A real American Beauty.

10 years on and American Beauty is still an iconic film.

Winning Oscars for 'Best Actor in a Leading Role', 'Best Cinematography', 'Best Director', 'Best Picture' and 'Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen' and numerous other prestigious awards, it had critics rubbing their hands in delight.

Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening's on screen relationship is fantastic. Humorous and tense at the same time; combining laughs, anger and language enough to make the best of use feel uneasy.

Thora Birch and Wes Bentley treat us to beautiful and untainted view of breaking boundaries and rules to find solace in the most unlikely of places.

Mena Suvari's performance introduces us to a seductive yet insecure teenage who users her appearance and attitude to mask the deeper insecurities she holds

American Beauty is a deep psychological thriller enhanced with unusual comedy and dark and acutely exaggerated characters. The worst of each character is portrayed, yet they remain human and touching. American suburban life is exposed with irony and cynicism.

A sarcastic, yet inspiring look behind the fronts that people and communities use to mask the truth.

The scene in which Ricky videos a plastic bag in the wind is possibly, for me, one of the most inspiring scenes in film history. With a spine-tingling soundtrack to accompany it, it is truly a scene I will never forget.
"It was one of those days when it's a minute away from snowing and there's this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. And this bag was, like, dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. And that's the day I knew there was this entire life behind things, and... this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever. Video's a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember... and I need to remember... Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in."

Kevin Spacey - 'Lester Burnham'
Annette Bening - 'Carolyn Burnham'
Thora Birch - 'Jane Burnham'
Wes Bentley - 'Ricky Fitts'
Mena Suvari - 'Angela Hayes'


American Beauty is an intelligent piece and deserves all the acclaim it has recieved and that which it will continue to receive. - 9/10

"I'm throwing my arms around Paris"

So, Morrissey is 49, he's been active since the 70's and he can still roll with the young ones.

In January, he released "I'm throwing my arms around Paris". I looked forward to hearing it as I have a little place for Morrissey in my heart. "This Charming Man" is one of my all time favourite songs and his work whilst in The Smiths in general is pleasing.

So, I get on itunes, I buy the song and as soon as it appears in my library, I put it on and hope I'll like what I hear.

A pleasant intro – that’s always good. Morrissey is on top form vocally as he kicks in. The lyrics as usual are poetic yet simple - I like that, its typical Morrissey.

The true test however, is whether I will listen to it again when I next come on iTunes or whether, if it comes up on shuffle, I will skip it. Well, before I got chance to get back to iTunes, I found myself singing it in a traffic jam, looking like a complete idiot to anyone watching but feeling great as I belted out the lyrics in the best Morrissey voice I could muster. I find myself wanting it on a CD so I can put it on in the car (I have decided it will make a good driving song in the summer by this point).

A good song. Catchy, a nice melody and Morrissey is sounding on top form.

"Throwing my arms around Paris"...I'm throwing my arms around it, in a big musical appreciation kind of embrace thats for sure.

"I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" Video

Slumdog Millionaire

The critically acclaimed, eight times Oscar winning film, the brainchild of British director Danny Boyle and Indian co-director Loveleen Tandan, hit screens in the UK with an unbelievable force when it was released on January 9.

With so much hype, I was unsure whether it would live up to my expectations. I did not want to be disappointed by a film that had been picked apart and had the tastiest bits slapped on its trailer so I knew what was going to happen before I even paid for my ticket. Nor did I want to go, settle down and find the film had completely missed my expectations and I walked away feeling I would never be able to watch Boyle's great such as 'Trainspotting' in the same way again. Fortunately, this was not the case.

As I settled down with a close friend at my side, someone who is possibly even more critical on films than me, we slid back in our chairs and waited in anticipation while the trailers rolled through.

I'd built up quite a collection of opinions and expectations about the film from people who had seen it already, heard reviews and even my Nanny who, like myself had watched Jonathan Ross and had been won over by Dev Patel and his 'quirky good looks' as she described it.

As the movie began I felt a little anxious. Could this film really be worth all the hype? Could a Brit-flick really bowl over so many critics?

A) No.

B) You might as well walk out now.

C) A Brit-flick? Never.

D) Absolutely.

The opening scene which oozed suspense. Jamal K. Malik (Dev Patel), an 18 year old orphan from the Mumbai slums has been arrested on suspicion of cheating after reaching the 20 million rupee question on the Indian version of 'Who wants to be a millionaire'.

The opening scene offers the audience this question:

"Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. How does he do it?
A) He cheated.
B) He’s lucky.
C) He’s a genius.
D) It is destiny."

The answer is not revealed.

In a desperate attempt to try to prove his innocence Jamal tells inspectors his life story. First we are taken back to Jamal's life in Mumbai when he is asked about Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, one of his idols. While Jamal explains that this question was simple the others have been chance helped by events in his life that have meant he knows the answer to the question he has been asked.

The film rockets the viewer on an emotional journey.
As an audience we witness:
The death of Jamal's mother in Hindu-Muslim riots.
The encounter and adventures with Latika, who is to become the love of Jamal's life.
Encounters with violent gangsters.
The growth in independence of Jamal and his brother from the slums of Mumbai, to living and travelling on top of trains, to pick pocketing and acting as tour guides at the Taj Mahal.
The introduction to Salim's involvement in crime and the devastating effect it has on the relationship between Jamal and Latika.

Each phase of his life holds the answer to a question he is asked on the game show.

However, as an audience, we are left wandering what an 18 year old orphan from Mumbai, with no apparent want for such a vast amount of money, is doing on the show?

With help from Latika and Salim, Jamal goes on to answer the final question. With sixty million viewers watching and praying for Jamal, the right answer changes both his life and the dreams of others in an instant.

Leaving the audience with the answer to the question posed in the beginning.

D) It is destiny.

I think I will choose D for my questions too...
Could this film really be worth all the hype? Could a Brit-flick really bowl over so many critics?
D) Absolutely.


Slumdog Millionaire mixes love, tragedy and humor with amazing results. - 8/10

First post.

Seeing as this is my first post on this blog, I will give you a little bit more background detail about me.

I read an article on things to do before you die. No particular order. There are a few that would be on there but I have done them. ('Go to San Francisco' and 'Swim with dolphins' being the main two.) So...

1. Go back to San Francisco.
2. Spend at least a month there.
3. Travel around the world with only a ticket to fly out of the UK booked.
4. See Van Morrison live.
5. Drive Route 66.
6. Go to London and take part in a protest.
7. Bungee Jump.
8. Write some form of book.
9. Get another mention in a book.
10. Learn to surf.
11. Swim with sharks.
12. Fly a plane.
13. Own a horse.
14. See Paul Simon perform the ‘Graceland’ album in it’s entirety.
15. Have a conversation with Stephen Fry.
16. Make a difference to someone’s life.
17. Cover a major event either in a newspaper or on TV.
18. Own numerous properties.
19. Pick Louis Theroux’s brains.
20. Earn enough money to give some back to my parents.
21. Go on a holiday with just my siblings.
22. Meet Jack Nicholson.
23. Learn Latin.
24. Go from John O’Groats to Lands End using only buses, going via various British landmarks.
25. Own two Labradors.
26. Buy a clarinet and learn to play again.
27. Take the piano from my house and learn to play at a higher level.
28. Watch the Northern Lights.
29. Learn to ski.
30. Ski in Canada.
31. Scuba dive at the Barrier Reef.
32. Write for The Times.
33. Make my Dad so proud he cries.
34. Get married.
35. Ride a Harley.
36. Trace my family tree back as far as possible.
37. Give to charity (Time and/or money) and see the results.
38. Visit Egypt.
39. Live in Egypt for a period of time like my Dad did.
40. Go back to Rome.
41. Talk to a homeless person and write down their story.
42. Visit India/Thailand/China.
43. Have children.
44. Take them to all the places my parents have taken me all over the world.
45. Take my Nanny to Dunoon so she can show me where she was born.
46. Buy a house in Norfolk.
47. Own a boat.
48. Hear my granddad say he is proud of me.
49. Hitchhike.
50. Sleep under the stars.
51. Read the communist manifesto.5
2. Work for the BBC.
53. Share an embrace with Jeremy Clarkson.
54. Watch all the Coen Brothers films.
55. Visit a volcano.
56. Be successful in my chosen career.
57. Show my mother how much she means to me.
58. To wake up in the morning and have breakfast in bed, cooked by someone special.
59. Get a tattoo that actually means something (but isn’t garish or overly visible).
60. Talk to Eddie Izzard.
61. Learn to play acoustic guitar so I can play numerous José González songs.
To be continued.


The most meaningful insight I could give...



(Currently listening to: 'Seven Years' (Acoustic) - Saosin)