Film Review: MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN

How is it that we now live in a world where we can make contact without ever touching? How it is that we can interact, torment, and embrace others without ever having to say a word? Jason Reitman's (Juno, Up In The Air) latest feature, Men, Women & Children explores what makes this possible by delving into the extremes and possibilities of the internet. No longer a purely functional service, the internet has become a removed yet entirely absorbing ecosystem that now coexists alongside reality. Reitman successfully considers this crux of the modern day: where displaying more and more of our identities online is leaving what is left in our bodies in a fragile position. How does the internet affect personal development and relationships when it becomes the ultimate mediator that filters into every facet of our lives?   

An array of shocking and unusual narratives converge as the film presents us with a selection of characters whose stories all intertwine, networked like the internet itself. Reitman's film takes place from a distanced perspective, beginning interestingly in outer space whilst a omnipresent narrator observes the human race's new and strange technological behaviour as David Attenborough would of a colonised species, where something very odd has interfered with the direction of our evolution. This allows the viewer to become removed as heavy issues such as infidelity, eating disorders, porn and privacy are addressed. But above all, the viewer begins to notice how the uncontrollable acceleration of the internet can harbour obsession.

Concert Review: ALT-J 'This Is All Yours' at the O2 Arena, London

For one evening only, British alternative rock band, alt-J performed at the O2 Arena in London, filling the entire space both literally and with their musical presence. The performance was stellar, connecting with me on a level far more complex and metaphysical than just a pair of ears enjoying a band in a concert hall for 20,000 people. alt-J's music had me longing for hours afterwards to return to the sanctuary of their sound as each note was played and each word was sung with a haunting and yet comforting edge. 

The show began with the first support act, Gengahr. Being the first supporting act of a successful and popular band is always difficult but Gengahr fell disastrously flat in the expanse of the arena. Their instrumentals were solid and yet the vocals were completely lost in ambiguity with the lyrics being discernible and the notes rarely hit. Perhaps they would have been more successful within a more intimate venue but their performance was poor and undoubtedly overshadowed by the second support: Wolf Alice. I listened up on a little bit of their music before arriving but was still pleasantly surprised by their performance. Their sound was thoroughly pleasing, comparable to The xx meets Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Overall, it was a successful opening for one of the most enchanting evenings I have ever experienced.

Top 10 Films Watched in 2014

I got through significantly more films this year than last as well as managing to go to the cinema a lot more often. I'm planning to write another post about watching films at home vs. the cinema, but I really liked that I made watching films more of a social activity this year and shared my favourites with my closest friends. So here is my countdown:

10. Her (2014)

I hadn't heard much about this film actually before going into the cinema to watch it apart from an offhanded synopsis of "it's about a man and Siri getting together". Of course, a man's relationship with an operating system is the basic plot outline of this film, but its real merit comes from the cinematography and set design. It was a stunning film, the visuals made up of a selection of bright block colours that go against the stereotypically grey colour scheme of futuristic films. I particularly found the opening and the idea of a corporation that write letters pretending to be from other people really fascinating. The narrative itself wasn't amazing, but the themes and emotional resonance you draw from the film is extremely thought-provoking and powerful.

Top 5 Books Read in 2014

2014 was a successful year for reading. I finally completed the 50 books challenge, total books read coming to 62. This was also the first year I started participating in readathons which really helped bump my book count up, so I plan to do some more of these next year. I also started my degree in English Literature where I can finally dedicate all of my time to appreciating the beauty of words. So for my list of the top 5 books that I read this year:

5. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

This is one of the first books I read this year and it absolutely blew me away. You can read my full review here. The concept was very well done; an alien invasion which develops into a complex and harrowing series of events. My main reason for having this book on my list is how well Yancey wrote the action. It was simultaneously exciting, fast-paced and nerve-racking. The only problem I had with it was one of the narrators' voices, which irritating at first, was quick to get used it. All in all, it was one of those books which you spend the entire day waiting for when you have another free moment to read it.