Saturday 20 December 2014

Film Review: Bright Star

Film: Bright Star

Director: Jane Campion

Starring: Ben Whishaw as John Keats
                    Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne
                    Paul Schneider as Charles Brown
                    Kerry Fox as Fanny's mother
                    Thomas Sangster as Samuel Brawne

Synopsis: The film is based on the last three years of the life of John Keats and his romantic relationship with Fanny Brawne. It is named after a sonnet written by Keats to Brawne.

Review: Perhaps one of the most moving films I have watched recently, Bright Star made me cringe, smile, laugh and teary eyed within its 119 minutes. The film is set in 1818, Hampstead and revolves around the heart-wrenching and impossible romance between John Keats, a poor, rather unpopular poet and Fanny Brawne, the eldest daughter of a widow with a talent for sewing. Fanny's younger siblings obediently follow her around in her endeavours to gain Keats' attention however her flirtatous nature does not sit well with Mr. Brown, Keat's writing associate. Soon, it becomes evident that the pair are deeply in love with each other and cannot be separated even by great distances. Inevitably, Keats becomes ill and dies, leaving Fanny in a state of distress and despair. The film ends with Fanny walking the path that she and her lover had walked many times, reciting the sonnet he had written for her: "Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art..."

Keats died at 25, believing he was a failure. Ironically, today he is recognised as one of the most influential Romantic poets and one of the most beloved of all English poets. Unfortunately, it seems that many of the most renowned composers today were only properly acknowledged after their death.

On a brighter note, did you know that Abbie Cornish, the actress who plays Fanny Brawne in Bright Star is Australian? I had no idea, her English accent is on point in the film!



Thursday 4 December 2014

3 Things People Need To Stop Doing



Wow, I can hear you mutter, here she goes again, complaining about what miffs her...
WOW! You're absolutely correct! However, I think there might be few things here that even you will agree with. So, without further adieu/ado (whichever you prefer), here are three things people need to stop doing before I personally kick them in the shins:

1. Being glued to their mobile device 

I am honestly impressed by the skills people exhibit these days, their ability to walk down two flights of stairs with their face pressed against their phone screen amazes me. The only downfall (haha get my pun? DOWNFALL cos they might fall down the stairs!) is that they walk at a snail's pace; a guy with one leg could hop down the stairs faster than the people who insist on texting/scrolling through something super important. It leaves the innocent people jiggling impatiently behind them as they meander their way down those stairs.


2. Reprimanding their children in public

 And I don't mean gentle warnings, I mean those parents who scream at their child in the middle of a restaurant, leaving the rest of us awkwardly looking everywhere but the scene unfolding. Not to mention the poor child, who is humiliated and probably sobbing by then. Parents, please be stern but reasonable when reprimanding your child, don't create an even bigger fuss that not only embarrasses yourself, but also everyone around you!




3. Not washing their hands after using the bathroom

Save us all from those people who put their filthy hands under the tap for one second and consider themselves 'clean'. Once again, the man with one leg could do better than you lot. How hard is it to get a bit of soap and scrub a dub dub and prevent all those nasty germs that exist in toilets from getting everywhere? What's worse, I've seen people in the food industry like waiters emerge from the toilet cubicle, observe their makeup in the mirror before walking out WITHOUT WASHING THEIR HANDS. Call me a germaphobe but you have to admit that it's just DISGUSTING (and rude; excuse me for saying this but I came to this restaurant to eat good food, not to ingest the bacteria you just gained from your visit to the loo.)