubbles, of the titular TV show mockumentary, bring their live show to the UK as part of the boys’ court-ordered community service variety performance to talk about the dangers of drink and drugs. Outstanding character comedy that ran for seven seasons and a spin-off movie. 

Hammersmith Apollo W6 9QH.
May 3. £25+  
Tube | Hammersmith  
hammersmithapollo.com 

Photos: Mats Bäcker