Saturday Review - 22/08/2009

Inglourious Basterds, a title with inventive spelling, is the new film by director Quentin Tarantino. Set during the first year of the Nazi occupation of France, a Jewish girl, Shosanna, witnesses the execution of her family by a Nazi colonel. She escapes and flees to Paris where she forges a new identity as the owner of a cinema. Meanwhile a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as The Basterds are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with Shosanna and target her cinema, with explosive results. Outbreak 1939 is an ITV documentary, accompanied by an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, marking 70 years of the radio announcement that informed the nation that Britain was at war. The documentary uses the words of those who were there and footage from the time to tell the story, hour by hour, of the day that Britain declared war on Nazi Germany, 3rd September 1939. The Outbreak 1939 special exhibition at the Imperial War Museum explores the build-up and preparations for war, an overview of the key events of 3rd September and an account of the early months of conflict. Living with the Infidels is a new online comedy short series about a gang of Bradford-based Muslim extremists who share a flat and spend their days incompetently plotting a huge terror outrage. Created by Aasaf Ainapore with the support of the Muslim Council of Britain, it has already received criticism from reviewers for its controversial storyline. The latest book by novelist Diana Evans explores a young man's search for meaning. Lucas grew up on a narrowboat, believing all children who had lost their parents lived on water. At 25, he still lives there with his sister and is now desperate to find his 'own stride'. Before he can progress, however, he needs to delve into the past and the strange disappearance of his charismatic Jamaican father, the founder of a famous black dance company. The narrative shifts between west London and Kingston, Jamaica, and between generations, as Lucas learns about the events that led to his father's final disappearance.