Russell Crowe fights against Brian Helgeland's turgid script although, as the star and one of the producers, he must have been complicit in its development.

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Russell's compatriot Brian Baker enjoyed a more successful opening day, reaching the second round of the Australian Open for the first time in his career, beating Florida-based Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr. 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 6-7 (0-7) 3-6 6-2.

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The list includes Labour MPs Brian Donohoe, who represents Central Ayrshire, and Russell Brown, whose constituency is Dumfries and Galloway.

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But Brian Duggan, chairman of the Aldwych group, the students' unions of the Russell Group of universities, said there was not enough detail in the figures.

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Quieter moments had more impact, if only because they came as a relief: a meditative setting of Primo Levi's poem "Passover, " beautifully sung by tenor Russell Thomas (Lazarus), and the haunting music for a trio of countertenors (Daniel Bubeck, Brian Cummings, and Nathan Medley) who narrated the story.

WSJ: Rendered Unto Caesar, Perfectly | 'Giulio Caesare' | Handel | Metropolitan Opera | By Heidi Waleson