Film Review: THE BLING RING

The second and most recent of Sofia Coppola's films I've watched, The Bling Ring, presents the story of five Hollywood Hills teenagers who find thrill, excitement and belonging in stealing from the houses of big-name celebrities. These continuous burglaries brand the group with the film's title: The Bling Ring. Based off real events, Coppola reconstructs the tale with artistic flair, showing rather than telling.

Having no prior expectations or knowledge of this controversial event, I walked into The Bling Ring with intrigue and curiosity. However, after finishing the movie with an unease in my stomach and a bad taste in my mouth, I couldn't stop thinking of this film's subtle and impacting suggestions of gratuitous materialism and idolised infatuation. Instead of receiving a detailed documentary on the happenings of these Hollywood burglaries, Coppola instead presented a very ambiguous but nuanced depiction of this group of teenagers and the society they live in.

I found myself subsequently thinking about this film from a Modernist perspective and realising that despite the overt and at times suffocating 21st century edge to its direction, The Bling Ring highlights a mirroring of Early American modernity. From its fast-paced and almost Imagist portrayal to the darker moments of materialism and falsity, I felt like the film could be viewed as a social commentary on our growing technological fascination and the inevitable corruption that follows. A great example is the film's frequent inclusions of various red-carpet photos and videos of celebrities which flicker across the screen in quick succession. The small images are blown up to fit the big screen, pixelated and distorted as a result. Is this our lifestyle as "millenials"? An obsession with looking and watching other people through screens and lenses of other people's cameras? If so, it makes it possible for ordinary people to live vicariously through the lives of the rich and famous, in a candid and perverse way.

A Place To Visit : Hay-On-Wye

Recently, I went with a friend to visit the beautiful town of Hay-On-Wye, known colloquially as the "town of books". With over 25 secondhand bookshops as well as antique shops filled with all types of odd memoriabilia, there were no dull moments there. I was thoroughly delighted and used the holiday as an excuse to indulge in book-buying. 

The town itself is absolutely gorgeous. Old houses terraced next to one another, crowded with windows and doors and uneven ground. It was surreal seeing so many independent bookshops in one place, all of them surviving amongst one another with the ability of all being individual and specialised. The town did previously have over fifty bookshops, but economic troubles have led to a drop in numbers and yet it was still humbling to see the town pride itself in the traditional form of literature.

From the book-buyers perspective, the place was absolute heaven. The bookshops spanned from Children's Literature to Vintage books, to poetry and crime. Each bookshop tended to have it's own theme, making the shopping experience in every single one different. Inevitably, this meant that there was such a wide breadth of choice and it would have been hard not to be able to find a book you were looking for. However, I think Hay-On-Wye would be experienced best from aimless browsing and a willingness to explore and discover hidden gems. Not only were all the books beautifully quirky and lovingly read, but they were all at fantastic prices. Even brand new books were being sold at these independent bookshops at half the price. So not only are you buying cheap books, but you also feel like you're helping out a good cause. 

So here's the haul of books I bought, including many that were spur-of-the-moment choices which I find the most exciting:

- Primal Solutions (Poetry Anthology) : Norman Jope

I found this beautiful little poetry book in the first and largest bookshop that I went to. There was a small "ephemera" section with loads of small booklets that were one of a kind. This poetry book is not a reproduction but an original with pencil markings and corrections all over. I loved how unconventional this is and the poetry itself is beautiful.

- Breakfast of Champions : Kurt Vonnegut

I've always wanted to read a Vonnegut and heard that this one was supposed to be rather light-hearted and humourous. It was also the only new book I bought but was still a great price. I really like the Vintage Classics editions so I was really pleased to pick this up.

- Bits of Paradise : F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald

I'm really excited about this one. I adore Fitzgerald and when I learnt that a lot of his inspiration derived from his wife, I was intrigued to finally be able to read her credited work as well as both of theirs alongside one another. Moreover, I've been meaning to delve into more short stories as they usually have a more intense moral and storyline within the abridged length. This seemed perfect.

- 1984 : George Orwell
I read this so long ago and felt like this classic deserved a re-read with fresh eyes. This edition as well is so gorgeous and matches my copy of Animal Farm which was next to impossible to resist.

- Mrs Dalloway : Virginia Woolf
Having borrowed this book from a library a while ago, I needed to buy a copy after really liking it. I also needed to have a copy of this book for university, so I definitely managed to kill two birds with one stone.

- The Chrysalids : John Wyndham
I already own The Midwich Cuckoos which I am guiltily yet to read although I bought it ages ago. I've heard The Chrysalids tends to be more popular so it would be a good one to start off with. The premise sounded interesting and a little creepy which sounds right up my street. Psst, I also really wanted an orange Penguin Classic and couldn't leave Hay without one, so here it is.

Book Review: WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart

(This review contains spoilers throughout.)

I like to think that books can transport a person, not just into a different world, but into a different person. Books are their strongest when you can feel yourself become the protagonist, become the narrator and essentially adopt every facet of their life. That is exactly what We Were Liars did. E. Lockhart shapes an extraordinary novel amalgamated from pure mystery and frustration as Cadence Sinclair, our narrator , attempts to finally unearth the secrets of the forgotten summer when she was fifteen years old. Spending year after year on the private Beechwood Island with the extended Sinclair family, Cadence is now seventeen and has forgotten all the details of that summer. She knows something important, something crucial, is missing. And yet her entire family refuse to tell her the truth. This novel excels at showing her journey of self-discovery as she speculates, realises and is forced to survive with the stark horror of that truth.

We Were Liars at its simplest, is about family. In this case, it is the abundant, wealthy and beautiful Sinclairs who are established as significant right from page one, where an ornate family tree outlines three generations of them. Immediately the book installs the themes of aristocracy and lineage. Chapter One is dedicated entirely to describing this family, seeming to be of nothing bad, a family bred out of perfection and success. The unadulterated nature of this family is too sinister and slowly, the imperfections leak out at turbulent speeds. One of my favourite aspects of this novel was Lockhart's effortless way of portraying family dynamics. It is complicated, it is hopelessly frustrating and it is undeniably realistic. A family of that stature would have constant idealisations of inheritance and appearances which seep through every pore of the Sinclairs. It was so interesting to read the three main sisters argue endlessly over seemingly pointless paradoxes of who would inherit the biggest house on their private island, and who would get to keep the ivory ornaments once their parents died. It was so dark and so materialistic to read. Another interesting element of the family dynamic were how the mothers would scheme and perform constant passive aggressive acts of declaring their worth by using their children. The children became puppets to goad and beg to their grandfather for money without knowing why they were doing it. Even from personal experience, parents can mould you into something that looks shiny and kind just so other parents and other people can be jealous of your obedience. But with the Sinclairs, this was amplified to the maximum. Family became so much more powerful.

Book Haul #1

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloane

My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick

I treated myself to these reads that I've been lusting over for a long time. Contemporaries are the best for summer.

Book Review: GONE SERIES by Michael Grant

Michael Grant's six-part Young Adult series follows a beach-side community that find themselves in an impossible situation. Everyone aged fifteen and over simply disappear. No spectacular disappearance, no poof. Just gone. Perdido Beach and the surrounding area is now a strange town stuck in a large sphere where only the young roam, looking for food, looking for attention and looking for answers. The six novels follow the array of problems these children eventually face. The initial disruption; the hunger that eventually follows their limited supply of food; conflict and political strife that falls upon the children; illness and plagues; and eventually what happens when the barrier comes down. And if there weren't enough problems, their community is evolving in a rapid way. Animals and nature are changing. Humans are developing paranormal abilities. Nothing is the same. In particular, Grant explores the dynamics between and within these youths on the cusp of adolescence as they try to make sense of a world without adults, and more importantly, without rules.

I picked up the first book on a whim. I saw these books around my local library for ages, with the first instalment having been published in 2008 and I recently heard a bit of a buzz around them so I finally decided to give this series a go. I am so glad that I did. Grant has entertained me, moved me and captivated me throughout the journey that is this series and there was such a large spectrum of wonderful elements to delve into.

Readathons: Bout of Books Wrap Up

This week, I decided to take part in the Bout of Books 10 Readathon to get a good chunk of my TBR pile finished. Luckily the weather has been fabulous this week, so in celebration, here are some sunny photos to go alongside some small reviews of my initial thoughts after finishing them:

1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

I've heard many good recommendations about Ender's Game which made me rather excited to pick it up. I had already started and read about half of this book before the readathon started, but had only been reading it in small chapter increments so wanted to get it finished. Normally, I'm not really a fan of sci-fi and I feel as if I were more engaged in that genre, I may have enjoyed this novel more. Saying that, the characters were very well developed and the interesting perspective from such a young but mature mind was engaging to read. However, I did find that certain areas of  the plot dragged a little and the book didn't stay with me for long after I had finished.

2. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

I watched the film starring Saoirse Ronan a few months ago and really liked the gritty and yet intimate style of the plot. Being faithful to the books of movie adaptations, I felt obliged to read this novel. I hadn't had a very tight history with reading Rosoff as I've never fallen in love with the other books of hers I have read. However, there was a real profoundness in this one which I can't really explain. I think a lot of its appeal has to do with the "stream of consciousness" narrative style which heightened the reliability of the protagonist and realism of the events. How I Live Now felt like a very realistic telling of a hypothetical war that didn't sugar-coat or gloss over much. It  was what I believed a teenager would think and react to something like that. It was paced well, the characters were solid and I really enjoyed the discreet but haunting themes of materialism and societal dishonesty in the background.

3. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I didn't know what I expecting from this book before I picked it up but the result was tremendous. The book is a short one, divided by beautiful illustrations and equally beautiful prose. Reading it in one sitting, I was moved through plenty of emotions as this book took me on a mental journey through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy. The narrative was impeccably paced and cleverly metaphorical; it really reminded me of Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Although the writing itself is simple, the resonance and weight whilst reading definitely wasn't. In a way, the themes were mature and innocent at the same time which just made this amazing piece of fiction even more compelling. Definitely one of my new favourites.

4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

This has been a long time coming. Loads of my friends and book bloggers/youtubers recommend Jane Eyre as one of the best Victorian Romantic Classics around and arguably the best Brontë novel. I started this one nearly half a year ago and thought that this readathon would be a good time to finally finish it. The plot did start off very slowly. I languidly forced myself through the entirety of the boarding school section. However, once the plot started to pick up, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Victorian Literature isn't my favourite genre so I didn't think it was exceptional, but it is definitely one of the better ones. Namely, this is because it isn't as tragically depressing as others of this era (I'm looking at you Tess of the d'Urbervilles) but the characters were rich and I really liked the ending.

5. Plague by Michael Grant

I only managed to read half of this one before the week was over, by I'm enjoying it so much. It was so nice to jump back into the world of the FAYZ after so long, and I'm excited to reach the conclusion. Grant's writing is fully-commendable as he has this brilliant way of writing such realistic fiction that swaps between perspectives with ease. I really admire the fact that he doesn't shy away from violent or gruesome scenes in the name of realism. Can't wait to finish this.

All in all, the Readathon was very successful, although I could have used a few more hours here and there for reading whilst I was procrastinating. I'll definitely be doing more of these in the future. So watch this space.

Total number of books finished: 4

No. of pages read: 1023

Book Review: KNOTS by R.D. Laing

Knots is a short, simple but deeply profound book. It explores the core thoughts and emotions behind human interactions and succeeds at delivering a painfully truthful portrayal of what everybody thinks before they speak. It is considered "pyschology poetry" which I whole-heartedly agree with. The poems within this anthology are extremely repetitive and end up going around and around in seemingly pointless circles. However, these circles begin to show clarity. Within the repetition after repetition, everything becomes so blindingly clear. Laing has a spectacular way of explaining the unexplainable thoughts we hold about others and what we believe they are thinking. These states of mind and passing musings are always present in our minds but Knots is the first time I have managed to find them captured on paper.

First delving into this poetry book is difficult. The sentences and stanzas refuse to make sense unless they are read several times first. But once you get into the style and mind frame of the writer, everything suddenly clicks into place. The ridiculous and tenuous style of writing is made that  much more interesting because it is true. This is how we think. We mull over any and every possible iteration of a situation, whether consciously or unconsciously. As someone who often finds themselves lost deep in my thoughts, this book opened a door of realism and understanding where it was satisfying to finally find something that empathised with my mind. 

This book doesn't necessarily hold any moral outlook. It doesn't exactly hold a plot, a message or  a commentary. Nevertheless, the feeling I was left with after I finished was entirely rewarding by finding sense in this nonsense book. This is one of the most unconventional but mentally exciting poetry books I've ever read and has encouraged me to look at things from a different perspective. I can't recommend it enough.

Updates: Slumps, Exams and Readathons

If not accurately represented in my lack of new blog posts and entries to my 2014 Reads, I have been going through a bit of a reading slump recently. Coupled with exams coming up, and general end of year/end of school worries and things to organise, I've been preoccupied. But I really miss reading. I've only been able to get one or two pages of things here and there, and I miss that feeling of sitting down and dedicating an entire evening with a book and some tea.

So, coinciding with my last week of school, I'm taking part in the Bout of Books Read-a-Thon 10! I have a whole stack of books I borrowed from the library last month and are still sitting glumly, unmoved from my shelf since those 30 days ago.  I'm not going to give myself a list, as this will most likely intimidate the socks off of me, but I hope to work my way through that stack and will be hopefully making a wrap-up post when the week is over.

Whilst I clear remaining deadlines and metaphorically and literally tidy up my reading space, I'll be anxiously awaiting this reading week. If you want to get involved, the challenge starts on the week beginning May 12th.  More information from Bout of Books can be found here: http://boutofbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Film Review: DIVERGENT

(This review contains a few spoilers and direct references to scenes in the film)

I went into Divergent feeling relatively neutral, not particularly excited, and not expecting anything that great. The trailers were interesting, and I liked what I had seen so far cinematography-wise, but I didn't really know what to expect and how the director, Neil Burger, was going to interpret and develop his impression of Veronica Roth's fantastically fast-paced novel.

Even when the title sequence began rolling, I knew that there was going to be something a little special about this film. I couldn't have been more accurate. Divergent was unique in its stance on the YA novel turned film adaptation as it didn't compromise the visuals or screenplay and yet maintained a good, gripping pace. Although there were a few differences between book and movie, there were also a lot of positives about this adaptation. 

Let's start with what I liked about the film:

The cinematography and appearance of the film was stunning. The attention to detail was fantastic and I really liked their artistic representation of this crumbling but surviving futuristic Chicago. There was a good combination of futurism and technology intermixed with the more simple and mechanical appearance I imagined from the book: for example, whilst the Erudite and Dauntless compounds had a very stylised newness about them, the trains that ran through the city still looked old and weathered. It was this juxtaposition alongside the eroding skyscrapers scattered through the city that really created an exciting visual effect.

The film was also shot in a very intimate manner in which the viewer feels very close to the main characters during the action. Specifically, I really enjoyed the visual choice to make frequent close-ups of Tris whilst the film progressed which allowed us to really notice the small changes in her disposition. My favourite element was the reoccurring motif of her reflection. After the viewer becomes familiar with the Abnegations' uneasiness with mirrors, the simulation where Tris becomes multiplied again and again into infinite copies of herself is a beautiful symbolic representation of her choice. Tris' reflection then follows her throughout the remainder of the film in moments of novelty or excitement, such as the zip-wire scene and the fear landscapes. She is forced to connect with herself.

One of the changes that, in my opinion, really benefited the plot of the film was the construction of Tris as a character. In the book, she does gain bravery and confidence immensely, but still holds something childlike and naive in her demeanour. However, Shailene Woodley's portrayal of Tris was more mature, hard hitting and wittier. Contrary to the dystopian genre, the film was full of light-hearted humorous lines which were timed effectively and because of this, I found it a lot easier to warm to Tris. I ended up preferring film-Tris to book-Tris just because I feel like the journey from girl to woman is a lot clearer in the film and there's something a lot harsher and more determined in Woodley's Tris. 

Furthermore, I enjoyed the beginning of the film a lot where we were able to get a sound and thorough introduction of all the factions and how they fit within the structures of the society. Moreover, it was interesting to see Tris slowly noticing more and more of the Dauntless until she becomes one. The scene where she climbs the bridge amongst the running Dauntless with music pounding and smile spreading across her face is magical: the viewer really experiences a certain exhilaration with her.

As for other changes that worked really well; I liked how the action was more serious, for example, the paintball activity in the novel changes to war games with fake bullets that feel like real ones. Suddenly, that omnipresent danger becomes all the more clearer even in the activities they consider "fun". The fighting, battle and action scenes were also very extensive and the stunts were very well crafted. I really valued this choreography and that they didn't minimise the action as Divergent is characteristically fast-paced and tense.

Similarly, I like how the fear landscapes were interpreted. Unlike the book, the Dauntless can only escape their fears by solving how to stop and escape it, much like a logic puzzle. This made the viewing experience a lot more satisfying and exciting however it didn't really make sense to show bravery by using puzzle solving skills which seem more suited to Erudite. I especially liked Tris and Four's journey into his landscape where he taught her the difference between Divergent actions and Dauntless actions. I felt this made more sense within the context of the tests as well as allowing a more plausible reason for Four to allow Tris into his mind.

Talking of Four, Theo James presented a version of him that was completely different to anything I had imagined, but worked surprisingly well. Theo's Four had such an intense masculinity about him whilst still retaining the tenderness and honesty so integral to his personality. Other characters which exceeded my expectations in a good way were Tori (Maggie Q), Christina (Zoe Kravitz) and Eric (Jai Courtney).

"I don't want to be just one thing. I can't be. I want to be brave, and I want to be selfless, intelligent, and honest and kind."

As for elements that didn't work as well: I really wanted more from the secondary characters. The movie was very focused on the main story-arc as I mentioned before, following Tris very closely. However, in choosing to do this, a lot of the thorough and rich subplots with the secondary characters were lost. The viewer wasn't able to see the romance blooming between Christina and Will; we weren't able to see the true extent of Peter's maliciousness; and we were unable to get introduced to any of the Dauntless-born initiates. It is fully understandable as to why these small details were cut, but the real appeal of Divergent was its set of characters, and it was a real shame that we couldn't get to know them all as well as we did in the book. This also meant that when certain characters did die, the impact was cushioned by the fact that we didn't get that intense connection.

The pacing also felt extremely rushed due to the fact that they were trying to maintain most of the plot points. A lot of scenes were included, but they all seemed to happen briefly, especially during the Dauntless initiation which loses some of its apprehension and fatality. Again this lowered the viewer's investment in the plot and characters and I struggle to think what non-readers of the book would think of this film.

Overall, Divergent was a nice accompaniment to the book. I appreciated the artistic interpretation and creation of this wonderfully corrupt future. The visual design was fantastic and the acting very good although the rushed pacing made it quite difficult to grasp the scientific side of the narrative. A great, cinematic experience but not mind-blowing.

p.s. The actor who played Will (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) looked so much like Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend in this film. Scary.

(Screencaps from http://www.divergentlife.com/)