The Je Ne Sais Quoi of Jane Birkin
A lifetime of photographs pays tribute to the French-British actress and singer who inspired the iconic handbag
Royal Mayhem
The exiled would-be King of Italy got away with murder, then a German model demanded justice
Julian Sands
The actor imbued his performances across screen and stage, from James Ivory’s A Room with a View to John Malkovich’s A Celebration of Harold Pinter, with the same zeal he brought to his life
The Attention-Whore Index
After a brief summer break, the world’s neediest attention-seekers are back and clamoring for your vote. But who really deserves it? You decide!
Cinema Verité
Like the plot of a French New Wave film, the legendary actor Alain Delon is in a tumultuous battle with his much younger girlfriend
Antique Road Show
At Mille Miglia, Italy’s most prestigious auto race, an appreciation for classic cars and all that comes with driving them—danger, beauty, and speed—endures across generations
Keeping Up with the Joneses
In the 1990s, Helen Fielding’s hilarious novel Bridget Jones’s Diary became a huge hit. Now revisionists are ruining the fun
Wagnerian Army
Why is Prigozhin’s Russian mercenary force named after Hitler’s favorite 19th-century German composer?
The View from Here
A U.S. Air Force whistleblower has made dramatic new claims for the existence of U.F.O.’s. Is it enough to finally make us believe?
Cat’s Out of the Bag
In the late 90s, Jocelyn Wildenstein became a tabloid sensation after her $2.5 billion divorce and as “the poster child for plastic surgery gone wrong.” Now she’s broke and the subject of a new HBO documentary series
Private-Jet Paradox
Wanna take mine or yours? Will the climate crisis ground the use of private planes or simply make the elite more secretive?
The View from Here
The Russian connection in the notorious Profumo case during the Cold War looks like a prequel to the first Trump presidential campaign
Glenda Jackson
The fearless stage-and-screen actress reached stardom in the 70s with Women in Love, A Touch of Class, and Elizabeth R, and continued performing until the end
The Root of All Evil
Did a bizarre experiment using modern medical technology to reveal the secrets of demonic possession unleash a deadly curse on its participants?
Sex, Drugs, and Bloody Murder
The gruesome killing of an aspiring model by a rich American playboy sent shock waves through Swinging London and its infamous Chelsea Set
Match Point, Italian–Style
When a Milanese waiter’s mistress confronted his pregnant girlfriend about their affair, he took matters into his own gruesome hands
The View from Here
Pride flags in June are now as ubiquitous as tinsel in December. Yet, as a gay man, I’ve never felt more invisible within the L.G.B.T. movement
Anyone for Fives? Anyone?
As Wimbledon approaches and the lawn-tennis season enters full swing, another, less vaunted ball sport is clinging to life
I Am Important
Being exceptional is overrated. Perhaps it’s time to embrace the power of an ordinary life
An Intriguing New Model
Tesla aficionados who have lost their appetite for Elon Musk are turning to Lucid
Françoise Gilot
Picasso’s muse and lover who left him after 10 abusive years continued a successful career as an artist and memoirist in her own right
The View from Here
Bob Dylan’s masterly new album offers a ghostly narrative for our post-pandemic world
The House Always Wins
Sara King, the self-proclaimed “slot whisperer” of Las Vegas, used other people’s money to bet big. Then her luck ran out
The Attention-Whore Index
Joe Biden makes a novel play for your attention. But can he beat such grizzled showboaters as Harry and Meghan, Tucker Carlson, and Donald Trump?