REVIEWS: Impact Reviews Recommends

Impact Reviews Recommends

Zadie Smith, Intimations (2020)

Despite being a mere 96 pages, Intimations by Zadie Smith explores what we all went through over the pandemic: a sense of ‘what now?’. Through six personal essays about 2020, she unpacks her mind in a time of crisis. She touches on the pandemic, race, politics, and more, all whilst our world was changing and we learnt to live with this new reality. Zadie Smith recognises that her essay collection is one of many memoirs to emerge from this period, but she doesn’t let that diminish her own experiences. Her writing stands out for its recognition of the constant need to be doing something – and something big at that – during this pause in our lives.

By Victoria Mileson

Our Planet (2019)

Sir David Attenborough’s iconic documentary, Our Planet, directly deals with the uncertainty surrounding the planet’s future. Each episode explores different natural habitats, from rivers to the rainforest and the high seas, addressing the very real question of what will be next for our planet if we do not stem human interference and ever-growing climate change. These threats are causing catastrophic environmental consequences, including melting sea ice and coral bleaching. The most memorable part of the series is the exceptional photography. By presenting the environments and their inhabitants in such a realistic manner, viewers are filled with dread at the thought of the ambiguous future of this wildlife, and also with a sense of determination to enact change.

By Hannah Walton-Hughes

Three Colours: Blue (1994)

Three Colours: Blue, directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski, follows a woman named Julie (Juliette Binoche) after the death of her husband and child in a car accident. The character is consumed by grief, seemingly unable to move forward in life as she avoids social interaction. The film is part of Kieslowski’s ‘Three Colours Trilogy’, in which each film respectively explores a theme from the French motto ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’. Exploring Julie’s freedom, but also her difficulty in starting a new life, Kieslowski crafts a film which is the quietest of emotional rampages, as the character comes to terms with the death of her family.

By Alex Watkin

SZA, ‘CTRL’ (2017)

‘CTRL’ is an album that is hard to put into words; you must experience it to understand it. It’s lyrically masterful, genreblending and raw. Despite being such a personal album, it is remarkable how relatable and universal SZA’s experiences are. ‘CTRL’ will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions: happiness, liberation, anger, sadness and insecurity. The album resonates with people who are still trying to figure out their life as they transition into adulthood. It accurately depicts insecurity, relationships, and the struggle to find and formulate your identity. Throughout the album, SZA demonstrates how hard it is to gain control - and how easy it is to lose it. In SZA’s words, “God bless these 20 somethings.”

By Daria Paterek

Stuart Little 2 (2002)

Boasting career-best performances from Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie, Stuart Little 2 is an irrefutable masterpiece. Director Rob Minkoff’s previous picture The Lion King was a mere palette cleanser, readying audiences for the sheer majesty of the ‘Little’ franchise to come. In this instalment, adopted rodent ‘Stuart’ (Michael J. Fox) grapples love and loss after the wounded canary ‘Margalo’ plummets into his custom 1955 Chevrolet Corvette. Their romance –with all its gasp-inducing twists – is a doomed one, as Margalo must migrate south for winter. Her bittersweet farewell is punctuated with Laurie’s recurring quote “every cloud has a silver lining.” Margalo has gone, but she’ll be back some day. To those leaving halls or university altogether, I know it’s sad, but it’s not the end. Every cloud…

By Tim Ovenden

Freshman Year (2021)

Raiff’s directorial debut and he also stars. He excels at both, with incredible directing talent at just 23 years of age. His performance captures the in-between feelings of university: a stage where you have some sense of maturity and identity but also face new experiences with no blueprint and little idea of how to succeed. Eventually, he meets a girl who seems to share none of these same problems, appearing to be the answer to all his worries. Played with confidence by Dylan Gelula, she is a character with more depth than first meets the eye. This film reassuringly guides you through both the overwhelming feelings associated with university life and the great joy that it brings.

By Charlie Maris

JP Saxe, Dangerous Levels of Introspection (2021)

JP Saxe’s debut album is honest and heartfelt, and the use of light piano and guitar accompaniment enables his mellow voice and poignant lyrics to stand out. Saxe aims to explore the idea that the stages of our lives are not a straightforward progression: they are complicated and unexpected. Songs such as Sing Myself To Sleep and Tension tackle universal struggles, such as losing a parent and relationship problems. The album’s highlight is Saxe’s single, If The World Was Ending, featuring Julia Michaels. The song depicts reconciliation with a loved one, regardless of past issues, in times of uncertainty and disaster. It was made into a multi-artist charity single during the pandemic, and the song has become relevant again within the context of the war in Ukraine.

By Emily Campbell

Illustration by Ciara Lurshay Page Design by Chiara Crompton