17/05/2020

Mobile Mind #8

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hello future anna and happy 8th mobile mind! I started this to look at my anxiety and feelings and how I am coping and dealing with situations as I find it so nice to get everything out into the open to look at, and really explain it to myself, rather than keeping it trapped in my head.

this is a different kind of one. we're currently in the covid-19 lockdown (although with Bo Jo's latest advice, can it still be called that?) and this is week 8 and a half for me, as I began on Thursday 19th march. It was then announced on the 23rd that the whole of the UK would have to follow the rules.

I didn't know how I'd be. if my sudden change on routine would throw me off. if having no space or time on my own would make me sad. if not being in charge of my life would cause me to get mad. it's actually been the complete opposite.

I've found this time really refreshing and peaceful for my soul. I know that's very artsy, and very privileged of me to say right now, but it's true, and this is a place for me to share how I feel. it's my blog, duhhh!

I've really enjoyed having to stay home. I love being at home, with my family, somewhere I know, with no fear of what might happen if I go out. I've always struggled with the idea of leaving.  guess it's just the fear of bad things that can happen in an environment I can't control. it's really stopped me doing a lot over my life, and I do worry that even though this long period of safety is good for me, it may make my brain want to always be here.

but other than that, I've been good. I've been sewing lots, and trying to be creative. I've been wanting to write and have had ideas, but not always the motivation to get it down. I've been trying to read more but my current book is an old one, and they always take longer for me to wrap my head around. I've been trying to get outside if the weather's been nice, which it has been to be honest, but some days it is cold. I've been chatting with friends and doing quizzes, and me and my sister have made one for the next family one on Saturday. it's just nice to be hanging out altogether. and making tiptoes has been so much fun!!

this time is really making me think of what the summer holidays is like, although there aren't fun places for us to go like normal. it's really taking a hit on my little brother which is a real shame. I feel I need to always be there for him to do stuff, but that then means that I can't be doing what I want to do. I try and do 50/50, but I'm not always in the headspace.

it's weird. I do feel this time has been good, but it does have it's bad points like I've said. I do feel anxious about going back to normal, and it be expected that I see everyone and go to every function, but I just hate thinking about it. obviously I want it all to be fine, but right now, it's quite pleasant in my lil homey cocoon, surrounded my sunshine, sewing and Zack and Cody. omg I have watched so much.

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06/05/2020

How Beautiful is 'Normal People'!!!

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hey future anna, this week you finished a new TV series, based on a book by Sally Rooney, called Normal People. Bloody hell wow what a show!

I'm not gonna go fully into each episode, but I feel I have so many thoughts that this is gonna be my place to jot them down and share! This post will be filled with spoilers, so it'll only make sense if you've seen it! Go and watch it if you've not already to give it the love and support it deserves, and then feel free to come back and read this! Up to you!


So you've had your warning, let it begin! I wanna start with the warnings the TV show gave and what it led to. I watched the show with my parents. Yes, it was slightly awkward at times, but I watch most things with my parents so it was also ok. I highly recommend seeing what the warnings are before you watch it with anybody!!!! There is lots of sex. hahahahaha.

So the sex. First off, wow to all the actors who partake in a sexy scene, because it must take a lot of courage and confidence to be able to let go of the privacy of your own body to let the whole world have access to it for the sake of a TV show. But I do feel that this TV show dealt with the scenes so respectfully, so incredibly beautifully. Because of this, the story behind each sexy moment was vulnerable and real. The way it treated sex, wasn't just a casual fling worth nothing, these moments were deep and we could truly see that what was happening was worth more than words to these characters. They could share their emotions with each other in a way I haven't seen done through TV or film before.

One of my absolute favourite things about the show was how it looked at consent. Connell was always so aware and loving, just how people should be in relationships. He never forced Marianne to do anything, even when she told him she'd do anything for him. He wanted her for her, not the persona she put on to live up to the sexual fantasies of her other relationships. Making sure people are 100% ok with what's happening is 110% needed in any situation, and I'm so glad we saw it portrayed so beautifully in this, for young people to see and learn from.

Ok, and my final point of the sex thing, hahaha... I just loved how Marianne wasn't shamed for having more than 1 sexual partner. Obviously her friends were intrigued about her life and what she was up to, but they never mentioned or put her down for her choices. I loved that. In real life and in media, girls are shamed for having sex, and boys are shamed for not having sex. I loved how this story told the realness and looked at boys having emotions and girls not feeling them. It really helped make it a beautiful, real look into this generations loves and lives.


Next up, something I'm a complete sucker for... rhyming shots (I know this isn't the correct term but my brain can't think of it so that's what you're gonna get), where a character does something and then it happens again to show similarities or differences. In this case, the show used this a few times, to suggest how different people cope with situations, or to emphasise the moments of longing between Connell and Marianne. But my favourite one of these was later on in the series when Marianne is in Sweden and she is drinking in the kitchen, when she stands, pours her drink down the sink and then stands looking at it. She then goes to have a photoshoot with her boyfriend at the time, and is put into a situation she doesn't want to be in. She leaves and is left alone, possibly wanting to reach out to someone but she doesn't. In a later episode, Connell is sat in the kitchen drinking a beer, he then tips it down the sink and stands how Marianne did. His phone then rings and it is her, needing his help. I just thought this was so brilliant. The whole series is full of beautiful shots and scenes, but this mirroring really emphasises how important they are to each other. They're soulmates, and need each other, but don't always have the strength to reach out. It's so lovely to see a story being told through words and images, and not just relying on one or the other.

This show was artsy and so fab to look at, without being over the top. It really did it beautifully, and I really hope other productions take note.


Ok, next is the soundtrack because omg those song choices. There were a few well known hits, but mostly there were unknown songs played, just like the story playing out in front of us. The songs chosen were so beautiful and as I listened they just instantly became favourites, and even classic sounding. Even if you watched the show and aren't really sure on it, I'd recommend giving the music another chance. People have made playlists on Spotify and things, and even the actors who played Marianne and Connell have released individual playlists based on their time on the show, so they really are wanting to make something that sticks with people, that is interacted with even outside of the screen you watched it on.

I just thought the soundtrack was so clever at times. I don't know the exact moment or song, but at some point (I think at one of the parties whilst they were first at uni), there was a song with lyrics something like: 'I don't love this, but I love you'. People can either highly appreciate the sound in films and shows or completely disregard it, but you have to agree that this show used music so cleverly. I might have to rewatch it all just to listen to it all again.


Something I have to bring up is the costumes. Predominantly, Marianne's wardrobe. I WANT IT PLEASE! Her hair at all times was beautiful, and what she wore was just so beautiful and classy, yet still suggested her childish-ness, and her unknowing-ness. Whilst she was at uni, I loved her red dress that she wore a few times when she had dinner parties and things (rich people at uni confuse me hahah). She was elegant and sophisticated, yet playful and sometimes dangerous, just like red is. Whilst she was in Italy, she met the boys in a super simple printed dress which again, is playful, but suits her at that time. She's innocent in all the badness of her relationship, and wants to be grownup, but it's just not working how she would like it to. We can begin to see her become a woman, thinking she knows what she wants when she moves to Sweden. She is in blouses and scarves and blazers, a look I wanna achieve. I just feel her whole look is so classic, yet so individual to everyone else we see on screen, without standing out for ridiculous reasons.

I also loved her accessories, but nothing can beat Connell's chain. omg. I've done some googling and it's apparently once mentioned in the book, so the costume designer, Lorna Mugan, thought it was important to have it in the show. Well, I send my thanks to her because phoarrr am I right or am I right?


I had better start winding this up because it's getting long hahaha! To nearly finish, let's have a chat about the story. As you may have gathered, I haven't read the book, but I'll be sure to, just as everyone else probably will. Because of that, I can only comment on the show as a singular thing, rather than comparing it to the book. Just so ya know!

I thought that this story was incredible. It's so fresh and open, really inviting people to see the truth of relationships and friendships and love and family and growth. That's one thing this story did so so well, growing up is so tough, and to experience everything changing around you can affect that so much. This series did such an amazing job of showing a few important years of some important people, in such an important way.

To start, we meet 2 different people, 2 COMPLETELY different people who want something in life. Whether it's an escape, a friend, or someone to love them, these magical people find each other and from that moment, they know as well as we do that they're meant to be. The respect from day one is something we should all be, and all aim towards receiving and not expect anything less. Not all young boys crave wild sex. Not all young girls are scared of the idea. I loved that from the first moment, these normal people were so well shown. I hate the stereotypes, because they're not normal people, they're what society is telling us is.

Throughout, I love how these people separate but can also never be too far apart. It's real for friendships to drift and people to grow and change. It'd be odd for these characters to stay where they are, not doing different things.

To end with: "I'll go." "And I'll stay, and we'll be ok" wow, I CRIED! I know some people will be annoyed by that, but how can you end something that will never end? It's real, it's true, it's what happens. These people are normal, not living in a wild fairytale. To end it on that note, leaving the pair together, in one final embrace and share of smiles, is the perfect way to end it in my opinion.

I know I've glazed over a lot, but overall, this story really is one this generation, and I'm sure many others can relate to. Whether falling in love and it not being the right time, or fighting with family and needing escape, to not fitting in to uni and needing some guidance. Whether you see yourself as these characters or not, this is a story for all, something to see to know we're all normal, for wanting, craving and needing.


And to actually end, we can't say goodbye before we mention the stars, Daisy Edgar-Jones who plays Marianne and Paul Mescal who plays Connell. What a pair to have found to play these fantastic characters. They were vulnerable, emotional, and if you didn't know of them before, the world has definitely fallen in love with them now. You can see they gave absolutely everything to these roles, to properly tell this stunning story in all its glory. I just cannot get over their performances, and if they don't get nominated/win things, I WILL BE MAD!

As you've probably guessed, I could talk about this show for years. It's so important. It's so needed. I'm so glad it's been made. Ok, I'm gonna go and read the book and rewatch the show and look at Connell's chain and fantasise over Marianne's wardrobe. Enjoy whatever you end up doing.

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p.s. all pictures used in this blog post do not belong to me, I didn't take them, and I can remove them/will add credit if asked, I don't know who took them. :)

01/05/2020

My Thoughts on Anthony Hett's Short 'Letters'

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The following review is spoiler free!!

The film Letters is a heart breaking yet beautiful portrayal of loneliness and how friendship, even simple human contact, is so important. It’s normal for us to suspect older people living on their own feel lonely at times, but it can be hard to think that of those who we see nearly every day. The people who seem so busy and filled with life can often be the ones most lonely and separate from others in society.

This first film in a trilogy of shorts following similar themes, looks at the friendship between a lonely old man, and his postman, who is equally lonely.

Still from Letters
Seeing this film for the first time during the Covid-19 pandemic, I look at it a bit differently to how I may have seen it before. On the surface we have two people who rely on each other to get through the weeks, even if to others it seems a bit silly. But personally, the deeper meaning right now is how important people are in society, to everyone. 

Every day, we rely on the post person to deliver our letters, hide our packages when we’re not in, and keep our world moving. In the films case, the postman Malcolm (excellently played by Edward Davis) keeps Kevin’s world moving, and in return, the elderly man gives Malcolm a bit of joy and company for a short while. In our current situation, we still rely on our posties doing their jobs, but we have begun to appreciate them at an incredible level. We’ve also begun to see how people on their own can feel so lonely, and just how a small chat can fill them with a sense of purpose. We only work if we receive love from others, and we do the same for them. As a directional debut from Anthony Hett, this film really is beautiful. I was filled with so many emotions and left with a want to help and spread a little bit of happiness.

A simple looking film with an excellent story has been executed so incredibly well here. For me, bangs and whizzes are of course a treat, but seeing a story that anyone can relate to and understand on a personal level is so much more important. Again, Hett has managed to write such a poignant tale filled with a sadness yet beauty too. Pairing this with Jack O’Dowd’s style and a sweet soundtrack composed by Rob Dunstone, this story comes to life with a realness and understanding which is so important for films with topics like this one.

I really recommend giving Letters a watch. It really holds a power and importance, and something I feel will stick with all those who see it.

You can see the film here: https://vimeo.com/110795993

I have also reviewed the other 2 short films in the trilogy on Close-Up Culture. You can read them here...

Waiting: https://closeupculture.com/2020/05/01/waiting-short-film-review/

Scrable: https://closeupculture.com/2020/05/01/scrable-short-film-review/

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