T2 Trainspotting. Reliving the Rave.

A week or so ago, I decided to take a well deserved trip to my local cinema after the twilight hours after work, and watch the sequel to the wonderful cult classic Trainspotting. For months I have been awaiting this classic films little brother, hoping and praying (as, clearly, I so often do) for it to be as good, if not as good as the original. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. 

From www.uncrate.com

This film is one of the best sequels I have seen since Critters 2, and does more than we expect of such a classic. T2 takes place 11 years after the original, where main character in the original, Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to his home town Edinburough, where he rekindles his relationships to his two main friends, Sick Boy (Johnny Lee Miller) and Spud (Ewan Bremner). This wonderful and quite heart warming scenario then turns sinister as out casted friend Begbie breaks out from incarceration (Who would have known that he would be there, eh?) and bumps into the threesome.....

Both Trainspotting films  periodically merge visually into each other through out the film, which with just my meager lines of writing, cannot convey the conviction and creativly this weaving past with present concept conveys to the audience. Just think about how our brains react when we see a landmark that a few years ago (whether it's 1 year ago or 20) we visited with that lover we had, you replay the scenario you acted out with each other to the minor details of their wrinkled shirt, or wind blown hair. Simply put, this splicing of memories and history is beautifully articulate to how we all recall, and works astoundingly for the story we watch before us. 

The story is a simple one, (which I shall not divulge in greater detail on here, for just to hear this rendition of the story without the fantastic screen accompliment may turn people away from the film) but is realistic and empathetic to more or less all of us, since we all know how ageing, rekindling friendships and even how dealing with addiction of some kind or another feels. This adds a heart warming vibe to the whole piece, or at least it did for me, and in turn actually made me feel like I was also reconnecting to my mates who I never quite forgot after all of these passing years. 

From www.odeon.com

Director Danny Boyle uses his characteristic cutting edge filming techniques as seen in his previous films (Slumdog Millionaire) to fill this movie with pleasant visuals that will make all who see this film feel like they are in these situations presented to them, whilst also, at times, adding in a real view look into the euthoric nature of drugs, sex and succeeding with scams, and the gritty times of rehab and recovery. It's truly an inspiring piece, and I recommend seeing it very much. 

Until next time, 
Jessiefer. 

PS, this is a little doodle I drew after seeing the film. I felt like my eyes where so dilated with inspiration (akin to if I were to have seen a handsome guy with a hand written poetry book in his hand )

PPS, Also, Johnny Lee Miller rekindled my teenage lust of guys with bleached hair (see, going back in history)

From pbs.twimming.com

Rushmore

 

 

After being on the blogging site Tumblr, I have seen my fair share of movie gifs (jifs, gifs!) of several 'cult' movies which I'd always be interested in, but didn't want to pay to watch. So looking through the week's TV listings, I saw that Rushmore was on TV. As I have heard a whole lot about how great Murray is in the film, along with being interested by the gifs I had seen, I decided to finally watch it and see what all the indie hype was about. 

Let's start with the positives, the cinematography was spectacular, and I can only imagine that is what really caught my eye when I saw the gifs in the first place. The almost dream like filters just make you think of a teenage fantasy... Or maybe I have been reminiscing too much about my recent loss of teenage hopes and dreams.... ahem. The story is entertaining, but unbelievable in some instances, I mean, who would go so far as to carry live bee's to a hotel room to get revenge on their love rival?! (Although, I agree that is a pretty cool way of getting revenge)  The characters were solid and well acted, I have known many people like Max (the main character) who make up lies to appease peoples views on them, or to make themselves seem more important than they really are, which actually really got to me quite bad. 

These strong traits are why I think I had such a hard time liking the film, although I am not quite sure as to why Max put me off so much. All the actions he does are what we, as misfit teenagers, wanting to be likes and praised and interesting, do! We want to believe that the person we love loves us back, even though we know they don't look at us in that way or think about us twice, we know we are the awkward nearly adults but still children, and so adults usually don't pay us, or our actions much attention unless we fuck up. My unease with Max as a character may just be a reflection of all the weird and awkward things I used to do and feel and say, and so it brought me back to a time of utter confusion and parallel wonderment. Whatever the reason, the character put me off so much that I just didn't enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would. 

I have read a lot of reviews around the film, and there are many expressions of subtle humour, even though  I, being a obscure and black humoured lady, just didn't see at all. The movie was just a story, a very twist and turn journey at that, with a lonely and misunderstood teen trying to fit in somewhere where he is just one of many in the middle. I do however think the movie highlights a huge range of kids in school, in fact, people even in adult life. We mostly are, statistically more likely to be a middle person (meaning we are good at the odd few things, and in the middle of everything else) than a top or a bottom. Most of us got ok grades or reports but rarely are we masters of everything. This film highlights this, and makes us all remember how much we enjoyed those few things we were/are really amazing at, and how stupid, disheartened or unmotivated we were by the majority of other things we are forced to learn. For this, I applause the film, and think that this one theme alone can bring a multitude of people together to sympathise with Max on another level.

The other opposite, and character I actually loved, was Bill Murrays character Herman Bulme, who is an adult feeling the same about his life as Max is. Although he is a wealthy business man, has a family, house, all those things we all are told we want (been on a Fight Club binge, excuse me) he is unhappy, unmotivated and just bored with life. I think he is very interested in Max as he see's a huge amount of himself now, and especially as a teen in him, and as I said about the possible reason why I maybe put off by Max's character, maybe why Herman is so connected to him. What I like most about Herman's character is the fact that no matter how old we are, what we do in our lives, there will still be that awkward feeling of mystery about what we are 'supposed' to do now, and not completely fitting in. It just gives me a sense of happiness that no matter what stage of life we are at, there is that newness of being a person with endless possibilities of what we can do, say and feel. (How invigorating)

Maybe Rushmore is the reminiscing Max does after a while of forgetting, and so actions are bolder, more surreal and the outcomes are easier to see and defragment seeing as you are not in the moment anymore... Maybe so many people like the film due to its nostalgic feel of their own  misunderstood teenage years... Whatever the reason, it's a worthwhile film to see in your life, however, I do not whole heartedly recommend it myself. I am glad I have finally seen what the hype was about, but honestly, I think I shall not be taking many more suggestions of films to see via gifs off of Tumblr any longer.

Until next time,

Jessiefer.

My Mad Fat Diary: Therapeutic Programming Perfection.

Image from

Ever since randomly catching an episode during one of my 3am-insomnia induced night-nights, I have been utterly fangirled (a term I hate, but admit to for this program) by this show. It follows a mid teen, Rae, her group of friends and Mum (with the more recent addition of her lover/husband Karim) and how she copes with growing up in the early 90's with a mental illness. 

Sounds a bit like every other teen drama out there, right? Let me tell you, it isn't! This series has the usual teenage struggle story lines which consist of boy troubles, the anxiety over losing your virginity, kissing and relationships, as well as disagreements with parents over curfew times etc, but this series has an almost philosophical (without the glistening hue of mind blowing epiphany, as many may expect when they see this word) feel to it... in a layman's terms sort of way. 

My Mad Fat Diary shows a fair few examples of what everyone thinks about when they are in the early stages of adulthood, with the added bonus of mental illness. Of course this is a huge theme in the show, as should be understood by the title, and it really does deal with, in my own experience anyway, the way of a self conscious and depressed young woman who doesn't know how to deal with the thoughts and feelings she is experiencing. 

There is a huge amount of times in the program where the audience yells at the screen for Rae to do something, or not to (or was that just me...?) which I personally think is a huge indicator to how deep the story is, or will be, for a lot of people. We see Rae go through periods of wanting to self harm, seeing how much her self esteem varies from episode to episode, and also notice how she thinks herself worthless, even though she is seen by others as a wonderfully bubbly, humorous and talented young lady. 

These reasons are exactly why I think that My Mad Fat Diary is a therapeutic sort of show, the plot gobbles you up so you are a part of it, you realise that you have, or do feel these thoughts of being worthless, ugly, stupid etc, but that in most cases, you aren't at all. It also goes on to express exactly why you (and why others around you) aren't either. For me, that is a hugely uplifting feeling to get from a show, and one that I have never seen previously in dramas. 

I feel that those of you that have ever felt any feelings of depression, anxiety, social anxiety and other such disorders should watch this program. Even though those horrendous times of being a monstrous, hormonal wreck of a teenager may be behind you, you can still get a huge amount of understanding about what happened (and is happening) in your own life, as well as relive some of the more embarrassing, yet character shaping events that we all have done. And to those of you with teens of your own, maybe watch My Mad Fat Diary with them so that if they have any questions, or problems that this show may allow them to want to talk about, they can (which is also another huge factor about the program that I like!) 

Until next time,

Jessiefer.