27/04/2019

Fave Songs RN #2

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hey future anna! I haven't done this for a while so thought it'd be cool to share a few of my current favourite songs!!

DUA LIPA - GENESIS

I literally adore this song. It is the first track from Dua's debut album and I think it's beautiful. The lyrics are so poetic and revealing, and the production of the song is perfect. However I'm feeling, this song will be played. The drums make it sound so exotic and far from home which is what she is trying to get away from in the song, and then there are parts that feel so grounded, which is what she is craving. I don't really relate to the song, I just find it so glorious. One part that always stands out for me is the bridge because it is SO DIFFERENT from the rest of the song, but I love how vulnerable she has made herself in the whole album, but especially this song. It isn't one of the most well known ones but I HIGHLY recommend giving it a listen, it's just gorgeous!

ST VINCENT - NEW YORK

I can't remember when I first heard this but it has had me enchanted ever since. It's so raw and pretty, yet so gritty in its themes. St Vincent is asking for forgiveness from someone she loves as she believes that they are the only person who truly loves her back. It's delicate yet electric and I just wanna give this song a hug!! To be honest, I haven't really heard much of her other stuff, but this song for me is just perfect. Now listening to it again, it kinda reminds me of the BBC series fleabag. I don't know why, but I can just imagine it fitting perfectly. Please give this track a listen and appreciate every part of it. I can't get enough of it!

MICHELLE WILLIAMS - TIGHTROPE

This song is my FAVE from the Greatest Showman soundtrack! I've seen the film twice with different people and none of the songs in it enrapture me like this one does. I haven't really listened to the soundtrack, but whenever I go home, my younger brother always plays it on repeat, along with a mix of ABBA songs and some from Twenty One Pilots. He always asks which is my favourite song from the film so he can play it and I always gravitate towards this one. The whole soundtrack is so powerful, but this one is just incredible to me. It's such a simple song but has so much feeling and love, and the part of the film makes me angry and upset. It truly showcases the magic of a relationship, how it can be unsteady yet so much fun and it's all worth it in the end. I think it's gloriously written and performed, I adore it. You may love or hate the film (don't know why you'd hate it, it's not cool to hate something just because lots of people like it!!!!), but please give this song a chance. You won't regret it!

BILLIE EILISH - BAD GUY

MMM YESSS!! Damn this song is just too good. Billie is a true force to be reckoned with, and after loving her music for a short while, I was super excited to see what the album would give us. I was not disappointed, and my favourite is Bad Guy which I think is the main single. I love how it's unapologetic and straight to the point. It's moody, sad, exciting, and I can't help but bop to it and pretend that the world is mine. It makes me feel so cool which is what Billie is trying to do for herself. The music video is on a whole other level, and when she says 'DUH'... I freak out every time!!! When the song changes to a more slow, less upbeat track, it really sets in how incredible Billie is. Her music is so different and challenging to what we are listening to right now, and she isn't scared to put whatever she likes out there! I cannot wait to see what she releases next!

BASTILLE - DOOM DAYS

If you know me, you know Bastille are ma fave! I'm currently in a Bastille shirt haha! Anyway, after getting their single QPM last year, we finally get something new and hopefully the album will follow shortly behind it. The song starts quietly, and almost angelic, similar to parts of their last album 'Wild World'. As the beat kicks in, we are greeted with an almost monologue style rant at the world and how we are living in these Doom Days. There are so many references to Brexit, plays, addiction, social media, appearance, the world slowly ending... I love it!! The main singer Dan said he wrote 20 verses for the song and this final version is a shorter collection of it, but I'd actually love to read the full thing! I didn't want the song to end, it's so hard hitting and cool, I just cannot wait for the rest of the album to grace our presence! Give it a listen, it's WOW WOW WOW!

TAYLOR SWIFT - I WISH YOU WOULD

Taylor swift is my current addiction. Her entire discography has been the soundtrack to my life since before Christmas, I just can't get enough of her! I fell in love with her album Reputation, then slowly worked my way through each of her albums! I adore Speak Now with my entire heart but I'm currently on my 1989 phase and listen to the album in full most days. My favourite song right now is I Wish You Would, and the line "you always knew how to push my buttons" is constantly stuck in my head but I'm not complaining! haha! I didn't know this song existed til I started listening to her more and I frickin love it! I don't relate to the song but I just love how alive it is! It's a total bop and more people need to hear it! Her new song ME! with Brendon Urie came out yesterday and it's like something from a musical! I adore Taylor's country songs, and I really hope there is a flare of that in her new album! But for now, the 1989 album is my favourite and absolute perfection!

So that's what you'll be seeing if you look at my Spotify anytime soon! Let me know what your favourite songs are at the moment and what you think of my current faves! Have a great day!

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10/04/2019

FILM REVIEW: Us

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I'm so sorry future anna hahaha, I saw a horror film and you're probably experiencing the consequences!! eeee! I've wanted to watch Jordan Peele's new film but I also haven't because horror films are definitely not my jam! But a friend wanted to go, so I said I would too. They asked if I'd seen Get Out (Peele's previous horror blockbuster), and I said that I'd read the script because I was too scared to watch it. She then asked if I'd watched the trailer for Us. I said that I'd only watched half because it scared me hahaha! She just looked at me and laughed. It was all gonna be fine, and it actually was!!

This review contains spoilers, you have been warned!!!

STORY

Us follows a family returning to their beach house and visiting a beach front where the Mother Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) experienced a traumatic moment which had shaped her life since. After the visit, she confesses her worries to her husband and says she is sure something will happen that night. And it does. 4 Masked people force their way into the house and it turns out to be each member of the family, but their bad shadow version.

I really liked the whole idea of the story, that we all have these dark sides, in this case physically, and how we live our life shapes them. I felt quite lucky watching the film as each character on screen had something about them that could be dangerous if they were to come against it (large build, track runner, plays with fire), but I'm super unfit and can't even lift my younger brother so I think me and my bad shadow would just have to sit and talk because we'd just be so out of breath hahah! One thing I found really funny at this point was when the shadows were asked who they were and they replied with "Americans." I loved it because even though the shadows aren't necessarily real people, they might act how real people do, which is awful to see. We really do need to start being kinder and taking care of our neighbours and planet!

I liked how the story progressed and the family didn't stay still for long. It was realistic (if it can be haha) to how I might react to things which I loved about it because sometimes horror film characters do stupid things and there is literally no reason for it, so I liked that.

One thing that did confuse me was the death of the young shadow boy. He was setting us up for a trap, but then the real boy was able to make him copy him and kill him, but like, how?? Why did the shadow boy suddenly copy him and walk into the fire? like????? that was the only bit that didn't seem right to me. If I'd done it, I think I would've had the boy try and trick the shadow boy, ultimately ending his life, but this just didn't make sense to me, especially after how clever all the other shadow people were. But hey ho, it set up the boy being taken which lead to the big ending of the story.

I really liked the twist, how the bad person became the good and the good became the bad (which let us know why she could talk and the others couldn't) when she had stumbled upon the entrance to the sewers in her childhood (which wouldn't have happened if she'd listened to her parents and stayed where she was omg listen to your parents!!!!). It really let the story made sense and why she was angry with the upstairs world and wanted to harm her other self because of it. I loved the idea of the dance and how every movement meant something.

I thought the ending was really powerful, with the son finding out the truth about his mother and us seeing a large line of the shadow people taking their place along the line of America. It was a great ending, yet it would've made more sense if I knew more about the Food for America (was that even the charity??) thing that had been started when she was a child. Like it was a great ending for the main people, but the rest of the shadow people... like what the heck? I don't understand why they're all just stood there? like what is their purpose?

So even though some bits scared me, I haven't been super affected, like I was after watching the ring, but it's still left me with some fear and worry for the world. There were only 2 points that I didn't really follow (the boy's death and the shadow people in a line), but other than that I thought it was a great success and I'm excited to see what Mr Peele does next!

CAST

What a cast!!! Such strong actors, including the young children. Madison Curry who played young Adelaide and Red was phenomenal. She was insane, seriously! Her movement, facial expressions, she was just enchanting. She truly became the characters she was playing. I just can't give her enough praise, and cannot wait to see what she does next. She is a true star. It truly amazed me how well everyone played 2 versions of themselves and so well, with awe, anger and true passion and feeling. I couldn't even look at the screen when Zora (Red's daughter, played by Shahadi Wright Joseph) was on it. Her expressions were too scary haha! I seriously cannot praise this cast enough. Playing one character is tough enough, but to play a character in 2 different ways takes skill.

CINEMATOGRAPHY & EDITING

The shadows, the colours, the harsh lighting, all played a part in creating a scary yet welcoming atmosphere. One thing that I think will be looked at forever is when the Red family is standing in the driveway of the holiday home and the light is so blinding that they look just like dark figures holding hands. It was so simple yet so powerful and changed the beautiful landscape to something sharp and dangerous. I loved the parallel shots between the upper earth and the underworld, giving us something familiar but also something we don't want to see. One thing that I thought was done really well was the dance scenes and how they were shot and edited. They flowed together yet you could pull the 2 apart. It flowed and was pretty, with the hazy lighting, but then we were taken back to the hospital atmosphere with harsh yellow lighting. Yet it was similar with the camera techniques. It was a well put together production, with a lot of work put into it.

MISE-EN-SCENE

This film was a time capsule, taking us back to the 80s. Even in the present day, music, fashion and toys were shown, really setting the scene for the shadow people and how they would end the film. One thing that really stood out for me were the red jumpsuits that the shadow people wore. It was like a prison uniform, as they were really prisoners, stood following the life of the people above them even if they didn't want it. The colour also showed us the bloodshed and was super striking.

The underpasses were really incredible to me. The idea that so many tunnels and old areas are still open lets the imagination run wild, thinking that anything could be down there! The areas were stylish with pastel coloured tiles, making us think of hospitals and clean spaces with the symmetry, but this was juxtaposed with the roaming rabbits and the dark classroom-esque spaces. Again, the idea of being prisoners was suggested again with the long rows of metal bunk beds where the shadows slept, did it want us to feel sorry for them?

ANYTHING ELSE?

I was surprised that I haven't been as affected by it as I thought I would be. It was scary, with a few jump scares, but it hasn't left me scared to walk alone or not wanting to look out the window incase my shadow version is standing out of breath from the walk to find me haha! If you are wanting to watch it but a bit like me (in mindset, not fitness), go and watch it, it's not as bad as you think!

So that's my kinda review/me just spilling my thoughts on Us. Have you seen it? Are you going to? Let me know your thoughts as I'd love to hear them!

Have a great day and I'll see you next time! Don't watch any more horror films whilst I'm away future anna!

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08/04/2019

THEATRE REVIEW: Top Girls @ The NT

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Hello future anna! On Saturday I went to the National Theatre on South Bank in London to see Top Girls! In the afternoon I went to LAMDA to see a third year production of The Cherry Orchard, and then travelled into the city for an evening performance. A theatre focused day, one of my favourite kinds!

So, first off, I paid £7.50 for my ticket YAS I KNOW RIGHT! To do this, sign up for entry pass on the NT website! I think you have to be between certain ages, but worth looking into as you save lots so you can see more! Ok, now onto the review...

A world of experiences are opened up to us by a gloriously strong cast of women, presenting a powerful story through brave lighting choices and emotionally real performances.

Top Girls introduces us to Marlene (Katherine Kingsley), a total boss lady, who is meeting friends at a restaurant for dinner. We quickly learn that her 5 acquaintances are a mix of women from history. As they eat they discuss children, having to hide their gender, and what pudding they're going to choose. The National Theatre always have incredible sets and use of staging, and this first room really blew me away. Everything from the large painted wall at the back of the table to the carefully placed table decorations, it all tied together wonderfully and it really felt like we were watching a meal take place at an expensive London Restaurant. The costumes were beautiful and suited each historical character so well! One character that really stood out for me was Pope Joan (Amanda Lawrence) as she was fantastic. They all were, don't get me wrong, but I just adored her movement and comic timing. You could tell the whole group of women really cared and respected each other, as well as had become great friends. Their chemistry was fab, and I'd love to go and see it again, closer if possible, as they all worked so well as a group. ALSO BIG MANDY FROM THIS COUNTRY PLAYED DULL GRET AHHH!!

The second scene takes place in Marlene's Sister Joyce's (Lucy Black) backyard, where we meet Joyce's daughter Angie (Liv Hill) and her friend Kit (Ashna Rabheru). The girls are hiding from Angie's mother and we begin to learn that even though they're friends, a lot of the relationship isn't really friendly. I thought both young actresses had developed their characters really well, and the chemistry between them was great! Angie is slightly disturbing, wanting to kill her mother, and believing that her Aunty Marlene is actually her mother. Kit tries to freak her out but Angie is stronger. I completely adored this scene, so much! The set was incredible and the lighting was fantastic. It felt cramped and dark, like we were also in the tiny outdoor space. I think this was my favourite scene in the production, it just felt wonderful: the shapes and shadows created, the language and reactions, it was so well written and directed. Love it!!

The first act ended with us being introduced to the Top Girls employment agency, where Marlene had just been promoted to Managing Director, the reason she had been out celebrating at the meal a few nights before. The set was clean with obscurely shaped benches, marking different areas of the office. Lighting was also greatly used at this point, as different areas were lit as they represented different interview rooms and offices. As Angie arrives to stay with her aunt Marlene for a while, Marlene is questioned by the wife of a man who thought he might have been promoted to the MD position. I thought the script at this point was incredibly written. It kinda flipped gender roles on their heads and let us see feminism at a high level, that Marlene was taking this role no matter what her competition was feeling. Even though it's set a few decades ago, the whole play feels so relevant to today, especially with many topics that were openly talked about rather than trying to fit in the guidelines of taboo topics, which I was highly grateful for. Seeing all women talk about women's issues and feelings was so refreshing. It truly made me smile when they all came out and bowed at the end. Makes me slightly mad as to why the National hasn't got any women writers for their new season, as they've proved that they can fly high!

After the interval, the second half only lasted about 30 minutes, and was set in Joyce's home, a year before the previous scenes. The kitchen and living room are definitely of their time, and show us that even though Marlene is making money, her sister isn't really. Again, the National makes incredible sets and props!! Shoutout to all of the backstage artists!!! Marlene is visiting, after not seeing her family for 6 years. She gives Angie gifts, including a dress which Angie puts on in the second scene when she is wanting to kill her mother. Joyce is given an expensive perfume. The family catches up, Angie is sent to bed, and the sister's argue and we discover that Angie is truly Marlene's daughter and Joyce has raised her as her own. Joyce switches the lights off and leaves Marlene with a blanket. She is left in darkness. Even though she has all she might ever need, she is severing ties with her family and is being left alone to live her life. This may be what she wants, after she gave away Angie, and left to live in London away from her family and the place she has come from. She previously tells her sister that if someone is "stupid or lazy or frightened" that she's not going to give them a job, yet Joyce states that Angie is all those things. I feel lighting was so well used in this scene, illuminating characters at certain times and again, making us feel like we're back in the small cramped outdoor space when Angie appears, ghost-like at the end. This scene was powerful, and you could clearly see the sister's unhappy relationship with their body language and heavy differences. This scene tied everything well together, and left me with questions, answers and even more questions.

I guess it can be interpreted in many ways, so if you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts! I guess this kinda turned into a drama and theatre studies essay (throwback to A-levels) than a review, but I hope you liked it as it is my first theatre review along with my previous film ones!

I love writing about films and shows, so let me know if there's something you want me to write about, or if you want to read more, you can visit my instagram account: @anna.create !!

I hope you're still going to the theatre future anna! See you around!

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06/04/2019

Ring Ring, it's 2019!

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happy new year future anna!!!! and to anyone else reading this!! I can't believe we're already in 2019, I'M GONNA BE 21 THIS YEAR WHAT THE HECK!! oh, wait... it's April. LOL!

Still... happy 2019, I guess.

The last few months have been, hmm, weird. Not in a bad way but I have spent a lot, and I mean A LOT, of time thinking about my life and what I'd like to do with it. It's completely normal to spend our lives thinking about dream careers and changing our minds a few times, but I seem to do this at least once a day, and I think I've done it since I was in primary school.

I keep telling myself that it's perfectly ok to do this. No one is 100% sure, and surely it's good to have lots of interests and explore them all, whether through jobs or hobbies. So, I've decided to take each year as it comes and focus on my likes at that particular time and just enjoy life.

So, without further ado, here is what I would like to do this year (well with what's left of it!!)...

ACTUALLY LEARN THE UKULELE

This has been on my list for AGESSS. I haven't actually picked up my ukulele since the last episode of my moving to London series 'Fizzy', which ended a few months ago. haha! Fingers crossed I can push myself to pick it up at a certain time every week and by the end of the year I'll be able to play a tune.

Save lots of money - that house ain't gonna buy itself

It's my goal to buy a house in my mid twenties. I know, I know... I said to focus a year at a time, but houses don't just happen in a year, unless you win the lottery (fingers crossed, ay!). So, I want to save more and hopefully my dream of decorating my own lil home one day will become a reality!

Make at least 1 film

Part of the last few months, I have kinda leant more towards writing rather than making and directing. I think I'd love to write and then pass my scripts to other people for them to work their magic on, and I'm completely fine with that. But I would like to occasionally make my own short films. I've written something, I'm speaking to friends about it, and hopefully we can make it soon-ish!

Finish writing my book

So I'm writing a book, and a recently started another one. They're both very different but I love them. I've nearly finished the first draft of 1 so I'm gonna focus on that and hopefully send it out to friends to read for feedback. I don't know what I'm going to do with it after that... but at least I will have written a book!!

Learn to ice skate

Ok, so pretty random but my boyfriend and I went ice skating around Christmas last year and I had to hold his hand the whole time, which was fine but I'd love to be able to go round on my own haha! So, hopefully I can squeeze in a few sessions of skating before Christmas next year and then amaze everybody!

Learn Sign Language

This is such an important one for me. I don't personally need to use it, but I feel that everyone should learn it to make things more accessible for everyone. When I went to the Raindance Film Festival last year, one of the panels was about disability and how it is seen on screen and there was someone signing so it could be watched by everybody. What made me upset though was that none of the other screenings or panels had this same access, and it made me realise how there isn't really anything available if you need a lil assistance. I hope that by learning I can help others and learn to make my work accessible for everybody, no matter their abilities.

Learn more French

Finally, it's always been a dream of mine to know more than 1 language. I really enjoyed learning French at school and I am so sad that I kinda stopped. I still know quite a bit and have 2 lovely French friends who I am trying to learn from, so it's great to practice with them! I don't wanna say that I'll be fluent one day, but I'd love to be able to speak it much more confidently!

So those are the things that I'd like to achieve/ do this year, as well as blog more of course! I'm having a think about my youtube channel as I'm not quite certain what I'd like to post there, but I'm sure I'll keep you updated! I have some blog ideas planned, but please let me know if you'd like to see anything else written here or talked about! Have a great weekend!

FILM REVIEW: The Old Man & The Gun

The other day I went to the cinema to see The Old Man & The Gun

I really really liked it. It was charming, delightful,  a new classic really. I so badly want to see it again and recommend it to everyone I know. It was also filmed on Super 16mm so it has a special place in my heart. 

The film tells the story of Forrest Tucker, a criminal who has been in and out of prison for the last 60 years. After he escapes prison for the 16thtime, he begins to rob banks all through America. Police try all they can to find him, but as he begins to fall in love, will he be a changed man?

I’d never heard of Tucker prior to the film, and even though he was a criminal, he seems like such a lovely guy and his story just made me smile. I like how it presented the criminal as a person and not just as a bad guy. Like the film says, he wasn’t trying to make a living, he was just trying to live and I like that.

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. 

STORY

So, you know the basic outline, but I’m going to go into a little detail on the beginning, middle and end.

We meet Forrest, a lovely man who likes to rob banks. We also meet Detective John Hunt and his family. As Forrest goes to rob a bank, Hunt and his 2 children are also at the scene, but unaware until the manager locks the doors and states that there has just been a robbery. Hunt takes the case, wanting to find out the truth about what has happened.

Forrest is chased by police countless times through many of the events but luckily spots a lady having trouble on the side of the road with her car, he stops to help her and the police rush past unaware. To thank him for his help, Jewell treats Forrest to coffee and asks what he does. Jewel isn’t sure whether to believe him or not, but both charmed by each other, they exchange numbers.

Hunt and his colleagues find over 70 cases that all link to a man entering banks and stealing money. Hunt is sure it’s Forrest but before he can investigate more, he has to pass the case to someone else.

More banks are robbed, Jewel and Forrest go on more dates, and he is finally caught after trying his hardest to run from the law.

Jewell visits Forrest in prison and is presented with a list of 16 ways Forrest has previously escaped, number 17 is blank. Jewel asks Forrest to do his time, and after a year passes, he leaves a free man and Jewell picks him up.

Life seems good, simple, but not good enough. Forrest leaves the house one morning and heads to a bank, ready to live his life how he wants.

I liked the story, the way it was told was just so beautiful but friendly. I really wanted to sit with Forrest and ask him questions and learn more about his life. He wasn’t painted as a bad guy, he was shown as a gentleman with a smile on his face which police reports always noted.

It felt so real and even though I thought the end was a little boring up until the last minute, the story was very well told and I’m sure if Forrest was alive, he’d love it.

CAST

Wow, this cast was so so perfect.

Forrest was played by Robert Redford who has said that this was his last film and he really did go out on a bang. He bought so much charm to the role, I couldn’t think anyone who could do it better.

Sissy Spacek played Jewel and she was stunning. The character was pretty, witty and just so loveable.

Casey Affleck played Detective John Hunt and I though he was amazing. People have a lot of opinions of him due to allegations, but I don’t want to discuss that here. I will just say I really liked his character and how he played him.

MUSIC & SOUND

During the police chases, I loved the song choices. They were peaceful, and calm compared to the chaos on screen but worked so so well. I’d love to listen to the soundtrack, it was a good one!

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Wow wow wow, like I’ve said, the film was recorded on Super 16mm and if you don’t know what that is just imagine old home movies and cinema classics. When I originally saw the trailer, I thought it was an older film that had been restored for Christmas like they’re doing with a few classics, but then I realised it was new and just had to see it. I’m so glad they chose to film it this way, it really gave the film an old charm that would’ve been missed without it.

MISE-EN-SCENE

To be honest, just the whole look of the film had me charmed. The sets, the costumes, the props, it really did feel like I had been taken back in time. It didn’t feel new, it felt just perfect. You just have to go and see it!

ANYTHING ELSE?

I think that’s everything. I truly enjoyed the film, it was just beautiful. I really hope I can get my hands on the dvd so I can show it to everyone I know when it’s released. It really is something special.

So that’s my kinda review/me just spilling my thoughts on The Old Man & The Gun. 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.