Alasdair Roberts: ‘subversive, inspired and inventive’. Photograph by Jean-Marc Luneau Alasdair Roberts is an angular, tentative presence, thin as twigs and full of caveats and quiet amusement, but the cerebral star of what he would never call “vogueish nu-folk” music is sure... 

Chelsea and Marc. Aren’t they lovely? Photograph: Sipa Press / Rex Features What is Truman trying to prove?” wondered a waspishly pained Cecil Beaton of Mr Capote’s legendary Black and White Ball. “The foolishness of spending so much time organising the party is... 

The next Full Monty? … Nigel Cole’s Made in Dagenham, about the 1968 Ford strike. Nicole Kidman, Ben Affleck, Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley will be among the actors hawking their wares at this year’s 35th Toronto film festival, which also features world premieres from... 

Darren Aronofsky winning the Golden Lion award for The Wrestler in 2008. Photograph: Joel Ryan/AP Black Swan, the new picture from writer-director Darren Aronofsky, will open this year’s Venice film festival. A backstage drama set around the New York ballet scene, the film stars Natalie... 

Sophie Ellis-Bextor at the Jacques Townhouse pop-up hotel. Photographed for the Observer by Katherine Rose If any fantasy realm ever needed an ice queen, it’s Jacques Townhouse, a pop-up hotel-cum-beauty parlour “soirée” venue in central London that looks like Alice’s...