17/10/2018

FILM REVIEW: A Star Is Born


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hello future anna, a few weeks ago, someone said i should do film reviews. on my personal instagram i always babble about the films i see on my story, but thought i would take it one step further and create a blog post/podcast/review thing so anyone can watch/listen/read it and get to know my thoughts! I hope to do more in the future so stick around!

Anyway, here is the transcript for the review which will be linked below!

The other day I went to the cinema to see A Star Is Born.

The film is now in it’s fourth remake, with previous versions starring Janet Gaynor (1937), Judy Garland (1954), and Barbara Streisand (1976). Each version follows a similar story outline, a character who has made it, falls in love and helps someone who is trying to make it. Both characters face challenges along the way, and even though each end differently, they all end the same. Does that make sense?

The 2018 version, the only one I’ve seen, follows established singer Jackson Maine, played by Bradley Cooper, on his tour. However, we quickly learn that Jack is dependent on drugs and alcohol to battle his demons. He meets Ally, played by Lady Gaga, when she is singing in a bar one night. The two quickly fall in love and we see their journey together.

I really loved the film. It’s not a new story, but the way it was told was fresh and down to earth, showing celebrities are people who struggle, just like ourselves. It was funny, emotional and the music was stunning. If Jackson Maine was a real singer, I’d definitely have his album.

The rest of the review will contain spoilers, so if you’re happy with that, please continue, and if not, I’ll see you around. If you do go and see the film, bare in mind that it shows drug and alcohol use as well as suicide, so if those are things that affect you, please don’t go and see it.

STORY

So, you know the basic outline, but I’m going to go into a little detail on the beginning, middle and end.
To start the film, wow, what an entrance. I love live music, I would live at a music venue if I could, and to start the film with the crowd screaming and the band preparing, it just takes me away to my happy place. To start the film with such electricity, was a power move and really set the scene for the entire film. Like I said, we learn from day 1 that Jackson is dependent on drugs and alcohol and even though this is the main theme in each of the previous films, it felt so perfect for the time we are in right now. So many artists struggle, everyone struggles, but it seems each week that I am reading about more and more stars struggling or going into rehab. Even though the solution didn’t really work for Jackson, it was such a touching story, and I hope that people can learn to look out for friends and family who may be showing similar signs, so they can get help.

I looked at my watch and we had quickly learnt a lot in just an hour of the film and the story was in full swing which I really liked. Sometimes things like this can feel dragged out, but this really wasn’t. I love how we were introduced to the character of Ally, a loveable and relatable girl whose dreams came true. Some love stories in the movies are unrealistic and really wind me up, but this love story was real and made sense which really helped the story to come to life.

Somethings that I felt could’ve been done a little better were the talks between Jack and his brother and his past. I know the story focus was on the present, but it was easily lost, and even though I knew jack’s brother was his brother, I don’t know, but I just felt like the past of the characters could have been done a little more smoothly for the audience to understand. I always pick up things in films so the fact I didn’t really get this was a bit concerning.

I liked how Ally and Jack grew as characters but also stayed the same. Natural progression was done so well, however I didn’t like how it ended.

My mum told me that all previous versions ended with death, I won’t say how because spoilers, but it really angered me that this one did in the way it did. It felt very out of place, and even though Jack was lost and unsure, I just didn’t feel that he would do what he did. I know it’s unfortunately realistic, with things like this actually happening, but it just wasn’t the end that I wanted, or the one I saw coming. With that being said, the story was rounded off nicely and the end of the film was beautiful, coming full circle with Ally, and sadly the same with Jackson, I just wished it had been done a little differently, but if they’d done it the way I wanted, it would be very similar to the one with Barbara Streisand.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, was never bored, but confused a little.

CAST

Wow, what a cast. Bradley Cooper who played Jackson and Lady Gaga who played Ally were phenomenal. A lot of the internet says each generation of the film has chosen a couple who represents the world at that time, and I truly feel Gaga and Cooper were a brilliant match.

Cooper directed and co-wrote the film as well as starred in it, giving him quite a bit to do, but his performance was incredible. He looked the part, sang the part, and sounded it, even though at times I couldn’t really understand the deep accent, but I couldn’t understand the brother’s either so that’s my problem, not theirs! He truly became a tortured soul, showing the audience how fame and fortune doesn’t equal happiness. He was brave, outgoing and showed so much star quality.

Gaga is known throughout the world for her music, but recently took to acting. Her role in A Star Is Born is so stunning. I knew she would rock it, but oh my, she took it to the next level. She was so natural, she truly bought the character of Ally to life. I believed every word and trusted every move. And her voice, wow, she stole the show.

Jackson’s Brother was a really important character and even though I didn’t catch his name, he was powerful and emotional, and I really loved his attitude.

Ally’s manager was two-sided and true to real life, something I’m sure lots of famous people watching the film can see in people they know in real life. I hated him, and I think that’s exactly what they were hoping for.

One special shout out to the guy who played Ally’s dad. I love him, he is such a good dad, I hope he has a good day.

MUSIC & SOUND

This film relied on the music more than anything. The story could be great, but if the soundtrack was awful, people wouldn’t stick around to see what happened. I’m blown away with the quality of songs, the range and just the singing of Gaga and Cooper really takes front seat. Even if you don’t plan on seeing the film, I recommend listening to the soundtrack. My personal favourites are Black Eyes, Maybe It’s Time, Always Remember Us This Way, and of course Shallow which is the lead song from the film. Like I said a little while ago, if Jackson Maine was a real artist, I would own all his CDs. I just love his voice and the music is just so alive. It’s kinda like Tom Grennan and Mumford & Sons.

Don’t quote me on this but I think most of the songs sung in the film were performed live. I think you could pay £10 to go and see it being made at Glastonbury which is pretty cool. I love how it was real, like all live performances are, and not lip synced. However, the audience could’ve looked a bit more excited, haha!

The only thing I would’ve done differently sound wise, was near the end, just before the character of Ally smashes all the frames, there is quite a loud noise sound. Like feedback. If it was me, I would’ve had complete silence, just to make it even more eerie, especially after the events that have just taken place, but that’s just my personal choice.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

A lot of beautiful shots, wide and close up. Whenever we were with Jackson, everything was very close, he wasn’t able to escape our view, it was uncomfortable but a great camera choice. With Ally, we often saw all of her. She was open to us, ready for the world to take her, and it stayed like this even when she was signed because she always stayed true to herself and her vision.

MISE-EN-SCENE

One thing that was used a lot were neon signs. I love bright shining lights of single colours, for me, it’s just a power move really. It’s harsh yet sets the scene so perfectly. I loved the use of the red neon sign when the police arrived at the house near the end. A red room shining in the middle of an empty wood. Very telling of the scene and deeper meanings and things.

I loved the realness of Ally and her Dad’s house. It was full and messy, just like a home should be, and you could see this reflected in Ally’s clothing before she was famous. She wasn’t a mess, but you could clearly see that she was proud of where she had come from. As her life changed, so did her look, and even though I wasn’t a massive fan of her having to change, I loved the style she chose. It was nice to see it against Jackson’s never changing wardrobe, showing how Ally had grown, but Jackson would always be stuck.

ANYTHING ELSE?

I think that’s everything. I really enjoyed the film, I nearly cried at times, but I was smiling at the end. I have done research into the previous versions and I really would like to see them, so hopefully I can. Who knows if they’ll do another version in a few decades time, but for now we just have to wait for awards season to see if they win anything. I do hope so. Also, is it a musical?

So that’s my kinda review/me just spilling my thoughts on A Star Is Born, but it was a wonderful film, and highly recommend it. Have you seen it? Are you going to? What are your thoughts? Let me know as I’d love to hear your opinion.

Have a great day, and I’ll see you next time.


09/10/2018

Things I'd Tell My High School Self

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morning future anna! hope you're good! after moving away from my home, i realised how important my family is. after living in a place with new people, it makes me look at the way people are raised and how they treat others. this weekend i went home to visit friends and family and it was just so lovely. i also realised that i'm really happy with the way i was raised. i could never ever speak back to my parents, i would like to think i'm kind and friendly and will always stand up for what i believe in. but i guess we all have phases when shouting at your parents and being embarrassed by them is the norm. i think my height of this phase was year 8/9 of high school, but luckily i'm out of it now haha! here are some thing i would tell my high school self, but i probably wouldn't change who i was as it's made me who i am.

be nice to your parents

my mum and dad are literally my bffs! i love them with all my heart and if i could go back, i would tell myself to appreciate them from an earlier age. sure i can come home from school and argue with them, or realise how much they do for me. i'm so lucky to have the family i do, and i hope they know that.

don't put everything online

in march 2013, i started my youtube channel. since then, i've felt the need to post all i do so that people i don't even know can see. i really love making videos and posting pictures, but i think youtube made me think that i need to be "famous" and that i need to be cool and go viral, when actually, no one needs to see what i do, i don't need others to validate my life and choices, and i'm cool enough without having "fans". i think i would just be a little more private and aware of how what i post can affect me or be seen by the whole world. that's why i recently made my instagram private but made one specifically for sharing film related things that i will keep professional rather than sharing my personal photos. maybe we can all learn from this.

if you like it, enjoy it, don't stop just because others find it silly

people often stop what they're doing just because others around them find it silly, even if they love it. i've always been very true to myself and never stopped doing what i love just because of what other might say, but i've definitely thought about quitting or not tried something because my friends don't, and if i could, i would tell myself to just do it. if i love it or want to get involved, i don't need someone else's opinion.

stick with your hobbies + guitar

kinda a follow on, but i would tell my high school self to stick at my hobbies, even if they don't seem like something i can use right then. i used to play guitar, but then i stopped, and i regret it so so much. i would love to be able to play and write music/sing but i can't. i know i can learn, but who knows where i would be if i'd continued. the same with clarinet, if i'd continued, who knows what i might be doing with my life. high school anna, stick at things, you never know what might happen.

start the essay the night you get it

oh gosh homework was not my favourite, so i would leave it til he last minute. i would always get it done, whether it was during the lesson or at 6am (i would set an alarm to wake up early to do it). i'm not blaming my parents, but i think if i were to do it all over again, i would want them to make me do it as soon as i got home from school rather than just leaving me to do it whenever. i was once set an essay about romeo and juliet and i couldn't finish it in one night so i took in what i'd done and lied to my teacher, saying i had left the last half at home and that i would bring it tomorrow. lmao. so yeah, do your homework the night it's set future anna, it won't do itself!

be friends with everyone

as i've grown up, i've seen bullying, i've seen people being mean, and it's awful to think that people are upset and alone. i've never been a bully, but i've done my fair share of joking with the class and taking sides. if i could redo it, i would just be friends with everyone. i was never mean to people, i would always pair up with them if we needed or would sit with them, but i would properly put in effort to be friends with everyone and make sure everyone knows that they are included. if i've ever been the toxic person in your life, or you've felt i've acted awfully towards you, know that i am so so sorry, and will forever regret it. i will always reach out to people if they look upset or alone now and make sure that everyone has a friend.

stand up for the people who can't stand up for themselves

a follow up from the last one, but the final thing i would tell my high school self is to be the voice for those who feel they have none. wow that sounds preachy, but i have always been confident and never afraid to stand up for myself. i've often stood back when i could've helped, and i do regret that. now, if i ever do see something that i don't agree with, or feel i can help someone, i do. i will always use my voice for good.

so this is what i'd tell my high school self. i think if my future self did appear to me, i wouldn't be surprised. i've grown up on doctor who and crazy sci-fi movies, so it would be shocking, but pretty cool. hopefully i'm able to continue growing as a person and loving my family as much as i do. good luck if you're still in school, take part in everything you can and be friends with everyone, you never know what people are going through! keep being cool future anna x

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02/10/2018

How To Deal With Home Sickness

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hey future anna! hope you're ok! I'm settling into London life and my new job pretty well, much better than i thought i would to be completely honest. i've never dealt with leaving home very well.

the first case of being homesick that i can properly remember was going on a girl guides camp when i was maybe 12 or 13, i'm not sure though. half way through the camping trip (we were there for a week, so this was about 3 nights in) i just wanted to be home. it wasn't the camping, it wasn't the cold, it was just that i was away from familiar. that night, i was in my tent with 2 friends. they were talking, and i just burst into tears and ran from the tent. i just ran, out into anything. i think i found somewhere to sit and could hear people shouting my name. i slowly headed back to my camp (the trip was for the whole of the UK and the sit was massive, think music festival!!) and went into the kitchen tent to find my guide leader. she hugged me and asked what was wrong. i simply said that i wanted my mum. gosh i always get emotional thinking about this hahah!! she replied with "I'll be your mum whilst your here" and i just said no and went to my tent. of course i enjoyed the trip, so much, i have a diary from the week and it's full of incredible adventures and friends, but it wasn't home. the day the camp ended, my sister and i were picked up by my grandad as my parents were at a wedding and i can remember so vividly knocking on my front door to see my gran open it, then my mum's car appeared, i threw my bag at my gran (sorry granny!!!!) and ran as fast as i could to my mum. i hugged her so hard.

after moving house in march 2016, i felt very very homesick for my old house. it was so awful, i asked my parents to not drive down our old street because it just made me so upset. anyway, some horrible months later, my aunty and uncle invited me to Australia for a few weeks. i traveled with my cousin on boxing day 2016 and it was seriously the best time! here is the blog post about it: http://annasnothere.blogspot.com/2017/02/call-me-from-australia.html
anyway, about 7 days into the trip, i just wanted to be at home. my mum was sending me pictures of the family playing games together and celebrating the new year, and i just wanted to be with them. i shook it out of me and told myself that this was a once in a lifetime experience, i should enjoy every minute! from then i didn't want to come back (hahah), but it made me realise that i was homesick for my family, not a building. my home is wherever my family is and ever since i have been so much happier with the move.

so yeah, i'm an emotional little homesick child but i have learnt a few tricks that help me when in a new place, and things that i've tried to do whilst in London to be able to just get on with life, rather than dwelling on something else so i thought that i would share them if anyone else needs them! especially if you're starting university, or moving out like i just have!

find places that make you feel safe (local cafe, church, ect)

this was a lot easier for me to do as my cousin lives in London so invited me to join her church. i've also grown up Methodist, so i found my local Methodist church to attend to. already i've got 2 places to go to, to feel safe and meet new people. sure, church isn't for everyone, but for me personally, it was nice to just have somewhere to go and it meant that i could explore the local area a little more. churches are also great places to start new things! i've started the choir at one church, and i'm also going to start helping with the Sunday school. it's not for everyone, but i feel that having a purpose in a new place can lead t you wanting to be here more, not focusing on what you had at home, because now you've got something new. if a church isn't for you, try and find a local cafe or park where you can sit and feel safe. whether you just sit and listen to music or take a notebook to draw or a laptop to write, try and find somewhere as well as the place you're living so you're able to escape the house, as well as have a new space to be. it may take a while to find somewhere perfect for you, but that gives you an excuse to explore the local area as well as treat yourself to a cake or two at the cafes!! i really hope you find somewhere. i'm still looking for the perfect cafe, but i've got the churches, a park i love and a cinema, so i'm happy! haha!

A follow up to this point, i feel so much safer in a place if i know the area and the roads, so one day go on a walk or take the bus! it will start to feel like home soon!

make friends/meet with people in the area so you don't feel alone

this can be a really tough one. new places can feel so so lonely, especially if it's a big place with a lot of people. i'm lucky, i came to London with my cousin just a short bus ride away and a few friends from different walks of life. it can be daunting. i guess i've not been as worried by this one as i'm very happy with my own company, and i am not worried to spend a weekend by myself or treat myself to lunch and a theatre date! haha! but it's nice to know people! if you've just started uni, try and speak to the people you're living with, even if it's just a nod and a simple hello every now and then. try and speak to everyone on your course to see where you might fit in! if you'e struggling, find a club or a society that you might like and talk to people there! there are people just like you looking for friends everywhere, don't worry! i believe you can do it! having 1 or 2 really good friends is better than having loads that you don't do anything with!

limit contact with family, call maybe 2/3 times a week rather than everyday

when i'm homesick, i just want to be with my family so much. it seems like the easiest thing to do is just be on the phone with them at all times, but personally, this isn't the answer. you need your own space to feel independent, and go and explore somewhere new without your family. i speak to my family pretty often, sometimes everyday, but for the first few weeks of being here, i tried to keep contact down because surely it's quite upsetting to be thinking about them all the time, rather than focusing on my own life. recently my mum had a meeting in London, so we met for breakfast. i cried when i saw her, but after wiping my tears, i said that i was so happy to be in London, i'm fine, i was just emotional because the tubes were delayed and there were a lot of people so i worried i wouldn't be able to see her. i thought it would be emotional to leave each other, but it wasn't. we are both very happy with our lives, and i can't be at home forever. you can do this. talk to your nearest and dearest, but don't rely on them to help you get through the day, you have to work on that yourself. 

it will be fine. you will be fine. i believe in you. homesickness is normal, so so normal, it will all work out in the end. feel free to send tips if you have any! see you around future anna x

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