The Lady In the Van

The second film I saw in the cinema this week was 'The Lady In The Van' (2015, Nicholas Hytner). Initially, I thought this was a comedy, and although as ever Maggie Smith is host to a few comedic lines, the story is actually very serious. 


The film is based on the book by writer Alan Bennett who recorded the 'mostly true' story of a woman that lived in a van on his driveway for fifteen years!  The woman had been in an accident, a motorcyclist had run into her van and was killed, although it was not her fault Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith) flees from the scene. She then proceeded to live the rest of her life in the van, moving parking spots every now and then however she has run ins with the neighbours and the police who demand that she moves her van. New to the street, Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) offers his driveway to the woman for a few months until she gets sorted, however three months turns into a very eventful 15 years!.

The way this film was structured was incredibly clever. It was told from the point of view of Alan, but he was two people - the half of him that lived and the other half that wrote, acting as two consciences. This allowed the audience to witness Alan's inner conflicts about letting the woman stay on his drive and use his lavatory (although he had very little say in that matter!). The change in time (i.e. over the 15 years) was shown in the greying of every characters hair and the change in the type of cars that were parked on the street making it subtly obvious that time had passed.


The acting was absolutely incredible, which I suppose is to be expected looking at the cast list! Alex Jennings was the perfect person to play Alan Bennett, who himself makes a cameo in the final scene and Maggie Smith as I've said in several previous posts is one of my favourites and can adapt with ease to the role in hand!

There wasn't a moment in this film where I felt bored. I am a fan of films based on true stories anyway but the structure and the acting in this film made it continually engaging. I think it is a film that can be seen in cinemas or at home, although I am glad I saw it in theatres I think if you get the chance to watch it you definitely should!

Spectre

I haven't been to the cinema since 'Pitch Perfect 2'! but I've been twice in the last week! The first film I saw was 'Spectre' (2015, Sam Mendes), the next instalment in the James Bond franchise.
It is worth noting from the off that I am NOT a James Bond Expert! and have only ever seen about three of the Bond films all of the way through. Saying that, I have seen scenes from quite a lot of them which has given me enough information to come to the conclusion that Daniel Craig is my favourite Bond.

I went to see 'Skyfall'(2012, Sam Mendes) and absolutely loved it! My favourite Bond, a brilliant director and the majority set in London. This is probably why it was the first time I'd become interested in James Bond, and it even meant I was excited for 'Spectre'!

'Spectre' had some brilliant scenes, the helicopter scene at the beginning was probably for me one of the best in the film. However, for me it didn't have the same charm as 'Skyfall'. The absence of 'M' although necessary for the story, meant it lacked emotion in comparison. Further to this, 'Q' is less comedic in 'Spectre' which for me was his appeal in 'Skyfall'. I also felt more fear of Havier Bardems
's 'Silva' in Skyfall and felt he had greater screen time and presence. This doesn't mean to say however that it was a bad film! All the necessary Bond elements were there, the gadgets, the fast cars and of course the theme song.

'Writing On the Wall' by Sam Smith is absolutely perfect for this film. A powerful song with a dark undertone perfect to accompany the octopus theme of the title sequence, this is one of my favourite Bond songs.


I probably wouldn't watch 'Spectre' again in a hurry but that's just personal preference! It is a fantastic film in terms of cinematography and special effects as any Bond movie is and fits well into the franchise.

My Favourite Film Of All Time - 'The Secret Garden'

As a film student, the one question I always get asked without fail is 'What is your favourite film?', and I've always struggled with my answer. I've often said things like '127 hours' for its amazing ability to hold your attention despite staying in the location virtually all the way through, or 'Avatar' because of the special effects and even 'Withnail and I' for it's simplicity and comedy, but none of these would I say really are my favourite film. Lots of people say they don't have a favourite and I thought maybe I was one of them, but I thought harder... was there a film that I truly absolutely love? and then I remembered.

I wouldn't want to watch this film over and over again for fear that it would loose it's magic, but when I do watch it I always feel happy and uplifted. 'The Secret Garden' (1993, Agnieszka Holland) is my favourite film of all time. Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 'The Secret Garden' is about a young girl, Mary (Kate Maberly) whose parents are killed in an earthquake in India. Mary then gets sent to England to live with her uncle who has become somewhat of a recluse, barely ever at home he leaves his housemaid Mrs Medlock (Maggie Smith) in charge of the house, Mary and his very sick son Colin.  Forced to play outside, Mary discovers a secret garden, locked up after the death of her aunt. Secretly herself and her friend the farm boy Dickon ( Andrew Knott) tend to the garden so it is once again beautiful and full of life. Initially unaware of his existence, Mary and Colin (Heydon Prowse) become good friends and with the help of Dickon ( Andrew Knott) they introduce Colin to the outside and teach him to walk, resulting in his speedy recovery and a relationship with his father.

This is a film from my childhood and one that both my mum and sister love, which maybe is why I love to watch it too, but I think the real reason I love it is because I can very loosely relate to it. I have grown up playing outside in the countryside with my cousin and sister, the three of us racing around on bikes, building camps in the woods and fighting off imaginary enemies. The close relationship between Mary, Colin and Dickon and the enjoyment they get from the great outdoors very closely resembles that of me, my sister and my cousin,  although obviously the situations between my life and the film couldn't be more different!

The credit music makes me want to cry- but with happiness! the film sparks the excitement within me that I used to feel going off for the day into the fields and the woods and brings back so many happy memories! So I can confirm that if anyone ever asks me 'What is your favourite film?' I am most definitely going to say 'The Secret Garden', it has no fancy special effects, or incredibly complex story, but to me it is relatable, believable and feels special to me and I think that is what makes a film your favourite.

'Cosmic Love' - Day 1

As you may have worked out I would really like to work in the film industry and so as well as my coursework I also like to work on my own projects. My sister, conveniently, wants to go into acting and so it is the perfect combination!
Currently, our favourite projects are music videos and our next project we hope will be our best yet. We have chosen to make a video for 'Cosmic Love' by Florence and the Machine and this time we have included storyboards, a script and detailed costume design.
Our first shoot for the video took place on Sunday with three more scheduled to follow! Apart from the cold and the wind, it was a successful shoot and I can't wait for the next one.
We hope to have the video completed by July next year! fingers crossed! Look out for more updates!

Top Ten Characters

So I've discussed my favourite film locations but never my favourite film characters! So here we go, here are my personal top ten film/Television characters! :




10 . Flik (Dave Foley) -  'A Bugs Life' (1998)

'A Bugs Life' was my favourite film when I was little, and I can't lie I would still happily watch it on repeat! And my favourite character is definitely Flik. His ambition and drive - despite the fact that yet he is animated!- inspired me when I was younger. He tries his best but nothing ever seems to go his way, I sympathise for him, making him one of my favourite characters in TV and Film.

9. Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) - 'Finding Nemo' (2003)

'Finding Dory' is proof that Dory is one of the most loved characters in 'Finding Nemo'. I love Ellen DeGeneres and her voice and humour, so I was always going to like Dory as a character. She has some of the most memorable character traits - Forgetful, Loveable and enthusiastic!

8. Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) -  'Sherlock' (2010)

The contrast between Sherlock's inability to decipher human emotion and his incredible ability to decipher crimes makes him a complex and incredibly well thought out character. Not only is the character well written, but Benedict Cumberbatch plays him incredibly. His short funny one liners, and fast paced speaking creates a dynamic and intriguing character. You can't help but want him to be your best friend! The audience admires his intelligence, making him an engaging character.

7. The Joker (Heath Ledger) - 'The Dark Knight' (2008)

This is one of the most convincing performances I have ever seen. No matter how many times I watch this film, I am always mesmerised, even terrified by The Joker. From his make up to his voice, it evokes fear within everyone. 'The Joker' is also well written - with every story about his scars, the audience and the other characters become more and more fearful of the famous Joker.

6.  Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carey) - 'The Mask' (1994)

I love pretty much every Jim Carey character, but 'The Mask' is probably my top Jim Carey film, ive seen it so many times! and every time, Stanley Ipkiss makes me laugh! both in his usually and mask form. To be honest, all of Carey's characters are very similar, but Stanley is one of the more 'out there' characters making him number 6 on my top ten list.




5. Withnail (Richard E.Grant) - 'Withnail and I' (1987)


As I have said before, 'Withnail and I' is one of my favourite films, and the character of Withnail makes me laugh all of the way through. He has some amazing quotes - 'I have some extremely distressing news...we've run out of wine' - which sum up his view on life perfectly. A permanently drunk, high unemployed actor creates an engaging character as his reactions to everyday life is totally different to everyone else!




4. Ramone (Oscar Nunez ) - 'The Proposal' (2009)


Ramone is the waiter, the stripper, the shopkeeper and the reverent in the small town of Sitka, Alaska in one of my favourite comedies - 'The Proposal'. He is only a small character but he has the biggest personality. Every word that comes out of his mouth is hilarious!




3.  Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith)  - 'Downton Abbey'  (2010 -2015)


I have religiously watched 'Downton Abbey' on a sunday evening from the time it started, so you can imagine my relief when I got to uni to find out one of my flatmates was exactly the same! We are both agreed that the best character in the whole of Downton is Violet Crawley played by the legendary Maggie Smith. She provides a bit of comic relief in times of some serious issues and her ability to manipulate everyone provides yet further humour. She is one of the main reasons I watch the show, the last episode of which was aired last sunday, with only the Christmas Special left (Trying to hold back the tears here!).  The respect her character demands and her ability to be in charge without the other characters even knowing, making her one of my favourite characters on TV.




2. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) - 'The Big Bang Theory' (2007 - )


Sheldon Cooper is one of the best known characters on television. His social awkwardness makes him a funny character to watch, and makes the show immersive - putting Sheldon Cooper in what would be a perfectly normal situation for anyone else, but for Sheldon is a huge challenge. Jim Parsons plays him immaculately, his comical timing, his tone of voice and his interactions with other actors create hours of laughter making him second on my top ten characters.




1. Clarke Griswold (Chevy Chase) - National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)


My number one character of all time is Clarke Griswold in 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'. Of this whole list, Clarke is the most relatable which is maybe why I like him the best. He is just a normal American guy who's dream is to have the perfect big family Christmas. This sounds perfectly achievable, until you meet Clarke Griswold. From a burning Christmas tree to a kidnapping, his family Christmas does not go exactly the way he planned! No matter how many times I watch this film I cant help but laugh and love it!

Good Will Hunting

'Good Will Hunting' (1997) - I've seen this film mentioned in a lot of places but I've never actually seen it, so when it popped up the other night whilst surfing yet again through Netflix, I thought 'yeah, this time I'm actually going to watch it'...and I'm so glad I did!

It stars probably my dream cast - the young Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the late Robin Williams and Stellan Skarsgard - who I only know as Bill from 'Mamma Mia!' (2008, Phyllida Lloyd) in a brilliant tale of a young troubled genius (Damon), unsure of his future, pushed towards work by his professor (Stellan Skarsgard) and to follow  his heart by his counsellor (Williams).

 With Minnie Driver starring as the love interest, this film inspired emotion, particularly during the counselling scenes between Will and Sean.

It drives ambition which is why I probably liked it so much - I just cant believe it took me so long to watch it! It looks at the conflict between following your heart and your head and requires the audience to think. The audience are torn between sympathising with Will (Damon) and feeling annoyed at him for continually ruining a potentially bright future. This creates emotion within the audience, immersing them in the film, making it a definite must see.

Slumdog Millionaire

As I said with '127 Hours' I am a big fan of the works by Danny Boyle, but the main reason I really liked 'Slumdog Millionaire' (2008, Danny Boyle) was it's structure. The content itself was extremely moving and at points too horrific to watch, but the structure made a powerful impact on me personally.


'Slumdog Millionaire' as a quick summary is about a young man in India who participates in the Indian version of who wants to be a millionaire and ends up in prison accused of cheating as he gets all of the questions right.

This is where the film starts, at the end with Jamal (Dev Patel) in prison, he is being interviewed, allowed to argue his case and this for me is where the film becomes a innovative piece of filmmaking.


Jamal begins to tell the interviewer how he answered each question. The answer to every question lies within an experience he has had in his life, therefore through the sequence of questions reveals to the audience Jamal's life story - the high and the low points. We become immersed in the sadness of his tale, he has been through so much and even when the tides seemingly begin to turn (Winning the contest) the world brings him back down on his knees.




The film does however end on a high note, with music and dancing! in the typical style of a Bollywood film. Jamal is set free and he gets the girl! A more hopeful end to a saddening story. This is probably one of my favourite structured films ever, I like the cuts between the present and the past, flashbacks all linking together to complete the story of Jamal, told in a format familiar to British audiences.

The Borrowers

'The Borrowers' (1997, Peter Hewitt) is by far one of my favourite films, I say this about most films I write about! but this film generally is a favourite! It reminds me of staying at my Grandma's house, watching it with my sister and cousin on video over and over again!


'The Borrowers' , based on the book by Mary Norton, follows the story of a whole world of miniature people that live beneath the floorboards of our world borrowing all they need to survive without us even knowing.

'A borrower is quiet, conscientious, and inconspicuous. We don't steal; we borrow'.

The story begins when the Lender family are forced to leave their home after the death of a relative, who's will cannot be found and therefore there is no proof that the house belongs to them. Their house is purchased by Mr Ocious P. Potter who plans to destroy the house and build his own empire on the land. However, it is not just the Lender's that inhabit the house, beneath the floorboards lives the Clock family - Pod (Jim Broadbent), Homily (Celia Imrie), Arrietty (Flora Newbigin) and PeaGreen (Tom Felton !). Usually unseen, adventurous Arrietty finds herself captured by Pete Lender (Bradley Pierce), initially a huge problem, it turns out to be a good thing as the clocks are able to find hope in Pete to help them to move out of the house with the family.

However, as with any film, things do not go to plan and the Clocks and Pete find themselves at war with Ocious who eventually finds himself up against the entire population of Borrowers in the town.

The reason I thought of this film was actually through Facebook! I found an article about the actors then and now! The biggest change I think has been in Tom Felton! From playing the young irritating PeaGreen to becoming Harry Potter favourite Draco Malfoy!

The style of the film reminds me of others such as 'Stuart Little' (1999, Rob Minoff), released during a similar sort of time, I think I love these films best as they were around as I was growing up. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of new films but without a doubt the older ones are my favourite.

The Jungle Book: Live Action

My first reaction to the news that 'The Jungle Book' was to be remade as a live action was that it was going to be a disaster. I think 'The Jungle Book' (1967, Wolfgang Reitherman) has to be one of my favourite Disney films. Watching it on video, singing along with the songs and the style of the animation was all part of the appeal- why would anyone want to make it live action?

But when I thought about it, there are several other Disney films which have been remade into live action, and of which I have liked both versions. 'Peter Pan' (1953, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske) for example. The first live action remake 'Peter Pan' (2003, P.J Hogan) is one of my sisters favourite films, and I have to say I really enjoyed it (Although after having to sit through it for about the tenth time it starts to lose its appeal!). This was a success as far as I was concerned. Further to this 'Pan' (2015, Joe Wright) is due for release on 16th October, with an all star cast including Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller and Amanda Seyfried. From what I can gather from the trailer, this film not only allows Peter Pan to be reborn but it explores the part of the story that has never been explained - where did Peter Pan come from. For this reason I am interested to see how well the story fits with the previous versions.



'Cinderella' is another Disney classic that was beautifully re-made into live action earlier this year - 'Cinderella' (2015, Kenneth Branagh)- starring the gorgeous Lily James who I recognise as playing Lady Rose in Downton Abbey (See previous Post!) This film was as enchanting as the original animated version, if not more. The songs, the wildlife, the crazy fairy Godmother (As played by Helena Bonham Carter) and of course the iconic blue dress.

'The Jungle Book' (Jon Favreau) is set for release in 2016 starring Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba and Bill Murray. I am starting to think that maybe this will work. All the animals will be CG, Favreau admitting he was influenced by the success of 'Avatar' (2009, James Cameron). If this is the case, and the animation reaches such a standard, then I think this film could be a success. There appears to be a current trend of Disney live action re-makes, I wonder who will be next to step up and which story they will chose to tell?

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey, created and written by Julian Fellowes is by far one of the best series I have watched (alongside Sherlock of course!) and the new series continues to thrive!


Downton follows the Crawley family, owners of Downton Abbey between 1912 and 1925, seeing them face good times and bad times, and the terrors of the first world war. What I love most about Downton Abbey is the characters. They have been built on in such a way as to create an engaging array of personalities.



My favourite character is Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith). Now this may be because I am a huge fan of Maggie Smith anyway, however the character of Violet provides a comical streak to the show, an Dowager Countess of Grantham stuck in her old fashioned ways. This is heightened by the conflict created between her and Isobel Crawley who embraces the ways of the modern world.

Downstairs in the servants quarters, the most lovable character is by far Mr Charles Carson (Jim Carter). He is the calming influence of everyone from the kitchen maids to Lady Mary herself. He is a friend to all and will always offer a shoulder to cry on, whilst maintaining professionalism in his role as Butler of Downton. Finally, in the most recent episode Mr Carson himself has been rewarded for his all round nice personality by marrying Mrs Elsie Hughes (Phyllis Logan). A long time coming, the wedding is small and private with the surprising comeback of much loved character Tom Branson - I can't wait for the next instalment!

As well as likeable characters, some characters are designed so we love to hate them. The prime example of this is Thomas Barrow (Robert James), underbutler at Downton. He is always stirring trouble, making life for servants below stairs extremely difficult at times. However, he himself has an underlying feeling of vulnerability. Firstly, he is homosexual which was unaccepted during this time in history, proving a great struggle for Barrow to conceal this. He is also forced to go to war, terrified by the horrors of the first world war, Barrow purposely gets shot in order to be sent back to Britain. This vulnerability creates a small amount of sympathy for Barrow, so despite hating him, the audience cant help but like him as a character.


The first series could be criticised for jumping too quickly through time, however the pace has slowed down dramatically in later series, perhaps because the popularity of the show has been realised.
The final series of Downton is currently being aired at 9pm on ITV. It is said that the final episode will be a Christmas Special (Which has now become part of Christmas day in my family! all sitting round to watch Downton) and there is also talks of creating a film. I just hope it lives up to the high standard of the television series.

Le Voyage Dans La Lune

A trip to the moon! 'Le Voyage Dans La Lune' (1902, Georges Melies) was first brought to my attention by the film 'Hugo' (2011, Martin Scorsese) in which there are several reference to the film that arguably started the idea of film making. It then appeared as the first film recommended in the book '1001 movies to see before you die' (Steven Jay Schneider, Ian Haydn Smith), so I went straight to Youtube to search it out. (See link below)

The thing I loved about this was the theatrical feel. It was a transition from theatre to camera. There were elaborate costumes and sets all eye catching and over the top. Further to this, several innovative techniques are used to set the scene, such as placing the camera in front of a fish tank containing live fish and placing the set and actors behind to create the illusion of being underwater. Its the traditional idea of creativity and innovation which nowadays is driven by modern technology (CGI, 3D).


There is no sound except for overlaying music which creates an upbeat feel to the film. There is also no colour due to the black and white nature of the first cameras, however this did not stop the costumes that were created from being bright and colourful, despite the fact these cameras would not pick this up.


At only 12 minutes in length, it proves that with hard work and a good idea, a lot can be fit into a small amount of time with very little technology. I think it is important to keep advancing with film technologies, however I think a lesson should be taken from this film, its not all about the technology, and therefore I think more films should go back to basics.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FrdVdKlxUk

Sherlock

I have to say, the first time I watched 'Sherlock' (2010, Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat ) I only managed the first ten minutes, I think I had decided before I'd seen it that it wasn't my kind of thing. I couldn't have been more wrong! I think the lesson here is watch outside your comfort zone, you may be surprised by what you enjoy (The same thing happened with 'Withnail and I' (1987, Bruce Robinson) , now one of my favourite films!). A couple of years on, my cousin and I watched the first series back to back followed by the first episode of the second series! Before we knew it a whole day had gone by, but it was completely worth it.

Benedict Cumberbatch offers an outstanding performance, bringing both the seriousness of a crime solver and comedy perfectly together to create a very unique Sherlock Holmes that draws in and holds your attention throughout every episode. The same can be said for Martin Freeman in the role of Watson. He offers a thread of normality to neutralise the extraordinary character of Holmes, but who in himself holds bundles of personality, with his background as a soldier playing a huge part in the way his personality has been shaped. This is subtly implied by Freeman perfectly. As well as performance, the cinematography helps the audience to begin to understand the mind of Holme, making him less distant and therefore more likeable. Close up, slow motion shots of the clues in which leads Holmes to his conclusions allows the audience to follow the complexity, offering an explanation to originally impossible conclusions, creating excitement and tension as it keeps the

audience guessing.

'Sherlock' is probably now my favourite British TV series and I would without a doubt rate it 5/5, 6 if it were possible!