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.