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Year: 2017

Review: War for the Planet of the Apes

There was always going to be a large, ape-shaped shadow cast over each entry in the rebooted franchise. The famous last scene of the original has damned them to be second best regardless of their quality. Matt Reeves and his cowriter missed a trick with the ending, and lost out on an ending that could have rivalled the original.

Caesar and his ape brethren are forced to live a nomadic lifestyle. They cannot settle too long or the ruthless human hunting party led by Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson) will slaughter them.

His son returns from an expedition to find a new permanent home far away from San Francisco with the perfect candidate location. Many close to Caesar call for the immediate moving of the colony but he refuses, a move that costs the life of his wife and son and the eventual capture of the entire colony except him and his key advisers such as Maurice.

Whilst trying to seek revenge, he is himself captured and brought before McCullough, with his punishment among other things being to listen to an exhaustive lecture. It detailed the current state of mankind and a new disease which ironically turns people into what the primates were before ALZ-112.

Harrelson tries with all his might to inject his lifeless lines with vigour; although he performs admirably — by far the most complex villain of the trilogy — it never quite materialises into anything more than a plot device for exposition. Having said that the manner in which he meets his demise was impressively well executed.

The plot was let down in other areas too such as its circumstantial development. When Caesar is tracking McCullough he tails the soldiers from afar. Three times in succession he gains the exact information he needs in the dying breath of both friend and foe. This manner of writing is unoriginal and chokes the life out of the narrative, detracting from the immersion Reeves tries to envelop the viewer in.

Reeves should be praised however for using heavy themes such as concentration camps, slavery and biblical imagery. This coupled with the distinct lack of dialogue for large portions of the film make this a blockbuster unlike any other. It tackles real issues, taking risks in the process.

War for the Planet of the Apes is a noticeable improvement on both its predecessors. Even the CGI which has been phenomenal so far got better with Maurice looking as real as his human counterparts.

The biggest criticism I have is one that runs through all three films but is most prevalent here. Besides the small girl there were only a couple of female actresses peppered in the background of the film, and the only racial diversity was embodied in an albino silverback gorilla named Winter. How can a film that preaches togetherness, equality and acceptance of differences have such narrow representation of minority groups?

From this point I will talk about my proposed alternate ending so there will be major spoilers; continue at your own peril.

As the apes are escaping the stronghold during the human battle, the faction from the north are victorious. They watch the stronghold explode from outside its gates, thousands upon thousands of men. Caesar stands on a large boulder and they all turn to face him, each dressed in snow camouflage with masks covering their faces.

Instead of an avalanche coming down the mountain and killing them all, and the tepid ending that follows, I would have liked to see Caesar rise up and roar. A roar that releases his anger about his wife and son’s death, his anger at his fellow apes’ slavery and murder, and the sadness at what a refusal of peace had cost him. Every member of the army in front of him would begin to remove their masks and camouflage to reveal themselves to be apes. Beginning one by one, then en masse, they put both arms in the air to form the together strong symbol. The camera pans across, showing thousands of apes forming the symbol before cutting to credits.

Some minor changes would have to be made in terms of the narrative in order to make this a watertight ending but the capacity for shock and awe is massive. Not only that but it would have given the trilogy something it currently lacks; a reason to re-watch. Over 6 hours of film, multiple large scale battles and innumerable casualties for them to simply to move away from San Francisco. It was always going to be difficult to achieve what the original did for a climax, but it’s hard not to be disappointed with how Reeves chose to conclude the series.

Manchester sixth most affordable UK city for students

Manchester is the sixth most affordable city in the UK for students, the 2017 Student Living Index has indicated.

Monthly rent payments, in particular, have been suggested to be comparatively lower than other UK cities. Students in Manchester are estimated to spend an average of £425.92 per month on rent, below the UK monthly student average of £448.00.

The city is also argued to offer some of the best nightlife in the UK. 85 per cent of students believe that Manchester has diverse nightlife, according to Which? University’s Student Survey. Manchester nightclub Hidden was named the Best Small Club in DJ Mag’s 2016 Best of British awards, with Manchester’s Warehouse Project picking up Best Club Series.

Despite this, the Student Living Index suggests that Manchester students spend less per month than the average UK student on going out; £20.30 per month compared to the UK student average of £25.10.

Students also spend less per month on clothes, shoes and accessories; £26.30 per month compared to the UK student average of £27.40.

However, the Student Living Index did suggest that Manchester students spend £41.61 per month on alcohol, slightly above the UK student average of £38.61.

The research involved 3,407 students across 35 UK Universities, and the index calculated affordability by dividing students’ average monthly living and accommodation costs by average monthly income.

Broad factors about student life were analysed in the Student Living Index including student income, spending, budgeting, employment and studying vs. socialising.

According to the Student Living Index, Cardiff is the most affordable student city in the UK, followed by Aberdeen and Durham.

The least affordable student city in the UK for students was indicated to be Glasgow, followed by London and St Andrews.

Despite sometimes having a reputation for spending lots of time partying and going out, students in general spend over three times as many hours on academic studies than they do on socialising, the Student Living Index suggests.

Manchester students are estimated to spend 96 hours per month on their academic studies, above the UK monthly student average of 91.7 hours.

Review: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

First published in the French magazine Pilote in 1967, Valérian and Laureline has become a landmark of European culture. Growing up director Luc Besson was an avid reader, citing it as an inspiration for The Fifth Element.

During the production of that film he had the chance to work with Valérian illustrator Jean-Claude Mézières, who asked him “Why are you doing this shitty film? Why you don’t do Valerian?”. 20 years later and armed with the biggest independent film budget in history at an estimated $180 million, Besson’s passion project has finally reached the silver screen.

In the late 1980’s through his films Subway (1985), The Big Blue (1988) and Nikita (1990), Besson has been noted as a founder of ‘Cinéma du look’. A film movement coined by critic Raphaël Bassan, it is a predominantly stylistic film making approach, opting to neglect the narrative in its favour.

Valerian, although produced three decades too late, can be seen as an extension of this. The visuals throughout are resplendent and bright, yet the plot leaves a lot to be desired. This doesn’t make Besson’s work a bad film though; I think it is one of the most imaginative I have ever seen, but it is the first major blockbuster film that feels like it was made by actual, flawed people.

Extensive crowd testing normally takes place behind the scenes to make sure a movie is clean. Any coarse or offensive edges will be sanded out and it causes a lot of releases, especially in recent times, to be stale.

Valerian is different. It is highly original, and fantastically entertaining. Granted there are lots of mistakes, for example the chemistry between the on-screen partners Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne was frankly non-existent, but what it lacks is dwarfed by what it brings.

Set in the 28th century, the film opens with a delightful sequence showing the expansion of the International Space Station. First, other nationalities add modules such as Russia and China, then countless Alien species join too, which are all fantastically bizarre in design. The ISS grows rapidly and gets renamed Alpha, a universal home for all to live peacefully.

Naturally not all Aliens will be bipedal or even breath oxygen, so the station incorporates different environments within it. Every shot of these environments and the creatures within them are breathtaking. The artistry and craftsmanship in designing and making each of the hundreds of species is in my opinion worthy of the Best Visual Effects Oscar.

We are then introduced to our leads, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne). They are two intergalactic cops on their way to stop a black market handover of a last-of-its-species animal called a Mül converter, which can infinitely reproduce any object that you can squeeze in its mouth.

When they arrive at the planet though there is no sight of ‘Big Market’, the universes biggest shopping centre, just a walled area on a dusty planet. That’s because in order to see it you have to wear special VR-esque goggles that let you see into another dimension.

This sounds silly but the moment you see the full scale and diversity of ‘Big Market’, you can’t help but be enamoured with Besson’s work. The way both dimensions interact is both extraordinary and hilarious. It is hardly surprising to learn that the Valerian crew didn’t understand his vision for this 18 minute sequence, and he enlisted the help of 120 of his film students to shoot the entire thing as an example.

An extra dimensional market city isn’t the only outlandish idea Besson threw in. Singer Rihanna plays a polymorphic prostitute called Bubbles (Ethan Hawke plays her pimp) who delivers a 10 minute dance performance for Valerian. While this was quite mesmerising, he wasn’t there for pleasure, and after a lot of persuading he wears Bubbles like a suit and she changes form into a brutish ogre of an Alien to help Valerian on his quest.

This is one of many sizeable detours from the main plot-line that alter the pacing and tonality of the film. While ordinarily this would be a major quibble, I was always left amazed at the imagination needed to create these ideas.

As with his previous film The Fifth Element, they will undoubtedly be a large cult following but it remains to be seen whether it will be enough of a success to warrant a sequel. For such an expansive and intriguing world, it would be desperately sad if our door to it was closed so soon.

Review: Dunkirk

Back in 2015 when Christopher Nolan announced his next work would be Dunkirk, I could not help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

My initial thought was that a ‘war epic’ would be wasted on a director with such an impressive back catalogue; his vast array of mind-boggling films broke the cinematic mould.

Memento (2000) completely reconfigured film narrative.  His Dark Knight Trilogy reimagined the iconic Batman and arguably paved way for the current influx of ‘dark’ superhero movies in Hollywood.

Inception (2010) proved that film-makers don’t need stoop to Michael Bay-esque levels of dumbing down in order to attract the popcorn audiences, and his latest film Interstellar (2015) continued in the same vein.

My main concern was that the only recognisable features of Nolan cinema in Dunkirk would be the grittiness or the intensity of both the film’s plot and look.  In a film based on a true story, how much creative freedom could Nolan really have?  Fortunately, these qualms were dispelled almost immediately.

Dunkirk is based on the real life events of the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. Hundreds of thousands of Allied troops sought to retreat across the channel back to England, having been cornered and pushed back by Nazi forces.

In an attempt to ensure the success of the evacuation, a flotilla of hundreds of civilian boats, from fishing boats to pleasure yachts, sailed out to ferry the soldiers back to the southern British coast.

Nolan’s dramatisation of the events follows four different characters’ narratives: Mark Rylance’s Mr Dawson: a mariner who sets out in his own boat to rescue troops. Then, Tom Hardy’s RAF pilot Farrier and Kenneth Branagh’s Commander Bolton – the leader of the evacuation from the pier.

Yet it is Tommy, played by the fresh face of Fionn Whitehead, who steals the show and who is without a doubt the film’s true protagonist.

Whitehead’s Tommy, joined by Harry Styles’ Alex and the eerily quiet Gibson (Aneurin Barnard), are the focus of the film. They portray three young British soldiers who are fighting to overcome physical and mental torment.

Sceptics of Styles’ casting will be silenced as the One Direction poster boy pulls off a dynamic and convincing performance.

Big screen debutant Fionn Whitehead also has a bright future ahead of him after grasping the limelight through an understated yet heroic characterisation of a young boy who just wants himself and his fellow soldiers to go home.

The intensity of the film is unrelenting, yet untiring.  In recent years, films such as Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) sadly ended up becoming just one huge set piece (essentially a 2 hour long chase scene), leaving viewers exhausted.

However, Dunkirk‘s constantly changing storylines allow the audience to take a breather from Tom Hardy’s nail biting dog fights with Nazi bombers, and from Tommy’s desperate attempts to escape enemy gun fire, without the film losing focus or tempo.

This tempo is coupled impeccably by the metronomic score of regular Nolan-collaborator Hans Zimmer, producing arguably his greatest work yet.

Substituting the adrenaline pumping ‘Inception-horn’ for an omnipresent ticking of a clock, it is this sound which forms the centre of the film’s musical themes, and almost acts as the heartbeat of the film’s events.

Just as all Nolan’s films are, Dunkirk is visually breath-taking.  After the CGI heavy Interstellar, it is a relief to see the director now minimising the use of computers for his effects and big set-pieces.

It is always refreshing to see Hollywood auteurs avoiding the use of CGI, especially in a summer where Wonder Woman, Spiderman: Homecoming and War for the Planet of the Apes, whilst impressive, have been dominated by computerised explosions, creatures and landscapes.

Nolan even used cardboard cut outs of soldiers and vehicles to add to the illusion of there were over 300,000 troops on the beach, as opposed to the 1500 cast members.  There truly is an authentic feel to the visuals in Dunkirk, which just goes to amplify the sheer potency of the film’s most tense and thrilling moments.

Akin to in his crime-drama Insomnia (2002), Nolan has proved he does not have to use the fantastic or the psychologically thrilling to put his creative signature on a film.  Visually stunning and with a seamlessly interweaving set of narratives, Dunkirk is a must-watch.  Come awards season, it could prove to be a heavy hitter.

4/5

University pensions deficit skyrockets to £17.5bn

The deficit of the UK’s largest pensions fund scheme in the university sector has soared to an incredible £17.5bn according to the Financial Times, which is a £9bn increase since last year.

This makes it the largest of any British retirement fund, and has increased already mounted pressure on higher education establishments.

The University of Manchester is a paying member of The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which provides pensions for academics and has more than 390,000 members.

An independent pension consultant, John Ralfe, told the Financial Times the only options that might help fix the USS deficit were all “unpalatable”.

He suggested that the only way forward is to either reduce benefits for the members within it, or increase tuition fees to fill the black hole that has been created.

This has outraged some pensions experts, such as Steven Cameron, pensions director at Aegon who said increasing tuition fees to fund the gap would be “robbing grandson Peter to pay grandpa Paul” in an interview with Your Money.

However, these drastic measures are not likely to be adopted by the University of Manchester any time soon. A University spokesperson said that “it is too early to speculate”, however “any changes to the scheme would only be made after consultations with employers, with staff” and through other negotiations, such as with the University and College Union (UCU). This would regard any reductions in benefits academics already receive.

USS CEO Bill Galvin released a statement on Wednesday explaining that the deficit was a result of “large drop in long term interest rates in the year.”

He added that the £17.5bn figure “is based on accounting rules and is not the figure that drives the benefit and contribution decisions for the scheme” and that “members pensions earned to date are secure”.

On the topic of increasing fees, the University of Manchester spokesperson pointed out that they “can only be increased if the Government makes changes to the amount English universities can charge”, as well as noting that “the Chair of the Employers Pensions Forum has described the prospect of raising tuition fees to address the deficit as ‘inconceivable’.”

The new Students’ Union app has landed!

With Welcome Week on the horizon, the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union launched its new app on Wednesday, hailing it as a “one stop shop for all students to find out What’s On and information about the key services the Union offers”.

The free application will provide information on how to access the confidential Advice service, how to join and create societies, as well as giving freshers the opportunity to find out what they should be doing and going to during Welcome Week.

Photo: UoM Students’ Union

New students will also have the ability to introduce themselves to all the people living in the Halls of Residence that they are moving into on a page called ‘Community Chat’, with an extra chat room reserved for students who opt to live at home.

The app isn’t just for Welcome Week though: as the year progresses it’s set to evolve to reflect the academic year, update everyone on what the Exec are working on, and have an up to date calendar of events that students can book tickets through and add to your own personalised schedule.

It also includes the SU bar’s opening hours and links to all the Student Media websites, as well as a ‘listen live’ feature for the University’s student radio station, Fuse FM.

The Students’ Union’s new Activities and Development officer Kitty Bartlett told The Mancunion: “I think it’s really good – it will help new and old students to plan what they want to do in the SU much easier and help everyone to keep track of what’s going on in the SU. I love the the halls chat [function], it’s really cool and will help new students to connect and organise socials and events . It’s something that I definitely wish we had had when I joined in first year.”

You can download the App here, and it is available on both Apple and Android devices.

Review: Baby Driver

Not since his cinematic debut in 1995 with A Fistful of Fingers has Edgar Wright been the sole credited writer on one of his films. Baby Driver, a crime caper set to the beat of the getaway driver’s iPod, is an idea that dates back to that very same year.

The 22 year delay between inception and release is a blessing, allowing him to refine his technique. The result is one of the best films this summer.

When Baby (Answel Elgort), a young getaway driver from Atlanta was young, his parents were killed in a tragic car crash. He was lucky to walk away but has suffered from severe tinnitus ever since.

To drown out the ringing in his ears he listens to music on a wide range of iPods, presumably from the cars he has stolen. One of those cars belonged to mastermind criminal Doc (Kevin Spacey) and Baby has been paying him back ever since by driving on his jobs.

Wright wastes no time in getting down to it; we open to Baby and his team pulling up to a bank. The camera cuts to his iPod and he presses play on The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s hit song Bellbottoms. From this moment on every movement is to the beat, even the gunshots and shouts.

Rather than watch the robbery unfold we see Baby lip-sync and dance away, almost ignorant to what his team is doing. Contrary to what Elgort’s recent song release might suggest, he isn’t a thief.

Once they get back to their headquarters, Doc distributes the money equally and they head their separate ways. Jon Bernthal, who plays one of the crew, was a top-billed actor whose name appears on every poster.

As they leave he says “If you don’t see me again, it’s because I’m dead”. His character is not seen again during the film. It’s small details like these that keep viewers coming back, hoping to spot something new each time.

Baby finishes paying his debt back after the next heist and he wants out. No longer does Doc have leverage on him. He is free to live his life on his own terms, even meeting a waitress at a diner called Debora (Lily James) and falling in love.

Naturally Doc won’t let him go that easily, having never failed a job when he has been driving. The promise of an equal cut of the earnings doesn’t sway him, but rather unsurprisingly the threat to kill his girlfriend and foster father makes him fall back into line. The next target? A post office.

Later on in the film when the relationship between Baby and Debora is established, they are always seen wearing black and white outfits. Their romance has a timeless feel because of this, especially when juxtaposed with the bright outfits of his fellow crew, especially Jamie Foxx. His outfits are mostly red, symbolic of his tendency to kill or threaten to kill just about every person he meets.

Baby Driver is overflowing with slick car chases, snappy dialogue and pop culture references all set to a meticulously edited to a fantastic soundtrack. My only quibble is fatigue. Two hours of constantly tapping your foot and nodding your head is simply exhausting; who knew.

Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming

Tom Holland stars in the third iteration of the Spider-Man character and the first within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There is an increasing sense of fatigue with the over-saturation of superhero films and this does not change with Spider-Man: Homecoming.

From the first scene it is made clear though that this is a smaller scale movie, one than looks up to the Avengers not down from their height. For that reason this is Marvel’s most realistic to date. The people are real and so are the stakes.

When the Avengers destroy parts of the city, it is the citizens that are left to clean up the damage. A whole industry has formed in the wake of these repeated disasters that without warning is suddenly taken away. Tony Stark’s latest venture Damage Control will now manage all salvage operations leaving Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) and his crew in New York jobless.

Rather than back down and find employment elsewhere, he and his team steal a truckload of alien technology and use it to create hybrid weapons destined for the black market. In order to keep a steady flow of new scrap, Toomes tracks and hijacks Damage Control trucks.

For 8 years his business has thrived, but after Spider-Man stumbles upon some otherworldly weapons, their paths begin to cross.

From the offset it is clear that director Jon Watts is trying to innovate, to surprise the audience with something new, however using a brighter colour palette and a selection of musical cues does not change the fact that the skeleton of each film is the same.

The villain is always forgettable yet well acted; here Keaton is formidable as Vulture, but his motives are foggy. He wants to take revenge on the Avengers in their ivory towers but does so by selling weapons to thugs to buy himself an ivory tower for his family.

The action scenes, although destructive, are almost always aimless. As the ferry gets split in half part way through I should have been exhilarated, instead the whole sequence was a drag. In 2015’s Age of Ultron the entire fictional city of Sokovia is ripped from the Earth and rises into the sky, the end result in a series of ever more catastrophic events across multiple films.

In cinema — as in real life — our empathy and interest towards conflict and disaster only extends so far before we become numb. I did not care about the ferry nor the people on it because I have seen it relentlessly in every Marvel film.

What the viewer will not become numb to is good character development and clear motives, something that most superhero films, including this one, lack. Far too often brilliant actors are wasted in one-dimensional or bit roles; Tony Revolori, Donald Glover, Kenneth Choi, and Hannibal Buress all fall into these categories.

Self-promotion is another issue prevalent in the Marvel franchise. Every release will at some point reference its predecessors and advertise a few more. The deeper we go into the franchise the worse it gets. While this allows for more complex storylines that work across multiple films it alienates the average movie-goer.

You would not be able to fully comprehend the events of Homecoming unless you had seen Civil War, and that was the build up of multiple films in itself. Suddenly you have 16 films you have to watch as a prerequisite for simply understanding the latest release.

There are 3 more in post production as of writing with one more filming and multiple more in the works. As more time passes the issue will continue to get worse and diminishing returns is inevitable.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first indication that Marvel might deviate from its formulaic structure of producing films. The original elevator pitch for this would have been ‘High School Drama’ yet the creative licence given to the writers never extends to a majority.

It always has to be a superhero film first and foremost. If Marvel wants to remain relevant it has to evolve, to stop making the same movie in a different skin. Homecoming is a step in the right direction but for every one step forward they seem to take 2 steps back.

Review: Game of Thrones – The Queen’s Justice

Leading the episode with the series’ heroes Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen meeting for the first time was a good decision. An exemplary 20 minutes of well-written, well-directed, and (mostly) well-acted television, it showed off the best Game of Thrones had to offer in layered characterisation and witty dialogue.

Never mind Daenerys — the dramatic scenes between Jon and Tyrion Lannister were easily highlights of the episode. Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage played off each other expertly, exposing just the right amount of sentimentality through their guarded performances as they were reminded of how far they’d each come since Season 1.

Unfortunately, almost every other decision made in this episode was a misstep. The modest doses of self-deprecating humour and nostalgia fed throughout its first act spilled into a fracas of fan service and illogic, and the rest of the hour felt almost like a parody of its own show.

The promise Pilou Asbæk showed playing Euron last episode disappeared as soon as he left his boat. The terrifying sea-lord has disappeared from his performance, and the deranged clown is back. As being cheered by peasants made him declare: “I have to be honest, this is making me hard,” it was hard not to turn off the television.

Game of Thrones took no time, however, to remind me who they gave all the prime awful material to: Tyene Sand. For this scene, the fault lies with director Mark Mylod, slayer of Barristan Selmy, who for all his admirable aesthetics doesn’t appear to know the characters he’s framing in shot. Don’t get me wrong: the poisoning was a smart move by Cersei, and acted compellingly by Lena Headey.

Her victim, however — a Sand Snake, trained in combat by the Red Viper of Dorne, and self-declared poison expert — whimpers and cries in more terror than Myrcella had in Season 5. The helplessness she expresses in front of her enemy is as characteristic of her as… well, as characteristic as incompetence in battle is for Ser Barristan Selmy.

The second act is closed with Bran’s return to Winterfell, which is about as uninteresting as you’d expect it to be, punctuated with a peculiar comment from Bran, telling Sansa that she looked pretty when she was raped.

Petyr Baelish got the best lines in the North tonight. His smarmy manipulation is wearing on Sansa, but its effectiveness is somewhat dulled by the knowledge that such an expert tactician had still married her to Ramsay Bolton for no explicable reason.

Two battles comprised the third act. The first, for Casterly Rock, was very engaging, with Tyrion Lannister lending narration. Euron’s destruction of the Unsullied’s fleet bodes badly again for Daenerys Targaryen, but not as badly as Jaime’s victory at Highgarden does.

That last battle was probably the most bizarre part of ‘The Queen’s Justice’. The defeat of the Tyrell army was so swift it’s skipped, but it shouldn’t have been anywhere near as easy as the following dialogue with a capitulating Olenna suggested.

The Tyrells are the wealthiest house in Westeros, and their leader is arguably Westeros’ most brilliant tactician. Her admitting that she didn’t prepare for the attack, and telling Jaime that he duped her, felt more like the ending to a Scooby-Doo episode than Game of Thrones. By rights, her forces should have put up more of a fight than Ramsay Bolton’s had against Jon Snow.

The fact Olenna Tyrell is even in Highgarden at all is befuddling. Is the audience meant to believe that she sailed from Dragonstone at the same time as the Greyjoys and Sands, but not with their fleet? They took a detour, avoiding Euron’s ambush, even though they were headed for the exact same destination?

It was nice to see Bronn again, although the choice to have Tyrion’s lowborn sellsword at the head of the army alongside Jaime Lannister was emblematic of all the problems in this episode: it was silly, mawkish, but crowd-pleasing.

Interview: Iqbal Shafiq – Founder of The Mancunion

In 1964, less than four years after a ban had been lifted at the University of Manchester on student publications, the first free student newspaper appeared on campus: The Mancunion.

53 years later, the outgoing and incoming editors-in-chief sat down with the man who started it all, to find out a bit more about the man who created such a lasting impact on the Union and university experience of thousands of students.

A lot has changed since the first issue; initially it was more of a pamphlet than a paper as it was four pages long, the editorial team was made up of just four people and they had no women on board. In comparison, we now have 32 pages of content, around 40 editors, and this year just gone we saw the largest number of women editors for a number of years.

Iqbal Shafiq spent his early years in Pakistan and then moved to Gloucestershire on his own to boarding school, as his father was a huge admirer of the British education system. After achieving what he describes as “very good grades” at A-level, he initially began to try his hand at accountancy.

He discovered early on, however, that this line of work was not suited to him, so he submitted late applications to Oxford, LSE and Manchester to study Economics. After receiving a handwritten letter of acceptance from the head of the Economics department, he packed his bags and set off for the North.

Shafiq admits that when he first arrived in Manchester as an economics student he was “very lonely” with his family so far away. That was until he discovered the Students’ Union, where he found the “warmth that I got from my home”.

Shafiq describes watching students from his faculty disappearing together after lectures while he went home and sat in his room, until one day he asked, “‘Where does everyone go?’, and they said ‘We’re going to the Union, come and have a drink’, so I followed them.”

The welcome he received at the Union clearly had a real impact on him and he spoke fondly of the friendly atmosphere he encountered. He explains that this was how the iconic name The Mancunion was born – an homage to the Mancunians who welcomed him to the city and the Union that became his home from home.

Once he had created The Mancunion his loneliness was a thing of the past, as the paper became a close knit community with regular socials held in the Union bar, something we admitted has remained consistent in the 53 years that have passed.

When asked whether or not The Mancunion had a positive first reception, Mr Shafiq replied “much better than we expected”, although he admitted being a little sorry for his friends who worked for their rival student publication The Manchester Independent, established three years earlier which cost fourpence. “They were looking very sad, because they knew this was real competition and the first issue shook the newspaper.” The Manchester Independent lasted for ten years alongside The Mancunion.

The introduction of a free student publication certainly attracted attention, as The Guardian wrote a page 3 article about its first distribution. Shafiq recalled being interviewed by the Guardian journalist back in March 1964, and after the interview we tracked down this article in which he boldly claimed: “Our news will be objective and there will be no censorship from outside.”

As this is still a hot topic with student media we has asked Shafiq how much control he had over the editorial decisions, especially as it was so closely connected to the Students’ Union.

Shafiq explained that, while he was a Union council member, the Union and University had “no say at all” in the content he published, with most of it being objective news reports on the affairs discussed at union council meetings.

However he admitted that while he could be critical he felt much more restricted than we were today in how far he could go with the criticism: “I was a bit careful… because I was hoping that I would get a degree as well.”

We asked whether he has really thought that was a risk, explaining that if criticism was necessary we would not have been concerned that our degree would be threatened and that there had been many occasions throughout the year where we had let students openly express strong feelings against the University and Union: “I had noticed,” he joked, mentioning that he had seen the somewhat controversial articles from the beginning of the year concerning our interview with Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell.

While he explained that it didn’t stop him, he ultimately “tread carefully”. We asked if he could remember ever actually getting into trouble for what he published, and he recalled the head of his department taking him aside and saying “you should not have gone into this but now that you’ve started, alright we won’t say anything, but just be careful”.

The Mancunion appears to have been founded not long after a turbulent period for student publications, with The Guardian article mentioning the ban of student publications by university authorities in its write up about the launch. So it is perhaps unsurprising Shafiq felt the need to be careful.

Given that journalism in general is now in a period of flux, with the rise of alternative media and a growing distrust in mainstream news outlets we asked where he thought the future of journalism was headed.

“Nowadays if you have a cell-phone you get news from I don’t know where, news comes in all the time, so people buy less newspapers”, he replied in a somewhat baffled manner about the rise of online journalism and decline of print — something we admitted even student print journalism is struggling to catch up with.

However he was adamant that the paper had to continue and content that the paper is being left in (somewhat) capable hands, as “one of the nicest things in my life at the moment is that The Mancunion is doing so well”.

Kirstie OMahony – Editor-in-Chief and Jennifer Sterne – Former Editor-in-Chief with Iqbal Shafiq the first Editor of The Mancunion.

Despite his confidence, Kirstie felt as though she needed to ask what sage words of wisdom he could offer to her. He urged her to “keep The Mancunion going” because its importance has not dwindled in the 53 years since its inception, but also to remember that editors still have their “whole life ahead” of them, so they shouldn’t let their studies fall by the wayside.

Most importantly though, he stressed the need to keep scrutinising the Union and the University, as they are not immune from making mistakes and “it’s a newspaper like this that needs to hold them to account.”

He added that he felt “because of the fees and other issues, students have gone through a rough time” and because of this “you need The Mancunion”.

Jenny then thanked him for creating the newspaper as it had given her myriad opportunities during her time at university and set her and countless others up for successful careers in journalism and the media. He seemed quite modest about his achievements, replying: “It is… the simpler things in life [such as The Mancunion’s continued existence] that makes you feel good.”

After the interview, he took us for a drink at Kro Bar across the road from the Union. He continued to reminisce, specifically about the countless times he and his editorial team would go out for drinks after publishing an issue of The Mancunion.

At least some things never change.

Review: Game of Thrones — Stormborn

Just as the second episode of its last season brought back the show’s most beloved character, Game of Thrones’ newest episode has brought back the show’s most dreaded: the Sand Snakes. However, in the most surprising turn of all, it was not a bad scene.

Director Mark Mylod delivered — although I still haven’t forgiven him for killing Ser Barristan Selmy off with some pitchfork-wielding peasants in a back-alley — the Greyjoy-on-Greyjoy action set-piece was stunning, and Obara, Nymeria and Tyene Sand gave their best performances in the entire series.

Euron Greyjoy’s epic entrance on Yara’s vessel was perhaps his first real entrance in the show as Euron, and not just a deranged clown. As he took down each of the Sand Snakes and his niece Yara, we saw actor Pilou Asbæk finally come into his own in his role as the greatest pirate in the world.

If only it had not had such an awkward start. It’s hard to believe that Yara Greyjoy and Ellaria Sand had no warning that the fleet was under attack until they were already being burned and boarded, especially when Yara had previously expressed knowledge that Euron was out there and after them. Surely they would have taken precautions: lookouts with warning horns, maybe? If only they had, we could have also avoided the painfully awkward seduction scene below deck; Ellaria Sand’s “foreign invasion” line proves once again that Dorne can always be relied upon for cringeworthy dialogue.

So where does this leave Daenerys? Two of her Dornish allies are dead, the other two captive with Yara, presumably imminent gifts to Cersei Lannister. Her Iron Fleet has been overcome, but the Tyrell and Martell armies are still on standby to lay siege to King’s Landing.

Tyrion will probably lead the assault on Casterly Rock with the Unsullied and the Dothraki, and claim it as his own. Tyrion’s strategy is not dead yet, and is more likely to fall by Olenna’s words than by the hands of Euron Greyjoy: conflict is beginning to mount between her quiet counsel and the Imp’s. Dany’s obvious pleasure at the Queen of Thorns’ urges to rule more ruthlessly warns of devolution into Mad Queenship and terror rule.

After seven years, Emilia Clarke is still struggling to be convincing as Daenerys. Her character was given several big political scenes this episode, and she failed to deliver in all of them. Conleth Hill as Varys and Carice van Houten as Melisandre both gave their all in their exchanges with the queen, but Clarke’s wooden delivery held the scenes back from being as powerful as they were written.

The standout actor in Stormborn was undoubtedly Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. Her scenes with Hot Pie at the Crossroads Inn and Nymeria in the woods were both extremely strong, with touching callbacks to previous seasons; one old friend reminding her of her home in the North, the other reminding her that she no longer belongs there. And how great was Arya’s comment about making pies?

There were more callbacks to previous seasons elsewhere: Jon and Tyrion remembering each other and recommending allegiance with each other was precious.

A more disturbing homage occurred in the crypts of Winterfell: it would have been satisfying to see Jon get Petyr by the throat if it wasn’t obviously what he had wanted, proving that Jon has the ‘quick temper and slow mind’ of his uncle Ned, who Petyr had provoked into choking him in the same way in Season One.

Littlefinger’s plans for when Jon is away are a mystery, but I have only one question regarding Jon’s meeting with Daenerys: why bend the knee when you’re both unmarried? There is a way for you to both remain monarchs in Westeros…

Quick thoughts from a book-reader:

—Will Qyburn’s crossbow play the role of Dragonbinder in the show? Or will it prove effective against Dany’s dragons, and kill one for it to rise from the dead as a White Walker dragon?

—Nice name drop of the phrase “Master Plan” by Dornish Ellaria Sand in the War Room, an effort at homage to Martin’s butchered storyline as Dorne conspires with Daenerys Targaryen.

—REEK! Ellaria’s teasing proved correct: Theon is too damaged to be of much use to his sister anymore. If he drowns in the sea (and the fan theory of Gendry picking him up in his row boat proves false), could the Drowned God revive him and bring him back stronger than ever, to play a Victarion-like role?

 

4.5/5

Preview: Aperol Spritz Social

On Wednesday 26th July Aperol are hosting one of their ‘Aperol Spritz Socials’ on the terrace of the Restaurant Bar & Grill, Manchester. Entry is free for those who register before the event and the drinks and food are complimentary all night.

The Manchester event is part of a a series of rooftop events, popping up in London, Manchester and Liverpool.

The Aperol Spritz Social will also include a spread of cicchetti (Italian tapas-style small plates) from the Restaurant Bar & Grill, all for free.

Guests will also get a chance to have hands-on Aperol Spritz masterclasses, where you can learn how to make the perfect Aperol Spritz, Aperol games and a sunset DJ set.

Throughout the summer there will be pop-up Aperol bars and events, touring cities across the country with over 300 live locations and days.

The Aperitivos will be served from 6pm – 9pm and everyone wishing to attend has to register before the event here.

Paolo Tonellotto, Aperol Brand Ambassador, said “This summer, we are inviting the nation to raise a glass of delicious Aperol Spritz and celebrate the end of the working day, whether at one of our rooftop Aperol Spritz Socials, at the Aperol pop up bars across the country, or simply at home. Cin cin!”

Top 5: Tim Burton Films

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Although directed by Henry Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas was written and produced by Tim Burton. Thus, it remains very Burtonesque and has Burton’s trademark Gothic stylization stamped all over it. With its fair share of scary and morbid creatures, it is nothing short of dark mischief; it is a timeless holiday animation that combines elements of dark and fright with fun and glee.

Set in the shadowy and dreary Halloween Town, it tells the story of Jack Skellington, a Pumpkin King who accidentally stumbles upon a secret portal, which transports him to the bright and colourful Christmas Town. There he begins his quest to bring Christmas back to Halloween Town.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is an unconventional take of a ghoulish, frightful stop-motion animated musical, which certainly lives up to its hype. Indeed, it is a movie marvel that deserves to be in the top five, and one that is worth watching regardless of age or time of the year.

4. Batman (1989)

Batman is undoubtedly one of the world’s most popular superhero – and some would argue perhaps the greatest – so it should come as no surprise that there have been more than ten film adaptations. Though Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy is often considered one of the best and most iconic Batman adaptation to date, Burton’s Batman nonetheless remains a cult classic among die hard Batman fans, and with good reason – this dark fantasy is grippingly thrilling.

Unlike other adaptations, Burton’s take on Batman is a more sinister and menacing affair, enhanced by the visually stunning set, where production designer Anton Furst meticulously constructed a rotten, decaying and corrupted Gotham City. But all is not dark and grim in Gotham for the film does provide some comic relief. Michael Keaton gives a stellar performance as Bruce Wayne, whilst Jack Nicholson’s portrayal as the exaggerated, sadistic Joker is equally deserving of praise. Since its release twenty-eight years ago, Burton’s Batman has laid the foundation for future Batman adaptations and continues to be a cultural phenomenon.

3. Beetlejuice (1988)

Burton, indulging in his fanciful imagination, has once again produced a masterpiece that is quirky, innovative and delightfully refreshing. Beetlejuice is a supernatural comedy about the afterlife of Adam and Barbara Maitland, played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, a recently married young couple who become ghosts after a freak car accident.

Initially unaware of their newfound ghost status, they return to their rustic country home only to discover that they are actually dead, and their house has been sold to an obnoxious New York family, the Deetzes, who are determined to give the place a major renovation. Realising that their souls are now trapped in the house, the Maitlands set out to scare Charles and Delia Deetz (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) and their daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) away. But when their feeble attempts to spook the Deetzes out of the house fail, they enlist the aid of Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), aka ‘Beetlejuice’, a rude, arrogant and morbid ‘bio-exorcist’ spirit to frighten them off.

Keaton’s character is a breath of fresh air, and though only appearing later in the film, he nonetheless captivates the audience with his tremendously hilarious lines and cartoonish performance. With multiple nominations and an Academy Award for Best Makeup, this foolishly charming ninety-two minutes feature is sheer delight and definitely worth your time.

2. Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Johnny Depp collaborates with Tim Burton again in this epic film adaptation of Sondheim’s Tony and Olivier-Award winning 1979 musical Sweeney Todd. Set in mid-19th century Britain, Depp stars as Benjamin Barker, the repulsive and loathsome barber turned serial killer, who seeks retribution for his wrongful imprisonment.

In many ways, Barker (later called ‘Sweeney Todd’) shares many similarities with Jack the Ripper, one of the world’s most notorious criminal: both lived in Victorian London, both embarked on barbering careers, and both were callous, cold-blooded killers.

This twisted revenge tragedy sees Depp form a perverse partnership with Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), a pie-maker who lives below him with a reputation for selling ‘the worst pies in London’. Upstairs in his barbershop, Depp slits the throats of unsuspecting customers, and dispose of their bodies into the cellar via a trapdoor; later, Lovett collects the bodies and bakes them into her pies.

It is a win-win situation for both: Depp satisfies his desire for revenge whilst Lovett’s pie business lifts thanks to this new secret recipe. Violent, sinister and gory, this horror musical has proved a success. It is a remarkable piece of work that is well deserving of second place.

1. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

In first place is Edward Scissorhands, which is notably Burton’s greatest work and the first of his eight collaborations with Johnny Depp. It is a modern spin on your typical boy-meets-girl story, with the perfect balance of weirdness, romance, humour and magic.

The central theme of the film is the notion that there is beauty amidst the darkness. Depp plays Scissorhands, the incomplete creation of a mad inventor who suddenly passes away leaving him with scissor blades for hands. With his strange appearance – ghostly pale skin, wild unkempt hair and scars on his face – Depp looks nothing like the quintessential Prince Charming. Yet, there is something enthralling and hauntingly beautiful about his character; by the end of the film, Depp’s vulnerable, naïve and sensitive portrayal of Scissorhands will have you rooting for him.

Dianne Wiest plays Avon saleswoman Peg Boggs, ‘the fairy godmother’, who finds Scissorhands confined in the Gothic mansion where he was created in, and brings him home to her queer pastel neighbourhood. There, he meets Peg’s daughter Kim, played by Winona Ryder, and subsequently falls in love with her. The chemistry between the two is undeniable; he is the strange yet lovable Prince Charming, while she is the beautiful and compassionate Cinderella. For those who want a taste of the very best of Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is a must watch!

Review: Cinderella (2015)

Cinderella has always been – and still is – my favourite Disney Princess, so much so that I have lost count of the number of times I have watched the original 1950 animated version. Over the years, there have been other Cinderella adaptations, such as A Cinderella Story (2004) and Another Cinderella Story (2008), but although refreshing and light-hearted, they lack true substance and almost always fall short of expectations.

This remained the case until Disney gave the green light for the sensational live-action remake of Cinderella. With its ensemble cast, visually stunning effects, lavish production sets and brilliant costume designs, Cinderella (2015) is a splendid affair and a spectacle to watch.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Cinderella remains true to the ‘classic’ animated feature film, albeit with some minor changes to the storyline. Essentially, the main difference is that the Prince and Cinderella meet as equals; both are placed on an equal footing.

Branagh’s remake sees the Prince having a substantial role, the addition of the Prince’s faithful sidekick, Captain, and the portrayal of Cinderella as a free-spirited, brave and kind-hearted heroine. The story is narrated by Cinderella’s fairy godmother, played by Helena Bonham Carter, who first appears in the movie as a wrinkled, frail old woman before later transforming into a more youthful and slightly scatty yet loveable fairy godmother.

Game of Throne’s Richard Madden stars as Prince Charming, better known to Cinderella as ‘the Apprentice’, or as his father famously calls him, Kit. With his deep-set blue eyes, boyish smile and striking physique, Madden is a tremendous choice for the role of Prince Charming. Smart, engaging and remarkably handsome, he is the epitome of Prince Charming. His future bride, Cinderella (‘Ella’), is played by Downton Abbey’s Lily James, a beautiful, courageous and compassionate young woman who eventually wins the heart of the dashing Prince.

Unlike the animated movie, Ella’s first encounter with the Prince is not at the Ball, but in the forest where she escaped to after being cruelly mocked by her evil stepmother and stepsisters. Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine, Ella’s scheming stepmother, is the perfect villain, executing her lines with sheer wickedness and coldness, whilst Holliday Grainger and Sophie McShera play her daughters Anastasia and Drizella respectively. With their over-the-top performances, horrendously bright costumes and shrill voices, Grainger and McShera’s depiction of the obnoxious and ignorant stepsisters are commendable for its full comedic effect.

Credit must be given to production designer Dante Ferretti and costume designer Sandra Powell who have worked their Oscar magic creating aesthetically pleasing and artistically beautiful works of art. From the Castle’s magnificent ballroom, which features a grand staircase and 17 handcrafted chandeliers hand lit with 5000 oil candles, to the intricate clock tower and spectacular golden carriage carved to perfection, every set is nothing but splendour and grandeur.

Blanchett’s extravagant green gown and Kit’s polished regal attire are marvels to behold, but it is Ella’s elaborate blue gown and dazzling crystal glass slippers that add sparkle to the movie and steal the show.

All in all, Branagh’s Cinderella is empowering, effortlessly beautiful, and a magical visual experience. His message in the retelling of this tale is clear and simple: have courage and be kind. Flawless and extraordinary in every aspect, it truly exceeds all expectations and is by far Branagh’s greatest work yet.

4.5/5

Preview: 4K Season at Vue Cinemas

Vue Cinemas has recently opened at Printworks, and is bringing well-loved classics back on to the big screen. All screens at Vue boast having Sony 4K Digital projectors. This means for a viewing experience like no other, with brighter colours, impeccable detail and depth. The resolution in 4K creates an overall sharper and clearer image, providing audiences with the very best of quality in pictures.

So, if you ever find yourself shopping at the Arndale Centre or grabbing lunch at the Corn Exchange, it might be worth visiting Vue, as a range of classics have been remastered to give audiences an immersive, cinematic experience, which you will not want to miss.

The Graduate (30th July)

A university graduate, Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), returns to his middle-class home to be greeted by his family and their social circle, whom all seem to have ideas for Ben’s future. The alienation, boredom and fear, which is created by the uncertainty of what lies ahead are common themes explored throughout the film. In the midst of this, Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft), a friend of Ben’s parents, seduces him only for Ben to fall for her daughter. The late Mike Nichols, one of the very few people to have the ‘EGOT’ title, took home the Academy Award for best director for this iconic film.

Robocop (27th August)

In a crime ridden future, Detroit is run by a conglomerate who have little interest in protecting the public. Two officials seek to resolve the crime issues by developing a half human/half cyborg police officer from the remains of slain cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller). Paul Verhoeven’s audacious style has made Robocop the cult sci-fi hit that it is today. Renowned for its graphic violence and comic attack on totalitarianism, Robocop ‘s depiction of a vicious future is ideal for the 4K viewing.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (24th September)

Steven Spielberg’s epic, sci-fi masterpiece earned nine Oscar nominations. The film follows an average joe, Roy (Richard Dreyfuss), whose UFO encounter leads to an obsession which affects his personal and professional life. The only person that seems to understand Roy is Jillian (Melinda Dillon), who is searching for her son. John Williams’ chilling score creates an uneasy tension throughout the film. Close Encounters is considered to be a cultural phenomenon, as well as aesthetically significant, in particular for the spectacular climax of the film.

The Breakfast Club (29th October)

John Hughes is notable for many teen dramas in the 1980s, including Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Though undoubtedly it is The Breakfast Club that is Hughes’ most iconic piece of work. High school stereotypes, a brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case, and a criminal, come together for detention on a Saturday. It is here where despite their differences they all strike a connection. Hughes captures the essence of adolescence with authenticity, and as with his previous films, a brilliant soundtrack.

Taxi Driver (26th November)

Taxi Driver is considered to be one of the greatest and most powerful films of all time. Robert De Niro is Travis Bickle, an insomniac Vietnam war veteran, who roams the New York night-time streets in his cab and becomes obsessed with a child prostitute (Jodie Foster). The film is a thought provoking portrait of a character brought by the legendary Martin Scorsese.  From the slow-motion shots to the oversaturated lighting, the use of such cinematic devices serve as an entrance into Travis’ mindset. The 4K showing will provide audiences with the perfect experience to relish Scorsese’s mastery in film.

Dancing in Damascus: an evening with Miriam Cooke

On 12th July 2017 Miriam Cooke facilitated a fascinating evening of discussion around the poignant themes in her most recent work, Dancing in Damascus: Creativity, Resilience and the Syrian Revolution. The focus of the event was on the importance of art in, what is increasingly being referred to as, the Syrian Revolution of 2011.

In fact, Cooke took particular care in emphasizing that ‘revolution’ was the key influence in allowing this outburst of artistic creativity which has taken Syria by storm. Cooke described how the art that has emerged from Syria depicts a certain feeling amongst, not only Syrians, but the world.

Syria’s future now lies not only in the overturning of Assad’s brutal regime, but in planning for a better, more peaceful and democratic society. Cooke went on to further discuss the significance of Syria’s art explosion in reminding future generations of what the regime is constantly trying to erase — freedom, anger and above all else a yearning for change.

Cooke also spoke about the central themes of her work, Dancing in Damascus, stating that the Syrian revolution has opened a new dialogue in the form of ‘art activism’ something, she argues, is more powerful than constantly trying to appeal to the masses using purely political rhetoric.

The issues that Cooke brought to light are timely and deeply harrowing. For example, the brutalities enacted at Saydnaya prison were discussed, highlighting the atrocious nature of torture resulting in 13,000 deaths from 2011-15.

Whilst both empowering and evocative, Cooke’s discussion seemed to mainly focus on the positive aspects of Syrian art. Little focus was given to the dangers surrounding the careers of artists in Syria — many are imprisoned, or even killed, for producing anything resembling opposition to Assad’s regime. However, when questioned afterwards if Cooke thought that artists risking their lives was really worth defying the regime she responded with an impressive answer — these artists are always in danger. If they don’t sacrifice their lives for their art, then they risk being killed just for existing in Syria. They might as well use their time and talent to produce something meaningful, regardless of the consequences.

So, the evening drew to a close with both the audience and speaker having had their minds tantalized by the intellect and intrigue of the discussion.

Miriam Cooke’s latest book, Dancing in Damascus: Creativity, Resilience and the Syrian Revolution is available for purchase throughout Rethink Rebuild Society’s ‘Celebrating Syria’ festival, alongside a number of other worthy publications.

For details on other events in Rethink Rebuild Society’s ‘Celebrating Syria’ festival visit celebratingsyria.org

 

Review: The Big Sick

The Big Sick is the true life tale of how Kumail Nanjiani fell in love. In love with a girl that just broke up with him and who’s now in a coma. Absurdly funny, intelligent and at times heartbreaking, this film is proof that the Rom-Com genre is not out of ideas just yet.

This is not the first time Judd Apatow has brought a relatively unknown comedian into the limelight, think Steve Carrell in ’40 Year Old Virgin’ or Melissa McCarthy in ‘Bridesmaids’. He has an incredible ability to spot talent and cultivate them into Hollywood superstars.

Nanjiani’s performance demonstrates the ability we have seen in his previous projects such as Silicon Valley and proves he can hold his own in a leading role of a feature film. It would be tremendously disappointing to see him relegated to bit parts or supporting roles and I hope this marks the beginning of a new chapter in his career.

Kumail’s character is both a comedian and an Uber driver. It is both of these professions that helps him meet Emily. At one of his shows Emily shouts playful encouragement, a “woohoo,” which Kumail points out is heckling regardless of intention.

Following the show he continues talking to her about her abhorrent rudeness, leading to flirting and an eventual night of passion. Afterwards, she decides to leave citing that she is not ready for a relationship, and calls an Uber. Suddenly Kumail’s phone starts ringing, and so begins a series of ‘this is the last time’ Uber based dates.

Despite Nanjiani being Pakistani born, he is not presented as different to any other character. While this may seem a meaningless statement, the implications are far from it. All too often major releases make a big song and dance about diversity, The Big Sick revels in its grounded, realistic treatment of everybody regardless of creed or colour. The only exception for this is during a scene at a stand up show when a frat boy shouts ‘Go back to ISIS’. His character is the only one that seems out of place, a gentle point towards a deeper meaning.

This grounding extends to the humour as well, with an unpredictability that keeps the viewer sharp. The highlight of which is during the first conversation between Kumail and Emily’s parents, Beth and Terry, played fantastically by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano.

Terry starts by saying how he always wanted to have a conversation about 9/11 with someone like him. After an awkward pause, Kumail expresses his sadness at losing ’19 of our best men’. Another notable moment is earlier on where there is a major toilet humour joke without it seeming overly crass.

Weighing in at just under two hours, as with all Apatow films, it is a tad lengthy. 5 to 10 minutes could be shaved off to become more streamlined — the second act is slow at times — but this complaint is minute in comparison to the phenomenal accomplishment of Kumail and, spoiler, wife Emily Gordon.

To take a traumatic personal experience and put that on the big screen for everyone to see is incredibly courageous. The countless rewrites the script underwent is evidence of their determination to create the best possible version of their story. The resulting product is truly fantastic.

In this genre, the two pivotal components are emotion and humour. The majority of entries either do one competently or both adequately. To achieve both so effortlessly and in such large doses is the sign of something special, a movie that will be remember far beyond the end of its cinematic run.

For an interview with Kumail Nanjiani click here!

How the ‘Shared Universe’ is taking over Hollywood

In 1977, the film franchise was born, with George Lucas’ Star Wars.  However, it was by no means the first seed of sequels.  Way back in 1916, the first ever film sequel was released: The Fall of a Nation, the follow up to D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation, marking the first occasion that the big screen saw cinematic continuation.

In the years leading up to Star Wars, there had already been ten James Bonds, five Planet of the Apes films, and the The Exorcist series was underway following the disastrous sequel The Heretic (1977).  One film saga had even already concluded, in Sergio Leone’s ‘Man with No Name Trilogy’ (1964-1966), marking Clint Eastwood’s emergence onto the silver screen.

Yet it was Lucas’ iconic space opera which set the ball rolling in terms of studios and directors realising the true commercial power of pre-existing properties and follow ups.  Creative originality was becoming rapidly usurped by a thirst for box office domination and merchandising potential, and throughout the following 40 years, the film industry was ripe with both flourishing and floundering film franchises.

However, another strain of cinematic titan has recently been unleashed from Hollywood’s Pandora’s Box.  The ‘shared universe’.  The idea of a cinematic multiverse is not a complete stranger to film – King Kong and Godzilla faced off on the big screen in 1962, and the fantastic Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) charmingly interwove animated characters from Disney and Warner Bros’ Looney Tunes into its narrative.

But, in 2008, Marvel’s Iron Man marked the genesis of the first large scale, franchise crossover.  The goal from the studio was to be able to ultimately bring together various characters from its stand-alone films, including the titular heroes from 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor.  A goal which was successful, with 2012’s Avengers Assemble being a commercial hit as well as generally appeasing fans and critics alike.

Whilst Marvel has strived to extend their universe further, with the company’s biggest asset, Spiderman, about to make his solo debut under the studio in Spiderman: Homecoming, Warner Bros. has been fighting to keep up, creating a cinematic character base of its own in bringing various DC comic book characters to the big screen. Icons such as Superman and Batman have been revamped, whilst other characters have been given their film debuts, many of which arriving in 2016’s abysmal Suicide Squad.  The upcoming Justice League will unite the majority of these characters, and will no doubt be the first of several sequels which amalgamate DC’s various properties.

After dabbling in the concept with 2003 and 2004’s respective gung-ho crossovers Freddy vs Jason and Alien vs Predator, the horror genre is also getting its own shared universe, in the form of Universal’s ‘Dark Universe’.  This franchise will see horror icons such as The Invisible Man, Frankenstein’s Monster, and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde meet on screen, as well as The Mummy from the aptly named, The Mummy (2017).

The idea of different cinematic worlds colliding is interesting and obviously appealing to a great majority of the popcorn audience, but does it mark a shift in the priorities of Hollywood cinema? Gone are the days where standalone, unique films would dominate the box office.  In fact, out of the top 100 all-time grossing films at the box office, only 8 are solo projects, Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010) and James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) being two examples.

Yet it appears even the original film is not safe from the germinating juggernaut which is the shared universe.  Earlier this year, Split, directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs), surprised audiences by turning out to be set in the same world as arguably the director’s greatest work, Unbreakable, Shyamalan having confirmed his next film will be a crossover between the former and the latter.

There have also been long-running rumours of a crossover between the Men in Black series and the 21 Jump Street film series, throwing the latter’s protagonists — played by Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, into the sci-fi world previously occupied by Will Smith’s and Tommy Lee Jones’s Agents J and K.

Studios are evidently losing confidence in fresh ideas and scripts.  Whether this is a positive evolution of Hollywood, or merely a reflection of creative complacency, is up for debate, yet it is certain that the shared universe is a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

Just like how in the 40 years after Star Wars began, the film franchise took over the box office, 40 years from now, we could be looking at a world of cinema which is dominated by multiverses and mashups.

With Disney owning Marvel, Lucasfilm, and of course its animated back-catalogue, who knows, we could very well be looking at a future showdown between Darth Vader, Donald Duck and The Incredible Hulk.  But I wouldn’t hold out on waiting for a Warner Bros. crossover between Happy Feet and The Conjuring just yet…

Review: 2000 Trees Festival 2017

2000 Trees is described as being small but packing a punch. A strong statement to make, but very true to its words. Long gone are the days of shouting ALAN & STEVE and in 2017 it has since been replaced with, ‘OH JEREMY CORBYN’.

On Thursday festival goers were graced with plentiful of choice, from the band that ‘shout at the moon’, Mallory Knox, legends Young Guns and energetic performances from Pulled Apart by Horses and great performances from upcoming bands such as the likes of Bellevue Days. With such a strong line-up from the first night the bar was set extremely high for the following days that remained.

Friday was filled with sunshine, surprise acoustic acts in the chilled-out Forest Sessions and a lot of happiness (and sweat).

Photo: Ben Morse

Deaf Havana who were a high priority on my list did not disappoint. They left the set list choice to those on Facebook to vote, and with a lot of people intending to vote for ‘Nicotine and Alcohol’ but instead voting for ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’. Front man James exclaims that if this is what the people vote for then this is what you’ll get; swiftly breaking into the northern Oasis’ classic.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes were a real stand out act for me. With the set being stopped not just once, but twice to help people in the crowd. First, a girl who was being crowd surfed out lost her bum-bag, the singer stopped mid set and got the whole crowd to look at their feet for the bag, which resulted it being quickly returned.

For the second-time the reason he stopped was a little more serious; a small fight was breaking out between a boy and girl in the crowd, something along the lines of him grabbing her and she wasn’t happy about it; Frank got into the crowd all the way to them to find out what happened and he apologised profusely to the girl “I’m so sorry that happened to you”. Such a lovely and sincere thing to do, and so reassuring to see. Big Respect to you Mr Carter.

Photograph: Gareth Bull

Nothing but Thieves were nothing short of incredible, a spotless vocal performance.

Saturday brought more sunshine, cider and a wedding … yes an actual wedding happened on Saturday morning. But also best of all did I mention you can bring your own alcohol into the arena?!

Photo: Ben Morse

And as the final day rolled on so did the incredible music and scenes that came with it. A highlight of the final day for me was the Front Bottoms, (yep their real name) and a band I had never seen before, they were fun to jump along with their guitar solos and jingly riffs.

Fast forward to when Lower Than Atlantis performed on the main stage; a band who I have seen many times before yet every time they seem to get even more fun to watch — despite the fact they encouraged crowd surfing. I now don’t know which parts of me hurt because of the sunburn or because of the strong kicks I got from people overhead. Who knows? Regardless they were a pleasure to watch and to be involved.

The Rock-Punk duo from Kent, Slaves concluded the 3-Day Festival with an all-round outstanding performance, the cocky cockneys had such a strong outwards presence and ability to make a surprising amount of noise, which riled up the crowd and got them bouncing and moshing along to their tracks both new and old.

Other things to mention are that the cider met up to expectations and for less than a £5 was less than the average price of drink at a festival too! The Silent Disco was such fun and the headphones could pick up signal all over the site, meaning you could wander from tent to tent and not be too crowded. It was fucking great.

Tickets for 2000 Trees 2018 are available and can be found here:

Tickets

 

Review: My Life as a Courgette

It is safe to say this is the best stop-motion since Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Originally an auto-biographical account of Gilles Paris’ experience in an orphanage (“Autobiographie d’une Courgette), we follow the string of events that happen to 9-year-old Icare, or rather Courgette as he prefers to be known, after what should be any child’s worst nightmare.

The very fact this film was in the form of stop motion intensified the magic of the story. Every emotional scene is heightened by the intricate workmanship going into the children’s interactions amongst themselves or with adults. This is an area My Life as a Courgette excels in, as the film recognises children’s receptiveness and perceptivity. Adult’s words and actions greatly impact children, becoming all the more important for them to understand how deeply these orphans are traumatised and just how they are dealing with this.

Authority figures such as the policeman or the social workers are shown in their best light, and is somewhat a tribute to the system. They are fully understanding of the children’s needs, such as Icare’s need to be called “Courgette” as his late mother nicknamed him. They do not underestimate their intelligence and give them a secure sense of home and family within the orphanage.

During a skiing trip organised by the orphanage, Camille (another of the home’s residents) and Courgette share a meaningful evening of confessed deep thoughts under the stars, as Courgette realises that now his alcoholic mother is dead, he is relieved his future will never involve drinking large amounts of beer with her as he always imagined. The orphanage has opened up doors and windows of happiness and possibility he never knew existed.

On the same trip, little Ahmed approaches a girl to compliment her red skiing goggles. The girl’s mother rushes over, immediately assuming Ahmed is a thief and demands where his parents are, to which he replies he doesn’t know. Aggressively shooing him away, she humiliates him by calling him a liar. Ahmed’s reaction is heart-breaking, he did not deserve to be shouted at, even less-so to be falsely accused of lying or stealing. If director Claude Barras and screenplay writer Céline Sciamma wanted to get the audiences tear ducts working, this scene did a brilliant job of doing so.

One of the best things about the film is the script, made up of small details that make the stop motion characters intensely realistic. A few things couldn’t help getting lost in translation, such as one child’s confusion of the words “préliminaires” and “préparatifs” in an adorable attempt to show off his knowledge about grown-ups and sex, but this is understandably imperceptible to anyone who doesn’t speak French. The discussions these children have reflect, at least for characters Simon, Courgette and Camille, the gift of insight, intuition and understanding.

A brilliant way the orphanage came up with helping the children communicate was to give them a communal weatherboard, or “La Météo des Enfants”. This was genius in its simplicity, as the moods ranged from stormy to sunny, being a good meter for each child to easily share what mood they are in. One’s state of mind can be difficult to articulate for anyone, let alone for young, traumatised children.

Each of these children have a huge amount of character, much to do with their individual background stories. We are told the reasons of their being in the orphanage, and suddenly the home becomes a microcosm of society’s problems today.

Sciamma mentioned being aware of the political dimension of My Life as a Courgette by portraying the palette of dysfunctional families that exist all around us. The character of Simon is particularly well done, his cliché hard exterior is justified by his acute take on reality. “We’re all the same” he reassures Courgette, “there’s no one left to love us”.

When Courgette and Camille spend a weekend at the Policeman’s home, they cannot help but notice the framed photo of a child and wonder out loud where he is. In a simple and honest manner, the Policeman explains that “sometimes, it’s the kids who leave the parents”. Then showing Camille and Courgette around, they marvel at his collection of succulents and plants. He tells the children that he likes to grow things, which I saw as a wonderful metaphor for his ability to nurture and protect.

The compact runtime of 70 minutes was a very smart move. Although obviously stop motions are painstakingly difficult and costly to make, which can explain the concise runtime, the story didn’t feel too long or too short, and immediately felt rewatchable for all the right reasons. Going into the cinema with extremely mild expectations, I welcomed the numerous ways in which this film touched me, left in utter amazement at the sheer perfection of this masterpiece.