Starring Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour
Directed by Cate Shortland
Scarlett Johansson’s reformed KGB assassin-turned-planet defender Natasha Romanoff finally lands her long overdue solo mission — and retroactive send-off — that unfolds between the tumultuous events of Captain America: Civil War and The Avengers: Infinity War. During this downtime, if you can call it that, Nat confronts her past, including her old boss (Ray Winstone), who runs the Soviet Red Room program (where she was groomed to be a killer), and her estranged kin, a ragtag crew of Russian spies who went undercover together as a family — a word that’s repeated many times (eat your heart out, Vin Diesel!) — when she was a child (played by Ever Anderson, Milla Jovovich’s daughter). From TheAmericans-esque prologue to the vehicular pursuit in the streets of Budapest (how the city's name is pronounced is an idiosyncratic highlight), there’s a Bond (Bourne?) vibe to Black Widow, an instalment grittier and more grounded than previous MCU entries. But the more interesting bits aren’t the action sequences (not that they don’t rock, but we’ve seen enough of these CG-aided pyrotechnics), but Nat’s bittersweet reunion with ‘fake’ sister Yelena and Red Room alum (Florence Pugh) — their banter about pockets in tactical vests and fighting poses is hilarious — mum Melina (Rachel Weisz) and dad Alexia (David Harbour): a get-together that hits us with special poignancy because we know the fate that awaits her. Damn you, Thanos! (4/5 stars)
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Bugis Street Level 2 may no longer feel quite as much like a ghost town. Months after we visited the upper floor following reports of shuttered shops and sparse foot traffic, we returned on a Friday afternoon to see whether things had changed. This time, Level 2 had noticeably more people around, from teenagers and tourists to older shoppers. More importantly, shoppers were actually interacting with the stalls, trying things on and making purchases, rather than simply browsing and walking through. There are still plenty of shuttered units, and Level 2 remains much quieter than the ever-busy ground floor, but the atmosphere felt noticeably livelier during our visit. Bugis Street is also hosting its “Somewhere @ Bugis Street” weekend events as part of its ongoing efforts to bring more activity to the area. So, is Bugis Street Level 2 finally making a comeback? #8dayssg #8dayssgtrending #Bugis #BugistStreet #Singapore
