Mary Ann Kennedy offers a culturally informed perspective

From the Golden Globes to the Baftas, The Artist has dominated this year’s awards – and could do the same at Sunday’s Oscars. But its success is part of a bigger phenomenon, says Alison Kerr

There is a difference between simple and elementary, and while he occasionally lands on the right side, Luke Fowler’s playing with RD Laing’s concept of the divided self more often than not misses the mark, discovers Duncan Macmillan

For his debut film in English, Daniel Espinosa pulls off a great looking action thriller which is sadly let down by a script that falls apart towards the end, finds Alistair Harkness

By keeping the story and staging simple, the Lyceum allows the power of John Steinbeck’s Great Depression classic to flow freely and resonate with our own time

An action film that manages to serve up carnage in new and interesting ways, The Raid lives up to all its hype, finds Alistair Harkness in his second report from the Glasgow Film Festival

Fence Records started life as a small shop in St Andrews. Now a new festival is taking the Fife label back to its roots - with KT Tunstall as the superstar main attraction. By David Pollock

Bach is a technical challenge even for those schooled in European music traditions, so it’s to Masaaki Suzuki’s credit that the Bach Collegium Japan is such a great success, finds Kenneth Walton

The Scotsman’s film critic casts his eye over the latest cinematic offerings

He says he hates his own work, didn’t want to be a director and isn’t political – except when he is… Alistair Harkness tries to get to grips with Aki Kaurismäki

IF your existing kitchen cabinets, worktops, appliances and lighting are in good shape but you want a new look for spring, try the following tips.

Q: I love 1950s-style furniture and have bought quite a few pieces at auction. I am currently trying to find bedside tables, without any success. Could you help?

P Johnson

OVER the coming weeks I will be speaking to nursery folk around Scotland about how to mix new plants with old favourites in a way I hope will inspire you to transform or create borders in your garden. Remember, don’t think of plants in isolation – good plantings are about smart partnerships of colour, texture and shape.

STANDING at the centre of a group of ancient yew trees, you begin to understand the magical nature of Traquair. Only a few metres away, a well-clipped maze can hold you as tightly as any embrace. It’s this duality of nature and formality that runs through these grounds.

Designer tidbits to get your creative juices flowing

WHEN designer Bernie Hurst went on holiday seven years ago, she was dismayed to find the footwear she had packed was going to cost her more than £200 in excess baggage charges. Which is when she came up with the idea for... detachable shoes. “I have always loved shoes and have more than 100 pairs,” she explains.

]]> 1.2132371 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:11:47 +0000 http://www.scotsman.com/interiors_grant_and_laura_clouston_see_the_light_in_basement_edinburgh_apartment_1_2132368

SEEING potential in some properties can require a huge amount of imagination. In December 2009, when builder and developer Ian Murray viewed an A-listed garden apartment at 31a Heriot Row in Edinburgh’s New Town for potential clients Grant and Laura Clouston, he needed all the imagination he could muster.

WITH backgrounds in fashion, it is no surprise that John and Marie Owen’s property is one that sets trends rather than follows them.

COLOUR, print and embellishment are Holly Fulton’s strengths, and she made sure to play to them with a collection which focused on what she does best.

I HAVE been trying to streamline our home life – again – in a bid to make it to the car in the morning without returning to the house half a dozen times. Progress to date has involved clearing the passageway to our garage, where coats, boots and shoes converge, assaulting me from all sides as I attempt to squeeze past.