#117 Get a New Piercing

 

I'm not sure what piercings represent these days. My initial thought was that of anyone who has encountered the troves of bearded, tattooed youths; nob. However, I'm quietly quite pleased with my new addition. It's subtle enough to escape immediate attention, yet quietly strong. And for me pretty in exactly the way I want to be. So screw you judgemental former self. Here's to sparkly things affixed to my wavy ears.

 

 

#26 The Apartment

Number 6 in my attempt to watch 15 more films to see before you die, The Apartment, a story of love doesn't need to shout to gain it's place at number 1 and may possibly be one of my new favourite films.

I came with no real expectations for what a number 1 film on the list would be like. So far the list has introduced me to a few cinematic delights but on the whole I've felt slightly cheated by what have felt like empty recommendations. It's very understandable given that preference is such a subjective thing, so some films will be there simply because they tick all the boxes rather than their ability to pull on any heartstrings. Nevertheless, The Apartment, initially appears to be a rogue contender given it's seemingly mundane setting and subject (it is essentially a tragi-comedy based on the life of a Manhattan insurance worker). But it is exactly it's celebration of the mundane which makes it so interesting and loveable.

Like dipping into another world or taking a trip to a new city, The Apartment, places us firmly and assuredly into the lives of it's characters. Details like the smoke filled hedonistic new years parties in what were crisp sad Manhattan offices, kitsch poorly lit Chinese bars, and more importantly Baxter's apartment, never feel like they were supposed to be 'convincing' but rather accurate and just so. Character's too are realistic in their perfect balance of flaws and charm. They are also surprisingly modern as we see the men crassly organise their affairs and the women lament their situations of being"took". This perfection is the result I suppose of everything coming together; director, screenwriter, set designer and most importantly perhaps actors, or in this case actresses. It is also interesting looking back that the beginning of the film opens with similar accuracy as Baxter begins;

On November 1st, 1959, the population of New York City was 8,042,783. If you laid all these people end to end, figuring an average height of five feet six and a half inches, they would reach from Times Square to the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. I know facts like this because I work for an insurance company - Consolidated Life of New York. We're one of the top five companies in the country. Our home office has 31,259 employees, which is more than the entire population of uhh... Natchez, Mississippi. I work on the 19th floor. Ordinary Policy Department, Premium Accounting Division, Section W, desk number 861.

For me though it is a young Shirley Mclaine, who plays the part of Fran, who really makes the film and is again a very modern character. An independent 20 something, depressed but cheerful 'good girl', Fran is probably too demure and melancholy by today's standards, but watching her she completely steals every frame and is completely charming. The closest modern day equivalent I can think of is Rory from Gilmore Girls, but even then Fran is simply a lift operator, who "can't spell", unlike the Yale prodigy. It's this down on their luck but still smiling attitude which characterises the film, resulting in what could be an overdose of pathos, but in the end the film is too real and funny for that and any misfortune or hardship is dealt with by gentle comedy.

I really love this film. It's sweet, funny and incredibly interesting if you like the period (1960).

 

#32 Find a new Greek restaurant

Got a great burger from a small Greek contemporary restaurant I found in Edinburgh. Like all great finds it was stumbled upon at a time of dire need. Thankfully Edinburgh answered with a plate of tastiness (and a plug socket for my dying phone).

#25 North by Northwest

  

North by Northwest, number 5 in 15 films to see before you die. A tale in how to be man, by man.

Similar to The Usual Suspects, North by Northwest is a film whose techniques have become ingrained in cinema as is evident in the multitude of jet setting spirit sipping tuxedo clad male heroes we see in later "pale imitations". Therefore it's place in the top 50 list feels like a nod to it's film making influence, rather than because it's a good film (it's alright). How this can be anyone's favourite film is something I can't understand without having to imagine a horribly outdated heaving mess of a man, in a replica of that awful pant suit, and who actually believes women will do anything for a 50 year old ad man. For me anyway the film's place in the list is perhaps more likely a nod to an action appreciating male audience, since the film provides nothing of merit for a small quiet woman like myself.

Always dutiful to the resolution list I've been watching a lot of Mad men lately, and perhaps the only good thing I took from this film was how beautiful 1950s New York is shown to be in the small snippets at the start of the film. Paired with the beautiful colour pallets, immaculately dressed city folk, and occasionally quipy dialogue I felt like I was watching Mad Men, but unfortunately this was constantly interrupted by side stories of espionage - and extreme auctioning.

The film itself is about Roger Thornville a 1950s ad man straight from Madison avenue, New York, who finds himself mistaken for the mysterious spy George Kaplan by a rival organisation. Set and released in the height of the cold war, the plot is disappointingly obscure but perhaps captures some of the confusion, mystery and even glamour of such stories in the period. Along the way Thornville finds himself entangled by the beautiful Eve Kendall, a natural Hitchcock femme fatale. From there we are taken from New York, to Chicago and finally to Mount Rushmore where the films iconic climbing scene is set.

North by Northwest is terribly stylish, much like the modernist architecture it cameo's and women it man handles, but sadly like the clean and stark architecture it resembles it misses the heart and messiness of real life which other mid century films like the Apartment manage to portray so well. Why another Hitcock film wasn't chosen, I don't know, but I'd recommend one of them anyway. Go and watch Rope, Rope's a nice film. Moments like the shot over the UN building, and Eve Kendall's (played by Eva Marie Saint) wardrobe (especially the orange coat set against the blue), and the most ethnically diverse shot in 1950s cinema ever, had me caught up in something good, but these were offset by Eve Kendall's ability to easily fall in love with stupid ad men, Eve Kendell's inability to do anything without it being undermined and the awful, awful, bravado and heroism of the biggest non-person since Bond himself; Roger Thornville. Thank goodness I watched the Apartment after this.

  

85. Attend a Secret Cinema

I did it, I finally did it!

As a film fan, I've finally completed my pilgrimage to the biggest film experience this country has to offer; Secret Cinema.

I was dubious I have to admit. Secret cinema is notorious for it's strict no camera policy, and consequently any photo that does emerge is generally of a cheeky selfie in a blurry corner. Given the fact that the company does go to great lengths to immerse their modern viewers by taking away their shiny 3G counterparts, I did wonder what I was getting myself into. Now having done it myself I can only confirm that like Kanye at Glastonbury or the olympic opening ceremony, secret cinema can never be understood without the firsthand experience of being plummeted (slightly unprepared) into a whole new world of characters, 'stages' and events which take place in the most unlikeliest of places.

The effect is almost like going on holiday to another country. With all the preparation before hand, getting the costumes for your character, building up a story and interacting with people in this fantasy, you really do feel transported to another place. Even more brilliantly, the commitment evident from the actors and vendors is commendable, and wonderfully at odds with the apathy of today. On top of this was the fact we were seeing Star Wars, which of course meant that the excitement and commitment to the fantasy was probably even more heightened.

So what did we actually do and see? Well sadly I'm rewriting this in 2019, so a lot has been forgotten, but some things still stand out. We actually started our day away from the venue at the secret cinema pop up store. Already dressed in 'desert-raider' outfits we decided to also splurge on some secret cinema goggles - perfect keepsakes for future fancy dress parties. We then arrived at the venue, a disused newspaper factory in London, where we were met with an enormous queue. The wait however was worth it, as we were suddenly rushed through to a shipping container by the first actor of the evening who informed us we were part of the rebellion. The shipping container started to move and suddenly we were in a state of the art space ship, which was truly something to behold. This however, was nothing compared to the city of Tatoinne.

Dotted around this large space were individual houses where inside small 'events' took place. Go to one and you'd find a strange card game taking place, another and a chess board sits opposite a medical chair complete with alien tools, blood and body parts, another and you'd find prisoners behind bars. Among these also sat real life merchants selling trinkets and of course food and drink. Then pacing the streets were small scenes of storm troopers capturing dissidents and small arguments between characters. The only problem to all of this, time. There wasn't enough to take it all in and before we knew it we were being ushered into the main event, the film screening and live fighting scenes. That said in this part of the night we did see perhaps the most wondrous scene - a beautiful space craft come hovering over us. At this point I couldn't help but appreciate the amount of craftsmanship put into the whole spectacle. We then watched the movie and a glass of wine at hand.

I'd actually never watched the emperor strikes back but of course like it successors it was a wonderful film. Finally we ended the night with a quick drink at the beautifully made cantina and treked back home on the train happy with the whole escapade.

Final thing; Hans Solo is a babe.

Complete! Two resolutions down (see 3 plays and see 4 shows at the west end). I went to see the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time last month.

I agreed to see the play based on two things. The first being that I remembered I loved the book, although I couldn't actually remember why. The second, that the stage looked very similar to the Nether (my favourite play). Turns out the play's just as loveable and the stage is just as magical, although I don't think anything will ever live up fully to the Nether' set design.

#56 See four shows at the west end; The Nether

A few moths ago I went to see the Nether with a friend.

It turns out writing about something you love is incredibly hard, however, simply put, the Nether is everything I will ever want from a play.

The story itself is incredibly dark, and by now if you've heard of the play you'll probably know why. With such a dark subject matter form the off start (it involves children), I felt completely unsettled and incredibly close to standing up and leaving. The whole subject unnerved me to the core, but perhaps because of that the whole story becomes so pertinent and I really cared for it in every single moment of the play.

The real star though is the production, which follows the example of the engrossing and inventive storyline, and combines traditional staging with futuristic digital projections which merge seamlessly with the crisp staging of dollhouse Americana, poplar trees and the most brilliant use of mirrored walls. The whole effect is otherworldly and a perfect example of when out digital minds entrenched in our cinematic references and cues, actually manage to mould all of this into something new and spectacular.

I enjoyed the speculative nature of the play and I really hope to see something else by the playwright. It really was the best play I've ever seen.

#Watch 4 Films From Obscure Countries

Well number 1 in my slightly racist resolution will have to be Chico and Rita, which I thoroughly enjoyed last week. (I apologise for the strange resolution title. I think what I meant is from a country non-typical to me. And in this case, that would be Cuba).



I've started reading a lot of comics lately, so the sexy side to cartoons was no new feat, although watching it on a train is probably not a good idea. Or maybe even never. But yes, the nudity and sex is definfelty something to be aware of - no grandparents or children.

Overall though this is a beautiful film, both in story and art, whose sweetness will melt any cold English heart.

#56 Watch 4 West End Shows

Wicked; a musical for musical performers.

I'd heard so much about Wicked beforehand, being an old fan of Glee, and well a human being in the western world, and so I was incredibly happy when my sister presented me with a free ticket. 'Great!', It though 'I finally get to see what all the fuss is about'.

Wicked is a good musical. The music ticks all the boxes Disney has instilled within me when judging any musical drama, and the visuals were rich in tricks and skill. However, there was something particularly "industrial" about it's near perfection, which really undermines any opportunity for real heart, intrigue or even beauty. It is in this meticulous approach to creating a musical however, which lends itself so well to musical performers, and perhaps explains why I associate it so much with young aspiring Idina Mensels. The voices on stage were great, and only show what a good composition can do for a great singers voice, but I'm sorry to say it is only these technicalities which make it good, but not great.

All of that said, as much as I pretend, the story did draw me in with it's; talking animals, a dystopian regime, and an ugly duckling love story, all elements which spoke to my inner nerd, even if they weren't really properly explored.