MY WRITTEN LIFE.
SHARING MY LITTLE MOMENTS THROUGH WRITING.
Andrew Garfield plays Desmond in Mel Gibson’s war movie as a harmonious man who enlists to save his country during WW2. Violence, gunshots, and bloodshed is what is about to be committed by those who wish to defend the motherland but for young Desmond, fighting for his motherland is something else. The extraordinary true story of conscientious objector Desmond Doss who saved 75 men in Okinawa, during the bloodiest battle of WW2, without firing a single shot. Believing that the war was just but killing was nevertheless wrong, he was the only American soldier in WW2 to fight on the front lines without a weapon. As an army medic Doss single-handedly evacuated the wounded near enemy lines - braving enemy fire and putting his own life on the line. He was the first conscientious objector to ever win the Congressional Medal of Honour. Me and my friend were left frightened and shocked to a heartfelt love for the story. A vision of love letters, evacuation and rations comes to mind when thinking about war movies but Gibson’s approach left us in a state where we would never question the horrors of WW2. A true experience of what soldiers went through by Gibson. Beautiful cinematography lead us to see what a wonderful life Desmond has back home as a child and as a man growing up to fall in love with angelic Dorothy (Teresa Palmer). Growing up with a violent father, Desmond realises violence isn’t the answer to anything. Through this, he enlists to join the army to contribute along with others but this easily is interpreted as a typical sign up, kill and return contract… If lucky. Going through absolute hell in training, the team realise he may not be able to have their back on the battle field. Garfield’s acting is unbelievably amazing, reducing his signature role to simply… The Spider Man. The exposition unexpectedly unveils Vince Vaughn as a tough Sargent. It is quite hard to take him seriously and visualise him as an aggressive form of Fred Claus or a DodgeBall player. We see bonds form as the soldiers get to know each other but quickly turns a corner when Desmond’s peaceful values interfere with a rough environment. Humour coincides with shock which we think Mel Gibson does quite well; not being able to take away the true feeling of the film as well as being able to join the relationships of the characters. This of course, quickly, moves onto the messy part. Boom, splatter, bang… Chaos. We instantly are taken to the main mission at Hacksaw where the Japanese are to be defeated. This quick transition through jump scares, SFX and action really made us feel what it was really like in battle - hitting you unexpectedly and not being able to imagine what it would be like having to go through this for years rather than a 30 minute scene. Realistic intensity through absolute gore brought a new vision to war films for this generation. A really nice homage to the work of Hitcock can be seen as Desmond catches some rest. A green flare lights up the setting and a surprise attack catches him by fright which truely shook the cinema with rattling seats as we all clenched our snacks in fear. This fantasy gloom represented by a spooky green depicts illusion and dream as seen in Hitcock’s Vertigo… Resilience and friendship soon arises from the inability to understand Desmond’s religious values when he suddenly becomes worth all the men in battle; non-violent, unarmed and patient. He suddenly becomes the faith the soldiers need to get through this gut-splattering hell when he soon saves the many trapped and injured soldiers including some Japanese. The whole idea of this religious man being a saviour really fits in with the story. Towards the end, Garfield’s battered and exhausted character can be seen anointed as the water thant cleanses him turns blood red through is filth and then soon elevates into the heavens by a medical stretcher. Jesus much? There’s a link with Gibson and religion I don’t quite get… And of course, every film has its ow messages and we can truly see than this piece of work is telling us than under everyone’s hatred, lies good… cheesy as it may be, it still brought tears to our eyes. Seeing soldiers act like the conventional masculine hater then being reduced to a mellow sympathiser really is relatable. The ‘true story’ sit complete without footage from documentaries and historical archives, which is what really made us reconsider the events of the story. This movie deserves a 7/10 from me and I think it could do with revealing Desmond’s post-war life… we were left incomplete not knowing what he had for dinner the many weeks after the war ended… A lot of WW2 based movies seem to be coming out and I don’t know about you but could this reflect the fear of this shift to the right wing (BREXIT and Trump)… maybe along the lines of this shift going too far, a hole loada’ Hitler will be unleashed? Just going to leave it there… Contributions: Abby Hilton
0 Comments
Well... now that the stress and turmoil of the first term of college is over, I can finally resume back to my life and feel festive for the rest of the Christmas holidays... ha. With the amount of work... yeah right! Rogue One, directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is the first stand-alone film in the Star Wars Anthology series. Rogue One stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed as well as familiar faces like Donnie Yen (Ip Man films) and Alan Tudyk (Suburgatory). The story follows Jyn Erso played by Felicity Jones, the daughter of the unwilling designer of the Galactic Empire's superweapon, the Death Star, and her quest to retrieve his plans for destroying it as it is capable of destroying an entire planet. The film is chronologically set after the events of Revenge of the Sith and immediately before the events of A New Hope. I found the film it self to be full of ever changing atmospheres as I sat in the immersive seats of the new cinema in town... Yes, at points the gloom threatens to eclipse the fun but it all added to the overall exhileration that would be expected in any blockbuster! Confident Jyn is shown already in conflict when we meet her. Jones brings impressive intensity with an empowering role as a growing woman thoughout the film. After seeing her family threatened, my support for her anger and vengence grew as we identify with her as an isolated loner. The film did a good job in making us be a part of her journey until the end and gave me a more vicarious approach to the film. As she comes accross new faces in help to fulfill her mission we see more of a diverse world.
Yen's character Chirrut is a literate homage to the spectators familiarity with his role type in films. Kung-Fu master Ip Man resides within Chirrut as he resembles Yoda... Leia herself appears in Rogue One’s final moments, marrying the end of the movie to precisely the moment that Episode IV begins... and I can truely say that my mouth was left gaping until the end credits stopped rolling! A thundering action visual with AT-ATs stomping down palm trees, death troopers splashing in azure waters with some truly surprising twists stole the show towards the climactic scene when the true rebelion itself ensures Rogue One goes rogue itself... and as a Media and Film student... the phallus and yonic imagery scene was unbelievable. Ships flying through circular, long objects... or it could just be my mind. Unlike Awakens, which slid into a Star Wars cliché as it went, this standalone story struggles through a slightly uneven middle section but ends on a high, with a triumphant third act set on the tropical planet of Scarif. Fittingly, British director Gareth Edwards’s dark and moody space opera bridges the gap between the old-school 70s charm and ultra-modern 21st-century wizardry of this still evolving series. Despite using cutting-edge CGI to breathe artificial life into characters we never thought we’d see again, Rogue One feels like part of the same cinematic universe, the thing all subsequent episodes aspire. I really enjoyed the movie. I've not labled myself to be a dedicated fan like some out there but I do admire the films for the genre and history. Action, adventure, technology... escapism was definatley achieved. So a definate 8/10 on the rating from me! Can I just begin with... BLOODY HELL. I wrote a wonderful review and apparently my 'session expired'... yep. All gone. The anger and frustration. I felt like I died today with this, none of my amazing photography saved from my trip to Blackpool and the work I could have done it that time... but oh well, perseverance is key... The worst choice to watch with your parents... god how it was awkward... Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bell star in this explicit comedy from the writers of The Hangover that sees what happens you cross the boundaries of a perfect mother. Mila Kunis plays a young mother, Amy, who is stressed to the bone with the daily motherly and work duties she must fulfill as well as her cheating, uncommitted husband on top of it all. She soon finds that the PTA meetings at school are worsening her lifestyle and soon stands up to the PTA leader Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate - Anchorman films). Amy, fatigued and down, meets single mom Carla (Afternoon Delight actress Kathryn Hahn) and housebound woman Kiki (Kristen Bell) who praises her for her confidence and relatable situations. The three find common issues within their lives and join forces together in order to over run the PTA and claim Amy as the new Lader only to find out she is uo against Gwendolyn's survival of the fittest. The two are in a hilarious conflict against each other coming across parties, drug set ups and mayhem while the other mothers are in a situation choosing between easy going, down to earth Amy or forceful, egocentric Gwendolyn. Soon Amy wins leaving Gwendolyn in tears and explains her actions were a result of her lonely life and somehow fits in how her Jewish brother joined ISIS! I found my self and others laughing at nearly every moment of this movie. And incredible package of comedy, awkward, tense moments and stereotypes! the scene that i think was the peak point of establishing the 'Bad' in the moms was the supermarket scene. after the mini congregation the girls race off to the store and cause mayhem, chugging down liquids, munching on cereal and soon as they see a baby, mom-mode is turned on and we see this idea of this idea of a mother doing what their stereotypically not meant to do as women... well, according to mainstream movies. I realised I watched UK sitcom Motherland the night before and i see this use of the conventions of a typical mother run out (obviously). The idea of moms always running around children, attending their meetings and always being there to sort out the smallest of situations. This is a running and typical convention known for women/ moms to possess and honestly, its true, I have witnessed my and other mothers do this! My favorite mom would have to be Hahn’s Carla. Foul-mouthed force of nature, shocking and sweet and every damn reaction shot she gives is hilarious! She would “rather go to Afghanistan” than to another one of her son’s boring baseball games is just... I think you can guess. The scene when the three go to a bar to pick up men was the best motherly scene there. Amy is approached by various men and instead of pick up lines, mom-mode switches on and instead, talks about how to remove stains, questions them on thier age and life choices... and again, more and more true conventions! This is abasaloutly funny as the men are driven away one by one... This reminds me of the crazy mom figure Beverly from The Goldbergs... and its almost like this use of the perfect mom is neautralised all over the screen! I found Mila Kunis quite repressive as Amy, a mother role. Usually seeing her as a girly teen character such as the voice of Meg (Family Guy) and Jackie (That 70's Show) contrasted from her in Bad Moms and she did very well, even though she may not have looked like the 'perfect' older mother (as explained in the narrative)! We can also see this movie not only as a bundle of laughs but en empowerment of women... The three are shown under pressure, Conley and deceived but come togther as a community and fight for the success they want. We all know a female success story movie but a modern flick like this did a really good job portraying the mother that usually isn't present during the process of success! I saw many people especially women clapping and nodding to the hilarious scenes and some must have gone home with a mother care book like experience! I highly recommend seeing this movie, defiantly a high rating! It has been over a week since I finished my 5 weeks at BYFA (British Youth Film Academy). I tried to keep up with documenting, taking pictures and uploading as well as making the most out of the experience! Overall, I am glad I took part in the Summer camp. Not only did I make friends with the most wonderful people there, the experience itself was overwhelming! Working side by side industry professionals, taking a hold of professional equipment, not to mention a camera that was used to film Skyfall! From the start, the induction to be exact, I found myself being "the only one who wouldn't stop getting everyone to talk". I later realised that they were right as I could hear my voice over night asking people their names and ambitions... but from that I found myself around many people (who some came from around the world) and within the first few days we were like family! The first week, we shot short films from the actual feature script in groups my alternating the narrative... mine was about a killer pen. Yes. A red pen that kills humans. Mesnes park became a tradition... it is a paradise with flowers, huge space and fountains! I instantly claimed it to be one of my childhood hot spots. The warm, sunny evening there brought tears to my eyes. Professional film make-up artist Emily Walsh came in to give us a hands-on experience on how to 'zombify' people... and of course, my work was "the best", no surprise there. Workshops with crew members were also interesting, getting director's advice as well as how to operate those bulky cameras was just... wow. Along with this we did smaller things like promoting and marketing film ideas, which was cool too, I guess... seeming as we didn't end up doing it. But alas! This you gotta' hear. I took a professional role as a runner (a slave for the cast and crew... unpaid!). It was a new experience that I can show off about and to be honest, I loved slaving my ass off... and oh yeah, I was also an EXTRA... nothing special. During the lunch break of the second week's shoot, we had the chance to have a Q &A with Casualty actress Georgia Taylor, who was also in the scene we were shooting! Getting my answers from a professional was quite fulfilling. Along with this continuous repetition of hard work, we also had the time to explore and socialise, evenings were the best! Apart from making a traditional visit to the park on sunny days to perform rituals, we had a chance to go to Empire cinema (my first time there and I was very impressed!). We were about 5 minutes late to the showing of the new Star Trek but it was amazing and I forgive the slow walkers. I have been wanting to review it but, nah. I think I've done quite enough. All of a sudden the power of the ego took hold of some and a sudden separation from cast, crew and extras arose. no 'youth' remained within the academy but realism. Its what its like in real life so was quite fun to experience. The arguments, bullying, fall outs, backstabbing,... beautiful. So after week 3, there was no more unity, just independence. Cast and crew, and extras. Damn, this sounds like the partition of India... I think the last 2 weeks went well, not because we were still being called on for extra work and given SOME opportunity to get professional experience, but because the new friendships created went further. We got up to so much such as making amazing short films, creating bonds and exploring the place... and oh my did we make a tradition out of that park... people finally accepted the religion of Pruthvism (feel free to join) and having rituals became the norm. Flowers, food offerings, dancing, and lucky us, our last ritual took place on August's annual full red moon! T'was bliss! But we had to rush it as we were spooked by the fact young adults started walking into the park in groups and because we were in Wigan, the trauma of being stabbed was unreal. WOW. I honestly didn't plan to write this much and I am sure some of you will be bored and confused. This isn't a fully, hands on film camp? What the hell? Well, take a hold of your selves and just watch my wonderful video I made for my channel... maybe that will give you more of an insight of my experience... ENJOY! I was meaning to write a blog for some time (since 2 weeks ago!) but just didn't know what to write about... not because I had a blank mind, it was because Iv'e got so much to share and write about, I couldn't choose! Do I write about the events from now on, from before...? Argh!? Many nights of thought and frustration so I think I'm Just going to stick to events from this day onwards (and maybe write about a few before). Another thing that's been bothering me is what layout to go with!? I was like this with my Instagram before I actually liked or started using it. So I think I will stick with experimentation and trying new things out for some time and see what works! So the reason I decided to start blogging is because I want to get a good feel and experience of writing regularly seeming as I've started using YouTube for sharing my film skills, and think I like it! I'm aiming to go for the cliché writers look, you know... coffee, a few papers scattered about, big framed glasses... the whole package. Think I'll end this irrelevant, moaning post now, hoping to write some better material! Hope everyone has had a nice summer so far and feel free to comment, share or even suggest blog ideas! Make sure to check out my other stuff! |
AuthorA Libra who dreams and sees beauty in everything. Loves astrology, nature, films, fun, adventure, childhood. An Ambitious individual who will blog anything from an interesting event to what runs through my mind at night... ArchivesCategories |