Executioner review – sleazy MP hams it up with sex worker in darkly comic blackmail thriller

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Based on actor-director Peter Benedict’s own play this tiny-budget thriller has the feel of a stagey recording as the double-crosses pile up higher than an MP’s promises The fictional shadow cabinet minister at the centre of this darkly comic blackmail thriller is offended when the male prostitute he has hired describes his reputation as “colourful”. Colourful MPs support bloodsports and wear bow ties, he says; he prefers the term “maverick”. It’s never said out loud, but clearly he sits on the right in political terms; you can tell from the sneer in his voice as he utters the word “proletariat”. Executioner is adapted by Peter Benedict from his play Deadlock, with a staginess that feels a bit much for the screen. Benedict also co-directs and stars as the MP, called Robert Marlowe, giving a lip-smacking performance that makes Hannibal Lecter look like a character from kitchen sink realism. The entire film is set in the basement studio of Marlowe’s country pile, where he dabbles in pott...
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Johnny Depp missed his chance to dismiss Amber Heard’s counterclaim

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Johnny Depp missed his chance to dismiss Amber Heard's counterclaim. Litigation between the spouses is gaining new momentum. On Tuesday, a Virginia judge denied Johnny Depp's motion to dismiss Amber Heard's counterclaim, ruling that the jury should decide the matter. In a counterclaim, Hollywood pet lawyer Adam Waldman tarnished the actress' honor and caused irreparable damage to her career when he accused Amber and her friends of hoaxing violence by accusing the actress of having a personality disorder. On Tuesday morning, representatives of the ex-wife in court came up with their arguments, which prompted Johnny's team to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. However, Depp's lawyer, Ben Chu, argued that Waldman had expressed his opinion. Therefore, he could not defame after the actor's representative claimed that there was no evidence that DEPP allegedly saw or knew about Waldman's statements before filing a counterclaim. "He believed, and will continue to believe until his death, that Ms. Heard's allegations of abuse were false," Chu said. But Ben Rottenborn of the team heard claims that Waldman acted as their adversary's lawyer and that Depp is therefore responsible for his behavior. He also stated that there was ample evidence that Johnny abused Heard, and consequently, the decision to award damages in the counterclaim should be left to the jury. Judge Penny Azkarate nevertheless rejected Depp's application, saying that it was not her job to assess the credibility or weight of the evidence. And Amber's representatives did the same after the actor's team dropped the case on May 3. The Hollywood talent filed a lawsuit against the ex-wife for her previous allegations of domestic violence in a Washington Post article in December 2018. However, the judge made it clear that the jury would have to decide on both Depp's lawsuit and Heard's counterclaim.

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