bonus for cruelty, says i got a bonus for cruelty, those were her words. that is not how policy should. but again, that is part of the reform, that is precisely what they are talking about. the reforms did not demand the same out of middle—class people, very rich people, older people. it focused on those people who were dependent on state benefits, and thatis dependent on state benefits, and that is wrong. if you are conservative, the difficulty you haveis conservative, the difficulty you have is a lot of your supporters come from older people, and so it may be that dealing with that is an area that they are less keen to touch. well, that's unfair. let ‘s touch on one of the story also the front page of the observer. jack munro, food writer and campaigner, one of many people at this time of year giving up the drink and talking about it in a longer term interview. yes, i looked at it. it is quite a shocking piece. this is a young woman who went through a very deprived period in

her life and wrote about feeding her child good food on very little money. extraordinary. and builds a huge following. yes. but apparently there has been this problem with drink. i think it is important for people to speak out. i thought of read it and ifelt people to speak out. i thought of read it and i felt there people to speak out. i thought of read it and ifelt there is people to speak out. i thought of read it and i felt there is too people to speak out. i thought of read it and ifelt there is too much exposure here of quite a vulnerable young woman, self exposure, if you like. the point is well made. there is too much there that i would be worried about. you can't sell your soul like that, open your soul in that way. i think there is an important distinction to be made between people who are taking a rest from drinking after christmas and people like jack monroe have coming to terms, for the first time, she says her alcoholism. she has addressed this in her article and apologised to those around her though she has worked with for the

trouble that renting is caused in her life. we have to leave it there. —— alcohol has caused in her life. that's it for the papers tonight. don't forget you can see the front pages of the papers online on the bbc news website. it is all there for you seven days a week at bbc.co.uk/papers, and if you miss the programme any evening you can watch it later on bbc iplayer. a big thank you to my guests this evening, joe twyman from deltapoll and the author and journalist yasmin alibhai—brown. and from all us, goodnight. hello and welcome to the film review on bbc news. to take us through this week's cinema releases is jason solomons.

so jason, what do we have this week? a new year, lots of new films. welcome back to the cinema for the new year. we'll be going back to 1700s and the last stuart court to marvel at olivia colman's award—tipped performance as queen anne in the favourite, a restoration drama. another super woman pumping the courts of power under the lens, it's ruth bader ginsburg, rbg, who has been known for her battles for equal pay and sexism in the american supreme court. she is one of the last dissenting voices. and in welcome to marwen, barbie dolls, action men and gijoes help steve carell‘s traumatised artist over his grief by blowing them up to life—size pictures. let's kick off with the favourite.

i saw it the other day. it is really fun. brilliantly acted. it takes you back to a time hundreds of years ago. i didn't live then! when everyone wore those extraordinary wigs! there is a bit of eltonjohn video, new romantic video. it's called the favourite and is quickly becoming an awards season favourite, certainly with olivia colman. i suspect it will feature heavily at the golden globes and the baftas. i suspect it will be a big hit. the star turn is from olivia colman as queen anne. we don't see much of queen anne, to be honest, in period dramas. she's a lonely figure advised by lady marlborough, whose husband is off fighting the wars of spanish succession. i think. one of the numerous wars we we re i think. one of the numerous wars we were fighting at the time. she wants to use her power over queen anne to use her sway at court. she's the only person

who can be brutally honest to olivia colman's monarch. i'm ready for the russian ambassador. who did your make—up? we went for something dramatic, do you like it? you look like a badger. 0h. are you going to cry? really? well, what do you think you look like? a badger. do you really think you can meet the russian delegation looking like that? no. i will manage it. get back to your rooms. thank you. shouting: did you just look at me? did you? look at me! how dare you! close your eyes! it's brilliantly acted,

as you can tell. i really enjoyed it. i wondered what it was about, is it about power going to somebody‘s head, the capriciousness of power? i think when it was written it was about trying to get this special moment in british royal history when the land was ruled by three women. it's about the vying of affections from this monarch from the upcoming emma stone, trying to get the affections of queen anne from rachel weisz. it's set in hatfield house. there's a lot of... it's directed by a greek director, yorgos lanthimos, and i think he brings a freshness, bawdiness and riskiness to the period drama. he is saying even though it's 300 years ago, things haven't changed all that much in terms of the sexism, power and class struggle in british society. i think it's a sly dig at that, otherwise it's a funny, bawdy romp.

it also gets very dangerous and emotional. the performance from olivia colman is out of this world — i think she's going to win the oscar. great to see a film with all the lead parts played by women. the costumes by sandy powell are extraordinary. tell us more about rbg. ruth bader ginsburg has become in recent times is a feminist icon, a liberal hero, self—styled superhero. they call her the notorious rbg after the rapper notorious big, who was born in brooklyn, like ruth bader ginsburg. this documentary charts her career as a formidable lawmaker all the way from harvard law school where she was the only woman in her class, to where she now sits on the supreme court. she occupies one of nine places. she is still one of the dissenting voices.

she's got fighting spirit, she changed the workplace regulations of america and helped change social history, fighting for sexual and racial equality in the workplace. it's been a long battle. she was appointed by president clinton in the ‘90s and she is still there at the age of 85. she's had a few ups and downs, but it's important to the liberal voices in america that she holds that place because liberal america is under siege at the moment. she's seen as fighting back. she's made fun of by saturday night live, she's become a great figure. you can see what a twinkly figure she is, but she's also very powerful. there is a wonderful bit where her children say she was terrible in the kitchen, "i never met a live vegetable until i was 11! years old." welcome to marwen, in which an artist creates a miniature world, tell us about that. it might be the hardest

film to describe. it doesn't compare to how awkward it is to watch. i don't think you like it! steve carell is a wounded artist, and he has created a world war ii village in his garden in which he places barbie dolls and action figures. he photographs them and blows them up to real size. he then falls in love with a ridiculously sympathetic neighbour played by leslie mann who gets a tour of this model village. something going on in the church? oh, yeah. you mind if i take a look? i love how everything is so cute. all the little flowers on the mailbox and these cute little curtains. it's just all the details... she gasps. oh, my god! what are they doing? who are they?

they are nazis... ..torturing hogie. why? they hate him. because he is an american? because he's different. well, what's going to happen to him? that's a complicated story. well, tell me. we never really get to the bottom of that, which is half of the problem, plus the rather creepy portrayal of the sexual fantasies with these barbie dolls. it feels out of step. the film is directed by robert zemeckis, who is one of the great technical innovators. it's rather interesting how it takes over the bruised artist's id and ego. but it's either too painful to watch or to weird and creepy. we never warm to this figure played by steve carell. i can't believe there wasn't a studio executive who said listen, robert zemeckis, let's stop this. welcome to marwen is welcome to the first great flop of 2019. big names get theirfilms made.

it doesn't always work. what's best out at the moment? i'm going to say carry on the festive cheer with mary poppins returns. some people are a bit nervous. they didn't change a lot, there's a lot of cockney londoners and songs about the lovely london skies, and things still need sorting out at cherry tree lane. lots of animation. bright animation, all those songs, balloons and big ben at the climax. nothing has really changed. i struggled to see what the point of it was, but i really enjoyed myself. people say the songs aren't as good. people just don't know them. there is one line that says "it's a real pea souper..." i think they get away

with it quite charmingly, and i wish them good luck at the golden globes. and best dvd? and other golden globe nominee and its spike lee's blachklansman. its about a cop who infiltrates the ku klux klan with the help of his partner. this is spike lee back on his funny, political, racially baiting provocative form, which is exactly what you want. it's not a perfect film by normal people's means, but for spike lee it's bang on form and it's one of my favourites of the year. jason, thank you very much indeed. some good recommendations there.

jason solomons. that's it for this week, from us on the film review, thank you for watching and goodbye. hello there. it should be to cool to start with on sunday because there isa start with on sunday because there is a lot of cloud around. but there won't be much sunshine in the forecast either. a little dull and dampfora forecast either. a little dull and damp for a while across northern england, perhaps southern scotland, later northern ireland and south of bad lot of cloud. if you want the sunshine it is men across the northern half of scotland were tempered as a back to seven degrees. elsewhere, and milder day on sunday, despite all the cloud around. as we head into monday, the high pressure sta rts head into monday, the high pressure starts to get squeezed a bit, lowering pressure to the north, packing a punch late in the day across the northern half of scotland with severe gales likely. it will be a windier day for all of us. rain

around, mainly for scotland and northern ireland. that move southward sentenced to peter out. we get sunshine following for northern ireland, northern england and southern scotland. the strength of the wind is the main story. windy as you head further north, gusts of 70 mph or more you head further north, gusts of 70 mph 0!’ more ci’oss you head further north, gusts of 70 mph or more cross northern scotland. it should be a milder day. tim riches widely in double figures. goodbye. this is bbc news, i'm duncan golestani. our top stories: another attempt in washington to break the deadlock over the partial government shutdown ends with no sign of a breakthrough. mourners lay candles for the five teenage girls killed in a fire in poland, as safety checks at escape room venues across the country are ordered. days of violent attacks by criminal gangs in the brazilian city of fortaleza continue despite the deployment of security forces. an historic split from russia. ukraine's new orthodox church

is granted independence after more than three centuries of rule from moscow. ice—tastic celebrations in china, as carvers from around the world unveil their masterpieces.